Watching television. - "Germany's Top Model": Lea and Jermaine emerge victorious
During the 19th season of "Germany's Next Topmodel," a first-time victory was accomplished by both a man and a woman – Lea (24) from Duesseldorf and Jermaine (20) from Kassel, Hesse. These two models surpassed five other candidates in the finale, which took place at a Cologne event on Thursday evening. Their win was a surprise to everyone, including themselves.
Lea, a business developer, expressed her surprise after being announced as the winner. "I didn't expect it," she said, proudly thanking her fans for their support and the daily "lovely messages" she received.
The other contestants were left behind by Lea and Jermaine in the three-hour live show. Female runner-up Xenia (24) from Hof in Bavaria, and Fabienne (21) from Solingen in North Rhine-Westphalia followed. Among the men, it was Linus (25) from Berlin who placed second. Julian and Luka (24) from Frankfurt am Main took the third place as a team.
The finale drew in a total of 1.62 million viewers, with 8.0% of women and men watching together. The important target group of 14-49 year olds tuned in with an impressive 18.8%. The ratings were consistent with previous years.
The grand finale included several tasks for the models. Singers Robin S. (62) and Sabrina Carpenter (25) performed during the show. Another memorable moment of the evening featured talented duo Sofi Tukker presenting their latest single.
The final photo shoot of the season took place at a soccer goal, with former football professional Bastian Schweinsteiger (39) inviting the contestants to participate. Schweinsteiger had some reservations about the show, initially asking, "I don't know why I'm here." He later agreed to return for the upcoming anniversary season, indicating he had yet to sign the agreement.
Elizabeth Hurley (59) and her son Damian (22) along with designer Wolfgang Joop (79) were guests at the finale. Joop, a long-time jury member, who had chosen not to participate in this year's casting, commented, "I didn't see this year's season, but I'm happy for the winners." He noted that he had stopped following the latest season after the semi-finals.
Lea and Jermaine had been the favorites among the participants, according to the prominent guests. As a result of their win, the German edition of "Harper's Bazaar" became the first edition to feature both a male and a female model on its cover. Each winner will receive a $100,000 cash prize.
