- His perspective on his co-campers, as expressed.
Actor Winfried Glatzeder (79, "Oderbruch") exited the special anniversary season of RTL's "I'm a Celebrity - Showdown of the Jungle Legends" (latest episode available on RTL+, airing the following day on linear TV on RTL) on day eight. In an interview with news agency spot on news, the alum of the Film and Television University in Potsdam-Babelsberg (attended 1965-1969) praises the proficiency displayed by the many successful reality TV stars during their time in the camp.
In your departure from "I'm a Celebrity - Showdown of the Jungle Legends", you mentioned that everyone is a little nuts. What exactly were you referring to?
Glatzeder: We were all brought onto the show under the assumption that we could entertain our audience through our performances. However, I was the only one without a grasp of social media, and I was astounded by how effortlessly the others navigated the art of self-promotion.
Is 'crazy' a positive term in this context?
Glatzeder: To some extent, yes, and it was also quite odd. They all have one ultimate goal in mind, which is to use this show to further their careers or promote their other reality shows.
Being surrounded by reality TV stars, you are an actor. What was the main difference?
Glatzeder: It was evident that those with experience in reality shows were quite skilled. I thought I would adapt quickly and hold my own, but that was not the case, and it wasn't enjoyable either.
Would you say there was a lot of acting involved or were the participants genuine?
Glatzeder: Within their world, it's all quite authentic since they make a lot of money from it. At some point, one of the contestants, Gigi, said something along the lines of: "If I haven't made millions by the age of 50, I'll end up as a vagrant under a bridge." He knew what he was talking about, it's all about making as much money as possible. The shelf life of a star is much shorter today than it was in the past. The level of professionalism in this line of work is impressive, however.
The camp experience and the production's portrayal of it are two different things. How did you feel about the way you were presented on the show?
Glatzeder: It's fascinating what they can create out of it. Sometimes I would try to contribute something, but I didn't see any results on the show. In the previous episode, I was merely reduced to talking about the bowel movements of my colleagues in the camp. I was the main focus of that episode. I did more, of course, but it was not showcased.
How do you explain that?
Glatzeder: Everyone is assigned a role, which I should have been aware of from my Jungle Camp experience a decade ago. However, I couldn't remember. It's all about the business, and I'm ready to participate for a substantial fee.
Glatzeder: Yes, in my case, it was violation of the rules out of boredom since there wasn't much excitement going on when I wasn't challenged and had to spend the entire day in the camp. I often just lounged around in my corner, and it was showed enough on the show how lethargic 'old man' Glatzeder was. I only broke one real rule.
Which rule did you break?
Glatzeder: I wanted to display my bravado by bypassing the futile attempts to start a fire at the beginning. I secretly brought a match and a piece of striking surface, which I taped to my backside for safekeeping. When we joined as the second group, I was disappointed because David Ortega had already managed to ignite the fire with excessive energy. I had outsmarted myself. I did not break any more rules.
Was there also smuggling involved in your first Jungle Camp experience in 2014?
Glatzeder: Yes, back then the women also smuggled salt for the food into the Jungle Camp. I benefited from it, so I didn't ask any further questions.
What's your next project after the Jungle Legends, where can fans see you again?
Glatzeder: Manfred Krug's [1937-2016, R.I.P.] successful series "Liebling Kreuzberg" [1986-1998] is returning with a feature film "Kanzlei Liebling Kreuzberg", airing September 27th at 20:15 on ARD. I will be portraying a racist in it. Furthermore, I have a role in the cinema film "Kundschafter des Friedens 2 - Kubanische Nächte", set to release in cinemas on January 23rd.
Glatzeder's departure from "I'm a Celebrity - Showdown of the Jungle Legends" highlighted his amazement at the ease with which the other contestants handled social media and self-promotion, a skill he lacked as a star without a strong online presence.
The conversation about their roles on the show led Glatzeder to admit breaking a rule out of boredom during his first Jungle Camp experience in 2014, smuggling a match and striking surface into the camp to boost his bravado.
