- Proposing a Chair as an Alternative for Calzone, or the Controversy Surrounding Gigi's "Aesthetic Overqualification"
Day 9 in the jungle, a day of cravings for sensual indulgences among the ten determined campmates. Sarah K. tries to stay positive: "Hey, we're really trying to make the most of the peas: there are crunchy ones, mushy ones, and pea patties," she lists. The taste isn't appealing, judging by the faces of Francesca Rossi and Hans-Peter Schmidt.** But Schmidt, the tough guy, wouldn't let a can of peas get the better of him. "Peas might not be delightful, but no one's perished from consuming them," he remarks, the originator of zesty motivational quotes.
Let's address the queen of culinary delights, Isabella Giordano. She reminisces about a succulent meatball and summarizes the meal woes as usual: "I'm deteriorating! I'm f-a-l-l-i-n-g a-p-a-r-t!", the 45-year-old groans, envision her exaggerated eyeroll.
The younger half of Giordano, Francesco Birofio, is already hallucinating from hunger: "Wherever I look, I see food. I look at the ground, I see pizza slice!", he laments. Birofio is weak enough to stumble into trees and cave ceilings. Francesca Rossi shows concern for Birofio's health: she gives him more responsibility and appoints him the new team leader.
Birofio Struggles as the Leader of the Jungle Camp
Birofio isn't thrilled. "I don't want to be the boss. You have to plan and do and plan and... plan," he grumbles. In his first speech, he states his position: "Do as you please and leave me alone. Initiative, people!" After what feels like an eternity, Birofio is already exhausted by the ultra-stressful leader role and questions himself: "Why do I have this burden? I'm too handsome to work, man! What did I become a reality TV star for? Not to work!" While he retrieves forgotten items from Friederike, he makes a dramatic decision: "Only dating shows in my life from now on!", he pledges.
Is it the many peas or the lack of meatballs? Anyway, Birofio starts introspecting, sitting alone by the stream: "I came in as a true Casanova...", now he's just good enough for a "Darn it..." And then the time when he was on top: "I flew to the Mars. I even planted the flag on Mars," says the reality TV star, suddenly serious: "I was obnoxious. I'm sorry – truly, from the depths of my heart."
How Birofio switches from "I'll be alone" to "I'll be a father" in just moments remains another one of many intriguing Birofio mysteries. "The purpose of life is to become a father," he declares, smiling at Jonas Habermann**. "Just love and be loved!" he seems to have found peace. Habermann remains doubtful and asks if he would ever "offer love" in return? Birofio: "Physically or emotionally? Oh, I need to get out of here!"
Danni Schäfer: "Mental Zugabe"
A song Danni Schäfer can also sing. "They say 'Go work', but this job makes us mentally 'Zugabe' first," she tells Sarah Knaak in an interview. "Sure, we get a lot of money, but we also give up a lot," says the "Goodbye Germany" star. So the TV nation knows more about Schäfer, her late husband Andreas, and her three children than some of their own relatives. Everything is shared, even the most intimate experiences. This time, Schäfer shares her decades-long depression, triggered by a toxic relationship before Andreas, and how therapy helped her.
While communication between these two women is strong, a mediation attempt between Sarah and Juliana falls flat. Siegel still finds it acceptable to compare Sarah to a Stasi officer. "That's just regular speech," she says, suggesting Sarah could "just search it up" if she doesn't understand. Are phrases like "I've never had a more exhausting conversation partner than you" and "Okay, then speak when you're done" in response to "I'm trying to share my feelings with you" also "regular"? One can only hope it's all a massive misunderstanding. Impressively, the younger Knaak doesn't let the 49-year-old Siegel bully her: "Juliana could be my mother's age. But she can't even say 'I'm sorry.' I'm making my stand there."
The "Paradise Games" jungle challenge pushes Knappik and Elena Miras to their breaking points. They had convinced themselves that one of them would have to depart (which wasn't true), causing their nerves to falter with simple questions. Can you recount a couple of lion names from "The Lion King," Elena? "Pumba, Zumba, and Tamba?" Name four African countries? "Mambia, Tanzania, Bridgerton-something? I'm drawing a blank!" Since neither Sarah nor Elena managed to toss the stars over the mast, there was no feast for dinner – the anticipation from the hungry must have been palpable.
Ultimately, the source of wisdom, Kader, got to share his daily insight: "Everyone here will cease to exist in a hundred years – even the film crew," spoke the 51-year-old. Despite munching on all the artificial cheese.
In the midst of their jungle struggle, the campmates discuss the possibility of building a jungle camp, with Birofo mentioning, "Maybe we should consider setting up a jungle camp somewhere." Later, as the campmates face various challenges, Sarah Knaak suggests, "Perhaps we could build a small jungle camp for rest and relaxation."
