- Summer, South Africa, and new rules: Everything is different in the jungle
It's the summer of big events. Football fans got the European Championship, and all sports enthusiasts soon after the Olympic Games in Paris. Honorable competitions with noble sportswomen and sportsmen. But the next big event on German television - as fans of reality TV would readily classify it - is unlikely to be like that. RTL is showing a special season of its Dschungelcamp from Friday (16th August, already a day earlier on the streaming service RTL+). With many contestants who have proven themselves in competitions, but probably not always with the most honorable behavior.
Unlike regular seasons, a group of celebrities who are largely unknown even to genre fans will not be moving into the camp. Instead, people who have already lived in the camp and have made a name for themselves there will be participating. So, one can guess what to expect, and the whole setup promises to be, shall we say, explosive - not just at the campfire. The show is called "I'm a Star - Showdown of Dschungel Legends" and not, as usual, "I'm a Star - Get me out of here!"
It all started 20 years ago
The reason for the "Legends Dschungel", as RTL calls it, is the anniversary that the format is celebrating this year, according to the broadcaster. In 2004, 20 years ago, the first season aired and caused a mild uproar because such mistreatment of celebrities was not yet part of viewing habits. Today, that has long changed. The Dschungel is a TV classic.
That's why there's now a special season, even in the summer. Dschungel fans are usually conditioned for the start of the year. Also, the celebrities are not fighting in Australia for food and their dignity, but in South Africa. That's rather exotic, although a season was produced there in 2022, then due to the Corona pandemic.
But the biggest difference is that the Dschungel is not live this time, the format has already been recorded. This brings some changes. Usually, viewers call in to decide which celebrity has to face the challenge, who has to leave the camp, and who will receive the so-called Dschungelkron. This will of the people from far-off Germany is not part of the drama this time.
This is the first time this is happening, as RTL entertainment chief Markus Küttner confirms. "We've basically thrown the rules out the window," he told the German Press Agency. So, who will decide the fate of the celebrities?
Who decides the fate of the celebrities if not the viewer?
"Sometimes we decide, sometimes we leave the decisions to the stars, and in the second week, there are even challenges where it's decided who stays in the camp and who has to leave," explains Küttner. "This creates a completely new dynamic because the presumed favorite for the crown can now be directly voted out by their fellow campers." That sounds promising. At the same time, the RTL entertainment chief promises "the good old Dschungel feeling".
That should be ensured by the personnel, who have already shown that they can evoke emotions in every direction. For example, contestant Daniela Büchner, a reality TV expert ("Goodbye Germany! Die Auswanderer") and widow of former camper "Malle" Jens Büchner, was notorious in 2020 for spreading pretty bad vibes in the camp. At that time, the moderator duo even asked the audience to spare Büchner the Dschungel challenges.
Sarah Knappik, known as a model, was famously beseeched by actor Mathieu Carrière on her knees to voluntarily leave her season in 2011 amidst great upheavals ("Sarah, please leave us!"). Former footballer Thorsten Legat, in his 2016 season, regularly worked himself into a rage and threatened "Kasalla!" (Rhenish dialect for trouble) with bulging veins. RTL describes Giulia Siegel (season 2009) as "known for her disputes with other candidates and her cigarette consumption in the camp." In short, it's shaping up to be a heated affair.
Back again are the hosting duo Sonja Zietlow and Jan Köppen, along with jungle doctor Dr. Bob. "I was so excited to see them all again, especially Giulia, as it's been over 14 years," he says. "But of course, also Thorsten."
The jungle doctor, originally a trained paramedic, also claims to remember all the participants of the "Legends Jungle." Having been part of the show since 2004, one can believe him. "Every celebrity who comes into the show brings their own, very individual personality," he says. "Often quirky, loud, quiet, cheeky, shy, worried, and overconfident."
There's nothing more to add. Let the games begin.
People will be excited to see the return of several celebrities who have made a name for themselves in previous seasons of Dschungelcamp. Many viewers are familiar with the controversial behaviors and memorable moments of contestants like Daniela Büchner, Sarah Knappik, Thorsten Legat, and Giulia Siegel.
