– The jungle camp of legends is here
Absurd gaps in knowledge, shortness of breath due to a waterbuck penis and a real rebellion against the management: The RTL jungle camp is back on the screen. The first episode will be broadcast on RTL this Friday (8:15 p.m., “I’m a Celebrity – Showdown of the Jungle Legends”). It then premiered on the streaming service RTL+ on Thursday. As usual, it was full of emotions and a lot of noise right from the start.
At the centre of the tumult, the tears and the shouting: former “Cologne 50667” actor David Ortega, who accused his fellow campers of bullying (“You are such a disgrace!”). They retaliated with a kind of civil uprising against the 38-year-old bearded man.
Not a regular season, but a special edition
But let’s start from the beginning: This new season is not a regular episode of the reality show, but a special edition. The occasion is the 20th anniversary of the show, which was first broadcast in 2004. A lot is different this time. RTL is not broadcasting the format at the beginning of the year, but in the summer. The setting is not Australia, but South Africa. The show is not live, but pre-recorded. And: Only campers who have already appeared in previous seasons are allowed to take part. “Legends”, as RTL calls them.
People like presenter Giulia Siegel (49), actor Winfried Glatzeder (79), ex-footballer Thorsten Legat (55) and reality star Gigi Birofio (25) are fighting for food and dignity. And of course David Ortega, who left his season early in 2016 and looks noticeably different today. His once short hair has given way to a shaggy, fluffy mane and a druid beard.
Annoyed in the jungle camp: Kader Loth
His behavior in the camp shortly after moving in is similarly conspicuous. In the morning, he sits next to a toilet paper roll by the campfire and babbles about children’s TV shows and leopards. Suddenly he asks reality veteran Kader Loth (51) whether she was born in Germany. She answers sleepily and annoyed: “I don’t even know where I am right now!” A harbinger of greater discord.
Then, inexplicably, Ortega is appointed team leader. Not an honorary position, but one that is generally recognized as having legislative power, because the team leader organizes the jungle camp.
This increase in power, coupled with existing scepticism among colleagues, leads to an escalation (Gigi: “He is a bit creepy. I mean, not that I sleep and then he comes at night.”). As so often, the argument escalates when it comes to veganism. During the first big joint test, the campers have to swallow all kinds of disgusting things. While Sarah Knappik (37) downs several glasses of cleaned goat stomach and looks as if she has just come from a zombie film casting, Ortega refuses. Instead, he refers to the Ten Commandments.
“Shame on you all!”
Afterwards, he has the feeling that his colleagues are not taking veganism seriously. The man, who still sees himself as a “great peace politician,” yells at his colleagues: “Shame on you all!” The result: a spontaneous meeting takes place in which Ortega is removed as team leader. Mola Adebisi (51) is supposed to deliver the message and begins the conversation like a department head who has to fire someone while a seminar on non-violent communication is taking place in the background. He says to Ortega: “You also need a general update.” It does not calm the argument.
If all of this is too conflict-ridden for you, you can also have fun in the jungle – especially with Kader Loth. The trash TV queen (“I am one of the most serious people in Germany”) finds herself in an awkward situation when she has to greet Winfried Glatzeder, the former “Belmondo of the East”, which is obviously difficult for her. “Winfried… Glatzer,” she says. “But I thought you were dead a long time ago.” She remembers his box office hit “The Legend of Paul and Paula” as “Paula and Paulina”.
Meanwhile, reality star Gigi Birofio fails to smuggle cigarettes into the camp in his pants, near his butt. However, he later lets out a loud fart in front of presenter Sonja Zietlow, reminiscent of a scene from his 2023 season. The term “jungle legend” has many shades indeed.
Shortness of breath due to water buffalo penis
Former footballer Thorsten Legat experienced a dramatic moment during the food test when he was concentrating on chewing on small pieces of water buffalo penis and suddenly turned red. Several campers and hostess Sonja Zietlow rushed to his aid and patted him on the shoulder. “I couldn’t breathe,” the former footballer explained afterwards, visibly shaken. The disgusting food got stuck in his throat.**
What was not seen at the start: reality candidate Elena Miras (32), who was announced as a participant but has not yet appeared. According to RTL.de, she will join the jungle group later as a surprise. Sonja Zietlow was also seen as the sole presenter for large parts of the show. Co-presenter Jan Köppen had a fever at the time of recording and had to rest.**
Transparency note: Stern is part of RTL Deutschland.
In the jungle camp, the participants are housed in a makeshift settlement and prepare for the challenges and tests that lie ahead. Amidst lush vegetation and wild animals, the “jungle camp” serves as their temporary home during their stay.
During a heated debate about veganism, David Ortega, the appointed team leader, attacks his fellow campers, leading to a restructuring of the camp hierarchy. The “jungle camp” becomes the stage for political power struggles and personal conflicts as the contestants make their way through the special edition of the jungle reality show.
