Overview
- RTL’s 19th season of I’m a Celebrity begins January 23 on RTL and RTL+, with 12 contestants and a finale slated for February 8.
- Gil Ofarim, convicted of defamation over a fabricated 2021 antisemitism allegation, has arrived in Australia and says he values being understood over fame or prize money.
- Social-media backlash has included boycott calls, and campmates such as Nicole Belstler‑Boettcher and Hardy Krüger Jr., along with 2024 winner Lucy Diakovska, argue the reality format is not the place to revisit his scandal.
- RTL says Ofarim has faced legal accountability for the false claim and presents his appearance as part of a broader personal trajectory that viewers will see on air.
- Beyond the dispute, Simone Ballack will carry a pendant containing part of her late son’s ashes with production safeguards in place, as fellow contestants including Mirja du Mont, Eva Benetatou and others settle in ahead of the premiere.