Overview
- The 19th season begins on January 23 with daily 20:15 broadcasts on RTL and RTL+, spanning 17 episodes and concluding with the finale on February 8.
- RTL named 12 contestants including Gil Ofarim, Mirja du Mont, Simone Ballack, Hardy Krüger Jr., Stephen Dürr, Patrick Romer, Eva Benetatou, Samira Yavuz, Umut Tekin, Nicole Belstler-Boettcher, Hubert Fella and Ariel Hediger.
- Viewer reaction is sharply divided, with praise for the entertainment potential alongside boycott threats and criticism focused on Ofarim and the lineup’s strong reality-TV emphasis.
- Media highlight pre-existing tensions like the Samira Yavuz–Eva Benetatou reunion as a likely engine for on-screen conflict tied to a publicly discussed past affair.
- Sonja Zietlow and Jan Köppen return with Dr. Bob in Australia, and RTL is augmenting the rollout with a warm-up show hosted by Angela Finger-Erben and Olivia Jones before the premiere.