corona
Can the jungle camp take place in South Africa despite the new virus variant? That’s what RTL says
Daniel Hartwich and Sonja Zietlow are to moderate the jungle camp in 2022.
© Stefan Gregorowius / MG RTL D
The planning is already in full swing: The 2022 jungle camp is actually supposed to take place in January in South Africa. Will the new virus variant change that? That’s what RTL says about it.
It is one of the most popular and meanwhile longest lasting formats on German television: “I am a star – get me out of here!” Has been on RTL since 2004 and regularly gives the station record ratings in January. The jungle camp is shot regularly in Australia.
With the exception of last year: Due to the corona pandemic, the show could not take place as planned at Murwillumbah in New South Wales and was canceled. As a replacement there was “I am a Star – The Great Jungle Show”, which was filmed in studios in Hürth-Efferen just outside Cologne, where the private broadcaster has its headquarters.
Even if the set builders had made every effort to create a jungle feeling – there was no real atmosphere. And so there should definitely be a regular camp again in 2022. Because of the strict corona policy, a trip to Australia was not possible, but it should be a bit exotic. That is why the Swadini National Park on the Blyde River Canon in South Africa was chosen as the new venue.
But a new variant of the corona virus has just been discovered in this country of all places. B.1.1.529 worries experts and health politicians around the world that the German government and many other countries have already drastically restricted air traffic with South Africa. Will that also have an impact on the RTL show?
RTL plans to continue the jungle camp in South Africa
“For the jungle camp we are still planning with South Africa, but of course under observation of current developments,” said a spokesman at the request of the star. So there is no cancellation at the moment. The new virus variant is still too fresh for this, and the knowledge about the danger is still too little.
But if the previous impressions prove to be true, South Africa is unlikely to be sustainable as a venue. RTL will probably have to look for a new location. A challenge for the private broadcaster. But since Marc Terenzi’s participation in the jungle camp in 2017, we have known: “The rules are the rules, you have to stick to them.”