Sarah Knappik
These stars escaped from the jungle camp
Sarah Knappik (l.), Michael Wendler and Dolly Buster are among the celebrities who threw in the towel in the jungle.
© Raoul Gatchalian/starmaxinc.com/ImageCollect / imago/Future Image / imago/Future Image
Anyone who shouts “I’m a star – get me out of here!” calls, can leave the camp in Australia immediately. Some candidates have already done that.
On January 19th, twelve more or less well-known stars will move to the jungle camp. Will Cora Schumacher (47), Sarah Kern (56), Heinz Hoenig (72) and the others all hold out until they are voted out by the audience or win? Since the start of the RTL show 20 years ago, there have been repeated participants in “I am a Star – Get me out of here!” voluntarily gave up the jungle crown and left the campfire early. The reasons for this ranged from health problems to stress with fellow campers.
It’s been a while since a celebrity threw down voluntarily. Former professional footballer Ansgar Brinkmann (54) was the last person to say the famous words “I’m a star – get me out of here!” in the twelfth season in 2018. shouted to escape the jungle adventure. His reasoning: “I’ve had enough with rules.” Actor Dustin Semmelrogge (43), on the other hand, premiered his self-chosen exit in the first season. He only lasted three days in the TV warehouse.
No desire to be locked up and eat a meager diet
Pop singer Michael Wendler (51) lasted one day longer in the eighth season of 2014. “I feel weak. I don’t want to pick up any infections or bacteria,” he explained, emphasizing that he also has show appointments that he has to keep up with. Some viewers suspected that Wendler might have planned his scandalous exit from the start. After all, his legendary saying “Good morning in the morning” outlasted his brief jungle presence.
The former winner of “Star Search”, Martin Kesici (50), did not make it to the final of the jungle camp in 2012. The singer had so much trouble “with being locked up” in the sixth season that he left after the first week. In 2018, the former “GNTM” model Giuliana Farfalla (27) pulled the ripcord on the sixth day. She emphasized: “I don’t want to lie on the ground and then say: I can’t do it anymore!” Former RTL presenter Harry Wijnvoord (74) had enough after eleven days in the second season. Hunger bothered him; rice and beans were nothing for him.
Annoying fellow campers
But it’s not just the meager food or the sometimes pretty boring everyday camp life that can cause annoyance. Sometimes the fellow campers are more annoying than spiders or a lack of luxury: in 2011, ex-“Germany’s Next Top Model” candidate Sarah Knappik (37) antagonized almost everyone in the fifth season. After some fellow contestants threatened to boycott the show if the blonde didn’t leave the camp immediately, she left herself on the eleventh day, making for the most spectacular exit so far.
Curve queen Dolly Buster (54) also suffered particularly from her fellow human beings in the second season. The ongoing feud with Désireé Nick (67), who later became the jungle queen, is said to have taken such a toll on her that she left after just 48 hours.
Health problems
A common reason for exit is health problems. They often led to early exits, especially among older candidates. Günther Krause (70) was not only the first politician in the German jungle camp in 2020, but also the candidate with the shortest stay. He left the show after just a few hours due to health reasons. For actor Helmut Berger (1944-2023), 2013 was over after three days due to his health. Three years later, heat and hunger also affected the musician Gunter Gabriel (1942-2017) and the actor Rolf Zacher (1941-2018), both of whom were already over 70 years old. They came straight from the camp to the hospital.
But younger candidates’ health also put a damper on Jungle Crown’s plans: DJane Giulia Siegel (49) left the fourth season in 2009 due to back problems. Former “DSDS” participant Lisa Bund (35) dropped out of the third season due to acute gastritis. And the former “Bachelor” candidate Angelina Heger (31) gave up after a week in the ninth season in 2015: “I’m just not feeling well mentally or physically,” she said, saying she was at the end of her strength.
Season 17 begins on January 19th
How the celebrities will fare in 2024 can be seen from Friday, January 19th. RTL is showing the start of the 17th season in a three-hour live show from 8:15 p.m. On the second day, presenters Sonja Zietlow (55) and Jan Köppen (40) will also report live from the Australian jungle in prime time, but then only for two hours. In addition to the broadcasts on the first two days, RTL also shows the jungle camp on both Sundays at prime time. But only for a short time, because from 8:55 p.m. the station switches to the playoffs of the National Football League (NFL). In addition to the four primetime editions, the live broadcast of “I’m a Star – Get Me Out of Here!” starts every day at 10:15 p.m.