Musician Gil Ofarim has won the final of RTL's reality show 'I'm a Celebrity – Get Me Out of Here!' and receives 100,000 euros plus the jungle crown. Despite controversies surrounding his past, he led all votes and defeated Samira Yavuz and Hubert Fella. His victory sparks debates among viewers and fellow campers.
On late Sunday evening, 43-year-old Gil Ofarim was crowned the winner of the 2026 edition of Dschungelcamp. Moderators Sonja Zietlow and Jan Köppen announced that he received the most viewer votes, securing the jungle crown and 100,000 euros in prize money. Samira Yavuz from 'The Bachelor' came in second, followed by Hubert Fella from 'Ab ins Beet!' Ofarim led every voting round, according to the moderators.
In the finale, Ofarim completed a final challenge, sticking his head into Plexiglas orbs filled with scorpions and giant cockroaches while unscrewing stars. 'The name Gil translates to 'joy' in German. It's back now,' he said. 'The jungle has brought me back, back to life.'
Ofarim's participation was controversial from the start. In 2021, he falsely accused a Leipzig hotel employee of antisemitism and admitted in 2023 court that he had fabricated the claims. The proceedings were suspended after a 10,000 euro payment and an apology. In the camp, he refused to discuss it publicly, citing a non-disclosure agreement he called a 'Verschwiegenheitserklärung,' though it was actually an undertaking not to repeat the claims. He had already apologized in court.
Fellow campers sharply criticized his behavior. Simone Ballack, eliminated in the semi-final, said: 'If Gil wins, I lose faith in reality shows.' She described him as a manipulator based on talks with his ex-wife Verena and noted '28 different Gils' in camp due to his erratic behavior. Patrick Romer also felt a 'weird gut feeling' and observed changes in Ofarim's personality. Despite the criticism, viewers voted him the winner, which many find surprising.
