Désirée Nick on her legacy "As the first jungle queen, I turned reality TV into an industry"
Désirée Nick wants to train the TV celebrities of tomorrow at the "Realitystar Academy". In this interview, she reveals what the students should learn from her and what she herself thinks about the reality world.
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- How do you become a star? That's what 18 hopeful students want to learn from reality veteran Désirée Nick at the "Realitystar Academy".
- Before the first class starts on Thursday, April 16, on the streaming service Joyn, the 69-year-old took over the lessons at a Munich university.
- In her usual eccentric manner and with the odd side blow, the former "jungle queen" introduced the students to her "golden rules of reality" - first and foremost: "Don't be boring."
Désirée Nick, would you have thought at the beginning of your career that you would one day have your own reality show?
No, because nowadays everyone has their own show - even though these people have no expertise at all. It's obviously different for me. I've been making a living from my talent for 40 years, I've acted in series and films and I'm on the theater stage. My main job is not on television at all. The year before last, for example, I spent the whole summer playing at the Theater am Bayerischen Hof in Munich and will be back on the theater stage in 2027.
You've built up a large fan base.
There are often hundreds of people queuing up for a photo with me at my shows. I love doing that because it doesn't cost me anything and I make them really happy. But people who have never seen me on stage before also ask me for photos.
Does it bother you that there are people who only know you from reality TV?
I find that frightening. They say: "Oh, that's the lisping aunt who's always pushing people." But with all the options we have, it would be so easy for them to find out. When I look at my portfolio, I know that these people are deficient. They need my help to open their eyes.
How do you explain your success in reality TV?
I have never repeated myself in all these years. When a new format comes along, I'm a different one. Take "Celebrity Big Brother" as an example. People were completely blown away by what I did with Harald Glööckler in the model apartment.
It didn't seem entirely juvenile.
It made TV history! It can't be a coincidence that the moments I'm given stick in people's minds and that I always have good ratings.
So becoming and being a reality star isn't as easy as some people think?
You have to shine in many colors. Just one act - I'm the chick to lay flat, I'm the one who only complains - that's not enough. You have to have dramaturgical skills. It's like an orchestra - first the drumbeat, then an adagio. And many people who want to become reality stars themselves don't know that at all. My students at the "Realitystar Academy" learn how to use their tools and their craft correctly - just like a magician.
But is it even possible to learn how to become a reality TV star? Doesn't that contradict the idea behind "reality" and is more reminiscent of drama school?
It has absolutely nothing to do with acting. As an actress, you're handed texts: "Memorize it, bring it to life, reinterpret it." You don't have that in reality television, you have to be creative and eloquent enough to formulate your own text. You only get respect for the job if you've done it. Live for two weeks with a bunch of people you wouldn't have a coffee with in private! Be watched the whole time by 56 cameras and an entire production office that can edit anything they want! Reality is absolutely structured and formatted, and not by yourself, like on TikTok or Instagram. A lot of people think it's the same thing, but it's definitely not.
So is your goal to revolutionize German reality television?
I want to give something back. I want to help those who helplessly think they have to imitate a "La Nick" to find themselves. I want to discover talent. With us, it's not like other shows where there are some contaminated, embarrassing people in front of the camera. This show thrives on fairness. It thrives on the fact that we really discover people. I was surprised at how many people with potential took part. They amused me, they convinced me. I had an insane amount of fun.
Why do you think there needs to be changes in the German reality TV world?
Nowadays there is a lack of people who create iconic moments. Everyone wants to be an icon, a queen, a legend. But are these people remembered? No, the stars are missing. Instead, they exploit their private lives, which I have never done. And when nothing else works, the children are dragged in front of the camera. You don't need artistic talent for that and then it's not a profession. But that's what reality TV can be. It also offers the opportunity to be discovered in other areas - in advertising, for example.
Do you see yourself as a role model in this respect?
When I was crowned the first jungle queen in 2004, I turned reality into an industry and showed what possibilities there are. I'm the one that everyone else looked up to and who, unfortunately, was often very badly imitated. I am very happy that I can now help young people to take their first steps in show business. Because no one has ever claimed that this is a friendly industry. And I am deeply honored that I can be a guiding factor.
Can your students and perhaps also the audience learn something from you?
I've been through tough times in my life and have learned that you have to be patient to be happy. That's something that gets lost in our society, especially among young people. But I remain patient. You'll laugh, but I'll still get married and wear a wedding dress when I'm 80. But now I have to work on the divorce first.
How do you relax when you're not in front of the camera or on stage?
When I'm writing books or cleaning. Others meditate, I clean for twelve hours. You can see afterwards what you've done. It's very honest work. I also like to make life and my surroundings more beautiful. Now I also have a big garden. Nick, she just can't get a break.
Is that what you want?
Oh, I don't even ask myself that. Rather, I'm just proving that a woman's life only really blossoms after her 60th birthday. In times of ageism, I'm getting my first show at 70 - I'm practically a newcomer, a chick.
