Insults, bullying, attacks Scandal TV show celebrates comeback - and the sparks immediately fly again
The reality show "Promis unter Palmen" went into the poison cupboard because of bullying and border crossings. Now the scandalous show is back - with old problems and noticeably nervous producers.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- In the TV show " Promis unter Palmen ", influencers fight for money on a Thai beach.
- The makers were criticized for bullying and other transgressions.
- Season one triggered a shitstorm, season two was canceled.
- Now the reality show is back. Bullying is noticeably suppressed. But old patterns keep cropping up.
- Today, Monday, 8.15 pm, Sat 1, there is a new episode.
Don't be fooled by the name "Promis unter Palmen".
Hidden behind the idyllic title are abysses that caused a stir even in the scandal-accustomed German reality landscape.
In the first season (2020), a group of influencers led by self-proclaimed fitness guru Bastian Yotta (real name: Bastian Josef Gillmeier) mobbed heavy-drinking socialite Claudia Obert to such an extent that the boundaries of entertainment were more than just crossed.
Horror at celebrity behavior
The pictures of the then 60-year-old, lying in bed crying and lamenting her hitherto unknown viciousness, caused horror far beyond Germany.
They ensured that "Promis unter Palmen" earned a reputation as one of the worst reality TV shows ever. Especially as the contestants at the Thai vacation resort mainly mocked, insulted and shouted at each other.
The second season wasn't much better. On the contrary: in the very first episode, pseudo-aristocrat Marcus Prinz von Anhalt shocked viewers with a homophobic attack on another contestant, which forced Sat 1 to take the episode offline.
After the second episode was broadcast, the show was even canceled altogether - officially "for reasons of piety" because participant Willi Herren had died unexpectedly beforehand.
However, it is quite possible that the show would have ended up in the poison cupboard otherwise. Rumors that this second season - with Swiss influencer Elena Miras, among others - was even worse than the first still persist to this day.
Claudia Obert is back
Now "Promis unter Palmen" is back, after four years in the penalty box. It is noticeable how hard the producers are trying to make amends.
Bullying victim Claudia Obert is back this time as a star guest - and is treated conspicuously well by the other participants despite her consistently high alcohol level.
But this time, too, it's not without bullying. In the very first episode, influencer Kim Virginia and Lisha Savage, who is already well-known from the "Summer House", take aim at "carpet slut" Janina Youssefian.
The influencer duo made the model cry and kicked her hard again during the selection process - in keeping with the mobber motto "hit them when they're down".
On moving out, Youssefian says in tears that she is "just glad" to be out and no longer have to see "such disgusting people".
These statements must have set alarm bells ringing for the producers. Because from episode two onwards, the spat show is noticeably cooled down. There's hardly any riot chick Savage anymore, and the production immediately intervenes even in harmless conflicts.
Even during the votes, usually the climax of explosive emotions, there are now suddenly conciliatory scenes. Iris Klein even apologizes to her arch-enemy Yvonne Woelke for unfortunately getting her vote - even though the latter stole her husband and Klein had previously called her a "boil". Brave new celebrity world.
Riot show without a fight - a delicate balancing act
The only problem is that nobody wants to see a riot show without the ruckus. In fact, the audience now has to put up with contrived flirtations between C-list celebrities - or listen to how influencers ponder the Thai sunset.
You can't expect anyone to do that in the long run. And the ratings are also likely to have been depressed. That's why the barometer of controversy has been noticeably raised again recently.
In the latest episode, Savage and Chico, the construction worker who has become a lottery millionaire, promptly came to blows - with personal insults and real aggression in the best "Promis unter Palmen" style.
Alone - the sins of the past weigh heavily on this show. And instead of further escalations, a rather contrived debate follows out of the blue.
Will the audience appreciate this strange balancing act in the long term?
One thing is clear: it will soon become clear whether "Promis unter Palmen" will make more than just a one-off comeback in this form.
But first there is a new episode today, Monday (8.15 pm, Sat 1). With one or two ticking time bombs among the candidates - and probably the most nervous producers in the reality TV world at the moment.
