“Give us this island”: Daniella and Jonathan from French-speaking Switzerland can enjoy a deserted island in Sweden for themselves from June 1st.
screenshot: watson
Daniella is from Geneva, Jonathan is from Vaud. As the winner of a competition, the couple gets to retreat to the Swedish island of Tjuvholmen for a year. The two 28-year-olds tell Watson what they’re planning to do there – and why their adventure is far from over.
May 28, 2026, 4:46 p.mMay 28, 2026, 4:48 p.m
The Swedish tourism organization Visit Sweden has pulled off a masterful marketing coup: At the beginning of the year, in a competition, it offered the winners the opportunity to live for a whole year on a previously uninhabited Swedish island. The conditions for participation: be of legal age, submit a video presentation and, above all, not be a billionaire, because the goal is to redefine luxury “as simplicity, peace and freedom in nature instead of as material abundance”.
So Jeff Bezos is already out.
Luckily, Daniella and Jonathan are not billionaires. However, the 28-year-old from Geneva and the Vaudois of the same age were able to play other trump cards and convince the jury. Because yes, this young couple from French-speaking Switzerland actually “won an island”. As of June 1st, they own Tjuvholmen, one of the five uninhabited islands that were in the competition – or at least almost.
translation
This text was written by our colleagues from French-speaking Switzerland and we translated it for you.
“When I received the email, I couldn’t believe my eyes,” says Jonathan. “I had to tell Daniella, so I prolonged the surprise by telling her we needed to talk and taking her for a walk.”
Daniella was initially afraid of her joy: “What does he want to tell me? It’s 10 p.m., why do I have to go for a walk, this can only be serious.”
After digesting the news, it was necessary to clarify what they had actually won.
The pair’s winning video (8th slide):
An island, yes, but for what? How exactly? And under what conditions? This is where the announced dream gets (a little) complicated. Even for our two people from French-speaking Switzerland who are totally enthusiastic about the project, who not only have a certain sense of adventure, but who also got hold of one of the few forested islands in the package.
«On the other islands there are said to be almost nothing but stones and aggressive birds! Winners were warned: ‘You can’t live on your island!'”
Daniella
Another stroke of luck for the couple: Tjuvholmen is located in the open waters of Lake Vänern. A small, uninhabited paradise, “but much easier to reach than the other islands in the Baltic Sea,” explains Daniella.
And they’re not too far from civilization: the elegant Baroque Läckö Castle overlooks their camp in the middle of nowhere. Because that’s exactly what it’s all about: a nature-based adventure. (If you don’t like reality shows in nature, you can stop reading here and watch this instead sweetest wild animals look.)
So the couple didn’t actually win an island. Rather, it is a kind of temporary takeover that primarily serves as a spacious playground for nature-loving creatives: “We are not allowed to build anything permanent and must respect the flora and fauna,” explains Jonathan.
Tjuvholmen, one of Sweden’s 267,570 islands – the country has the most islands in the world – must remain open to the public at all times. “But we can apply for a hunting and fishing license,” adds Daniella. In short: you could definitely set up a tent for a month or two, without having won the competition (there were 2242 applications).
The couple’s interest was piqued
The couple has everything it takes to become islanders in Sweden: a flexible daily structure, a strong connection to nature, an affinity for Nordic values, a big heart for van road trips and personal projects that promote a slower lifestyle.
You have everything you need to live on a desert island, right?picture: DR
As health and wellness freaks, they immediately recognize the potential of their little island as a kind of ideas laboratory. Jo, who gave up his tennis career for video and content creation, dreams of testing survival adventures. Dani, a former doctor, would like to organize yoga retreats there.
Add to that good looks and a natural camera presence – perfect conditions for sharing the adventure on social media. «We will use the enormous attention to attract local sponsors and partners in particular. A fantastic springboard for us, similar to ‘Koh-Lanta’,” says Jonathan.
“Koh Lanta”?
“Les Aventuriers de Koh-Lanta” (“The Adventurers of Koh-Lanta”) is a French reality show in the “Survivor” format, the first season of which was filmed in 2001 on the Thai island of the same name.
image: www.imago-images.de
Visit Sweden wants the winners to report on Sweden in their own way. In the end, the promo costs little because Dani, Jo and Co. get their return trip to the island paid for by the tourism office. You have to organize everything else yourself. “We’ll see when we get there,” says the Geneva woman happily. “We have to build our own toilets, but the challenge doesn’t deter us.”
And when does it start? “First of all, we can’t live there all year round because nothing is allowed to be built. “So we’re going there for the first time at the end of summer,” explains Jo. «We are currently planning to come every season to make the most of the island, including with friends and artists. The projects are numerous!”
No need to rush: the couple has until May 2027 to turn this small island into a big future.