After a three-hour finale, it is clear that Gil Ofarim is the 2026 jungle king. After the coronation he had the opportunity to comment.
02/09/2026, 02:1302/09/2026, 02:13
Maria Bode / t-online
Before he moved into the jungle camp, there was criticism of RTL because the broadcaster had signed Gil Ofarim as a candidate for the cult format. Now the musician is leaving “I’m a star – get me out of here!” as winner. When he arrived in the tree house with the moderators Sonja Zietlow and Jan Köppen, he was able to say something about his victory for the first time.
According to RTL, Gil Ofarim has been leading the voting since the first day in the jungle.Image: rtl
After the decision, the two hosts of the show initially left Gil Ofarim alone in the camp and took second place Samira Yavuz with them. Ofarim then sat on a log by the campfire, sobbing. After he then walked the red carpet on the suspension bridge, he was crowned and received his scepter.
“I love you more than anything else”
Then the time came for his first words:
«I’m here, I’m grateful, I have no words. All I can say to my wife is: I love you more than anything else on this planet.”
He also said that the crown was not only for him, but also for the other eleven candidates. He thanked the team behind the cameras and scenes as well as Sonja Zietlow and Jan Köppen several times. Finally, Gil Ofarim emphasized that he would never have ended up on the throne without the other celebrities – not even without Ariel, who had asked him several times about the Star of David scandal from the beginning. He had had a heated argument with her.
Ariel from Basel caused a ruckus in the jungle – Ofarim was her favorite target.Image: rtl
In October 2021, Gil Ofarim made allegations of anti-Semitism against the employee of a Leipzig hotel in a video. He asked him to take off his Star of David necklace so that he could check in. Ofarim made a confession before the Leipzig regional court in November 2023. He admitted that he had made up the anti-Semitism allegations and apologized. The proceedings were then discontinued. The musician had to pay a sum of 10,000 euros as a condition. After the trial, Ofarim largely withdrew from the public eye.
Gil Ofarim said he didn’t expect his victory in the jungle camp. “I thought I would do the exams the whole first week and go home after the first elimination.” He packed his suitcase every day. But Sonja Zietlow even revealed:
“You were always ahead in the jungle king voting from day one.”
Sources used:
- RTL: “I’m a star – get me out of here!” from February 8, 2026