Realitystar Wins Despite Violence: Criticism of Jungle Camp Appearance
As the Summer Jungle Camp approaches, one contestant is already making negative headlines before the TV start. Following past missteps, the question arises: Why does this controversial reality star still deserve a platform?
Let’s be honest: Nobody watches the Jungle Camp to see harmonious celebrities relaxing. Instead, it’s about suffering, drama, and real emotions. With reality shows now being a dime a dozen, they all want to serve up big shock moments. For networks like RTL, standing out from the crowd of sensational formats is becoming increasingly challenging.
A popular strategy to continue grabbing attention is to drag scandalous celebrities in front of the camera who have long overstayed their welcome on TV. Are you a C-list celebrity who recently had a violent outburst on TV? Congratulations, the invitation to the Jungle Camp is already on its way. An ongoing example in the Summer Jungle Camp proves that this trend is unfortunately far from over: Reality star Gigi Birofio.
Despite his tender age of 25, the controversial influencer has caused numerous scandals on TV. He repeatedly stands out with misogynistic macho remarks, and in the Summer House of Stars 2023, a scandal overshadowed the entire season: In front of the cameras, a physical altercation occurred.
Gigi Birofio gets into a heated argument with troublemaker Walentina Doronina during the show. The argument escalates, with Walentina’s then-partner Can Kaplan also getting involved. Then the shocking moment: Gigi’s hand strikes Can’s face, grazing Walentina’s cheek in the process. Such an outburst was even a boundary-crossing act for the usually unreserved Summer House. The reality star apologizes on camera, but the damage is too significant: The production team intervenes and ejects the hotheads from the show.
One would have thought that the Summer House expulsion would have serious repercussions. However, for Gigi Birofio, the reality career continues unabated. The bad-boy image is promptly used to market himself even more successfully. A media-fueled mudslinging match ensues between Gigi and Walentina, surpassing even Game of Thrones in drama. Accusations, intrigues, and dramatic blame games abound. In Fame Fighting 2023, Birofio even steps into the ring against Walentina’s ex and ends up with a bloody nose. Instead of a proper reckoning with his own mistakes, the excitement over misconduct is turned into profit. A serious problem is quickly reduced to a humorous TV anecdote.
Unfortunately, RTL jumps on this bandwagon. Instead of a TV ban, Gigi Birofio is given the biggest platform of his career: The anniversary edition of the Jungle Camp 2024. When the network announced Gigi’s return to the Jungle Camp, many were surprised. Why would RTL offer the reality star a platform again so soon after his violent scandal? Express.de inquired and received a less than satisfying answer from a spokesperson. The network believes it has done enough to prevent problematic behavior in the future: „We do not tolerate any physical violence in our formats. Gigi experienced this firsthand on ‚The Summer House of Stars.‘ We are confident that such a thing will not happen again.“
Drama at any cost: Nothing will change
Whether Gigi Birofio will actually change his strategy is questionable. Why would he? He knows what all reality stars know: Networks thrive on drama. Those who stand out with extreme behavior get airtime, and those who can seize airtime get rebooked. Sympathy is a positive side effect, but trouble is the true elixir for survival in reality TV. The reason why Birofio should no longer be on TV is simultaneously his ultimate justification for being there. The notorious TV tough guy can be sure of one thing: The next misstep will surely be forgiven as long as he entertains people well.
