Two years ago he caused a shitstorm on I’m a Celebrity – Get Me Out of Here!, and now he finally has the chance to make amends in the summer jungle. Even before the TV broadcast, the whole of Germany is wondering: Will this reality star behave better this time after his last scandal?
Eric Stehfest: An eventful life that is unparalleled
Eric Stehfest is known for his dramatic reality TV appearances, but his career originally began quite seriously: in the early 2010s, he joined the RTL soap Unter uns and was able to impress in a supporting role. Only a short time later, he had his big breakthrough in Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten: Stehfest secured the main role of Chris Lehmann and stayed with the show for a full five years. Many believed at the time that he would have a glorious acting career ahead of him – but unfortunately the shadows of the past thwarted his plans.
The former actor openly admits that he has struggled with mental health problems since childhood. He is said to have come into contact with drugs at the age of 12; only a short time later he was addicted to crystal meth. In 2017 he published his biography “9 Tage wach” (9 days awake), revealing the devastating consequences of his ten-year drug past. Stehfest has now left his acting career behind him; but he is still not above making occasional TV appearances, such as in the 2023 Summer House.
RTL
Eric Stehfest caused trouble in the jungle camp in 2022. Can he make the most of his second chance?
Refusal to serve: He caused a stir in the jungle
It’s not easy to cause a scandal as a jungle camp candidate – because the trash competition is fierce. If you’re locked up with a whole bunch of controversial C-list celebrities, you have to make a real faux pas to attract negative attention. Eric Stehfest managed to do it – in two ways. After his misconduct, he had both fellow campers and the TV audience against him. But how did he manage it?
Actually, Stehfest was supposed to take part in a jungle test together with Peter Althoff on day 10, but he has no desire to do so: Instead of torturing himself through the test, he says the sentence of all sentences: “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!”. However, fear was not the reason for his rejection. Instead, he deliberately wanted to punish his unpleasant team colleagues: “That’s why I’m not willing to gamble for food for people who don’t like me.”
With this decision, Stehfest knowingly accepted that the other campers would go hungry – a move for which he is still criticized today.
“I would leave the soldier at home this time.” Stehfest wants to make everything better in the summer jungle
In 2022, Eric Stehfest caused the biggest scandal of the season, but now he gets another chance to prove his team spirit in the summer jungle camp.
The most important news first: In an RTL interview, Stehfest admits that he wants to take part in all jungle tests this timeto win the crown. He looks back openly on his seemingly heartless behavior and admits that in the jungle he was reminded of his tough time in the military. Sleep deprivation, little food and collective punishments clearly took their toll on him. But that should not happen again: “I would leave the soldier at home this time.”
Streaming & TV broadcast: When does the summer jungle camp start?
I’m a Celebrity – Showdown of the Jungle Legends is underway daily from August 16, 2024 at 8:15 p.m. on RTL. You can tune in online a day earlier: The summer jungle starts on RTL+ from August 15th.