Couple Challenge 2026: Drama, Rows, and These Nine Couples Battling It Out for £85,000
Who'd have thought a campfire in the Sauerland could cause so much drama? The fifth series of Couple Challenge is just heading into the final straight, and what can we say? It's delivered yet again. What's currently flickering across screens on RTL+ and RTLZWEI isn't some gentle couples' retreat; it's a full-blown psychological test for nine more-or-less famous duos. Some want to prove their love, others their convenience partnership, and then you've got the Petrovic brothers, who are just there to flex their muscles. High time for an update from the camp, where emotions are running as high as the £85,000 prize pot.
These nine couples are taking on the challenge
This year, the channel has really outdone itself, assembling a motley crew you wouldn't even find in a zoo on a Sunday. Nine teams have been battling it out for the cash since January 14th, with the free-to-air episodes airing every Wednesday on RTLZWEI – and tonight, there's even a double bill. Taking part are:
- Patrick and Bettina "Texas Patti" Habig: Germany's most famous swingers' club couple. Will the chemistry in camp be as good as it is in the club?
- Virginia and Andrew Weiss: Formerly known with the whole brood on "Familie Weiß", now finally on their own.
- Aleks and Marko Petrovic: The "muscle brothers" and walking testosterone bombs. The plan: power over tactics – will it pay off?
- Emmy Russ and Samuel: A convenience partnership that needs to prove they can cut it not just on the catwalk, but also by the campfire.
- Liza Waschke and Sebastian Fobe: She's a "Berlin – Tag & Nacht" newcomer, he's a reality TV pro. A classic win-win situation?
- Hendrik and Sophie: The winners of "Normal People's Summer House" are now after the Challenge crown. Armed with humour and a pack of fags.
- Carina and Chika: The married couple who know how to fight – though Chika has one tiny problem: a fear of heights. A bit suboptimal for some challenges.
- Zoe Saip and Patrik: Temperament meets a calming influence. The only question is, who'll be driving who up the wall, and when?
- Ariel and Joshi Josh – the Secret Couple: The ultimate test. Two strangers meeting for the first time in camp. She's after a hot single bloke; he's hoping for harmony. This should be fun.
When the fur flies: Ariel vs. Petrovic
Speaking of fun – it certainly got lively. But not the ha-ha kind of fun; more the "cameras rolling, full-on drama" kind. No sooner had the Petrovic brothers arrived in camp than the first row kicked off. Ariel, who we'll also be seeing in another show soon, couldn't believe her eyes. She and Aleks Petrović have a history, and it's not a good one. Apparently, in a previous show ("The 50"), he was so incredibly rude she actually told him to shut it. Her reaction upon seeing him in camp? "He was my biggest fear, that he'd be here. I can't stand him. He shouldn't even look at me – he triggers me."
Aleks, who likes to describe himself as a "masculine man", of course dismissed it as nothing but a ploy for airtime, confiding in his brothers that she was a "little cow". It's a smart game, working out who's all mouth and no trousers. Later, though, he was sobbing to Virginia Weiss about his "broken heart" over his ex – we'll have to hand it to him, that balancing act between macho man and sensitive soul is something else.
Bodyshaming, beef, and the next blow-up
As if the constant bickering with Petrovic wasn't enough, there's also been trouble among the girls. In one of the recent episodes, a row between Ariel, Emmy Russ, and Sophie escalated. It was about the sacred rights to the smoking area, and suddenly a comment was made about Sophie's body that was bang out of order. Ariel just laughed it off, but it was a hollow laugh. The internet went mad, and the term bodyshaming did the rounds. Ariel had to apologise on Instagram, admitting her laugh was "utterly s**t". But whether that convinced all the critics? Probably not.
And while some are apologising, others are already at loggerheads before the show even properly starts. Carina (the one married to Chika) found Hendrik and Sophie's behaviour in the first few episodes "more than awkward", calling them a pair of "prize prats". Sophie, naturally, fired straight back on Instagram: "We're far from antisocial... but I could always become it if the opportunity arises." Well, if that's not a warning shot, what is?
What's on and when? And what's all this about books?
For all those now hungry for more: current episodes air every Wednesday on RTLZWEI. It continues tonight (from 10:15 PM), which means more ball-catching, zip-wire flying, and trying to keep your cool in camp. If you can't wait, you can tune in a week earlier on RTL+.
By the way: while the contestants are huffing and puffing their way through challenges in camp, plenty of fans at home are grabbing the perfect reading material to match. Whether it's the psychological thrills of "One Perfect Couple" or the dark revenge story of "Bound By Hatred" – the dramas on the bookshelf are sometimes just as intense as those on the telly. And if all the hullabaloo gets a bit much, a dose of mindfulness with "Breathe with Me" might help. Or you could simply dive into "Roman Stories" to see how other cultures handle relationships. It's almost like being on the Challenge – just without the cameras.
Stay tuned, folks. The next episodes promise even more rows. Whether the Petrovic brothers will actually end up being the strongest team, or if one of the other alliances will throw a spanner in the works – we'll just have to wait and see.