Couple Challenge 2026: Drama, Feuds and These Nine Couples Battling It Out for €100,000

Who would have thought a campfire in the Sauerland could cause so much drama? The fifth season of Couple Challenge is just heading into the final stretch, and what can we say? It's delivered again. What's currently airing on RTL+ and RTLZWEI isn't some soppy couples' retreat; it's a full-blown psychological test for nine more or less famous duos. Some are here to prove their love, others their practical partnership, and then you've got the Petrovic brothers, basically just here to flex. High time for an update from the camp, where emotions are running as high as the €100,000 prize pot.

These nine couples are taking on the challenge

This year, the network has really outdone itself, assembling a motley crew you wouldn't normally find in one place. 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. In the running 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: Previously seen with the whole family on "Familie Weiß", now finally just the two of them.
• 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 practical arrangement 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" newbie, he's a reality TV pro. A classic win-win?
• Hendrik and Sophie: The "Sommerhaus der Normalos" winners are now gunning for the Challenge crown. Armed with humour and a pack of smokes.
• Carina and Chika: A married couple who know how to fight – though Chika has one tiny problem: a fear of heights. A bit tricky for some challenges.
• Zoe Saip and Patrik: Temperament meets a calming influence. The only question is, who's going to drive who up the wall first.
• 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 guy, he's hoping for harmony. This could get interesting.

When sparks fly: Ariel vs. Petrovic

Speaking of interesting – it certainly became that. Not in a funny way, but more in a "cameras rolling, full-blown drama" kind of way. The Petrovic brothers had barely set foot in camp when 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 history, and it's not good. At a previous show ("The 50"), she claims he was so incredibly rude she actually told him to shut up. 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 call himself a "masculine man," naturally dismissed it as just playing up for the cameras and, in confidence to his brothers, called her a "little diva." Real smart move, that one. Later on, though, he was sobbing to Virginia Weiss about his "broken heart" over his ex – balancing being a macho man and a sensitive soul, you've got to hand it to him.

Bodyshaming, beef and the next blow-up

As if the ongoing spat with Petrovic wasn't enough, there was also drama among the girls. In a recent episode, a row escalated between Ariel, Emmy Russ, and Sophie. It was about the sacred rights to the smoking area, and suddenly a comment was made about Sophie's body that was totally out of order. Ariel just laughed it off, but it felt off. The internet went wild, with accusations of bodyshaming flying around. Ariel had to apologise on Instagram, admitting her laugh was "an absolutely s**tty" thing to do. But did it convince all the critics? Probably not.

And while some are apologising, the next lot are already at each other's throats before the next episode. Carina (the one with wife Chika) found Hendrik and Sophie's behaviour in the first few episodes "more than uncomfortable" and branded them "complete idiots." Sophie, of course, fired straight back on Instagram: "We're far from being antisocial... but I can easily become that when the occasion calls for it." Well, that's a statement if ever there was one.

When's it on? And what's with the books?

For anyone who's now hooked: new episodes air every Wednesday on RTLZWEI. It continues tonight (from 10:15 PM), so get ready for more ball-catching, zip-lining, and trying to keep it together in camp. If you can't wait, you can stream it a week early on RTL+.

By the way: while the contestants are huffing and puffing in camp, plenty of fans at home are grabbing some fitting reading material. Whether it's the psychological thriller "One Perfect Couple" or the dark revenge story "Bound By Hatred" – the drama on the bookshelf can sometimes be just as intense as what's on telly. And if all the chaos gets a bit much, maybe a dose of mindfulness with "Breathe with Me" helps. Or you could just dive into the "Roman Stories" to see how other cultures handle relationships. It's almost like the Challenge – just without the cameras.

Stay tuned, folks. The next episodes promise even more arguments. Whether the Petrovic brothers really are the strongest team in the end, or if one of the other alliances scuppers their plans – we'll just have to wait and see.