The finale of Germany’s Celebrity Big Brother 2026 goes ahead without Christian Lell (42) and Gedeon Burkhard (57). The former Bayern Munich footballer and the actor had to pack their bags one after the other during Sunday night’s semi-final.
For Lell, it was his first-ever nomination, and that was enough. Alongside Axel Schulz, Maurice Dziwak, and Burkhard, he stood up for elimination, and the viewers decided. In the final duel against Burkhard, he received the fewest votes.
“No idea”
Before the mansion, host Marlene Lufen greeted him. Lell came across as torn: “On the one hand I feel relieved, and on the other hand, of course, sad to be leaving so close to the finale.”
There wasn’t much more to elicit from him. When asked what had caused it, he replied briefly with “No idea.” Why he had rubbed so many housemates the wrong way in the house, he said he didn’t understand. Even a rephrased follow-up went unanswered. On Jochen Bendel’s late-night show, the line: “I had no strategy” was dropped.
Mockery Over Pity
Online, there wasn’t much in the way of compassion. Lell had been at the center of a wave of heated disputes and accusations during his time in the container. For example, fellow housemate Gedeon accused him of sexism and complained about being bullied in the house. The others — led by Francesca Morgese — described his portrayal as unrealistic and accused him of doing whatever it took for attention.
Under the Instagram post from “Celebrity Big Brother” about his exit, comments piled on one after another, often with just a single word: “Finally.” Many users believe Lell had only scraped by to the semi-final thanks to the games he won.
Others mocked his appearance on the Late Night Show. There, he reportedly attributed his progress to his audience. Several commentators, under the second post about Lell’s exit, wondered that Lell had suddenly appeared as taken.
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In the house, however, he had a small coming-out. Last week he spoke about sexual experiences with men (TheColu.mn reported). When pressed, he clarified that he had never fallen in love with a man.
The openly gay host of Celebrity Big Brother, Jochen Schropp, was not a fan of Lell: In his podcast “Sendepause Fehlanzeige,” Schropp voiced clear criticism of the former footballer in October 2026. He cited his discomfort with Lell’s aggressive behavior inside the container and also criticized his self-presentation as a motivational coach.
Friendly rescue seals Burkhard’s exit
Shortly after the ex-footballer’s exit, the actor Gedeon Burkhard — known from “Kommissar Rex” and “Alarm for Cobra 11” — was affected. Gia Georgina and Francesca Morgese had previously secured wins and were allowed to directly send one fellow housemate into the final. Georgina chose Nadja Benaisa of No Angels, Morgese chose Maurice Dziwak. The remaining contestants were Burkhard and Schulz.
For the actor, who had repeatedly landed on the nomination list this season, that was the end. He took it in stride and first hugged Schulz. Outside, people asked what the time in the house had brought him. “A lot of validation that there are people who still like me from old times or have grown fond of me here,” Burkhard replied.
“Winner of the Hearts”
The viewers appear to feel the same. Under the exit post, numerous fans call him the “Winner of the Hearts.” One user praised that he cooked for everyone in the garden and kept things tidy. At the same time, there is criticism of the semi-final format. A comment with over 300 likes asks: “Two people who win a game decide who goes to the final? What kind of voting is that for a semi-final?” Others believe the viewers voted Burkhard and Schulz into the final together.
To battle for the win and the €100,000 prize are Gia Georgina, Nadja Benaissa, Axel Schulz, Francesca Morgese, and Maurice Dziwak. Before the double exit, seven celebrities had to leave the show within six days, the latest being streamer Nina Bridney on Saturday.
The grand finale of “Celebrity Big Brother” airs tonight, Monday, October 19, at 8:15 PM live on Sat.1 and in the live stream on Joyn.
