The “Promi Big Brother – Late Night Show” is kicking off the upcoming season on Sat.1 with a major change: Jochen Bendel, 58, will host the daily program solo for the first time. His longtime co-host Melissa Khalaj, 37, is no longer on board, as the network announced on Wednesday.
That ends a two-person hosting arrangement that has shaped the late-night recap of the reality show for years. For Bendel, Khalaj’s departure will leave a gap: “Melissa can’t be replaced — after so many years together.”
An Entire Studio as Reinforcement
Far from being left to his own devices is Bendel, who came out as gay in 2014, but that doesn’t leave him behind. Sat.1 is also changing the show’s concept: for the first time, the “Late Night Show” will originate directly from the big “Promi Big Brother” studio in Cologne-Ossendorf. There, Bendel will comment on the happenings in the container together with his guests, in front of a live audience.
The host is especially looking forward to the new set. “I’m getting an entire studio full of people as reinforcement — and I intend to shamelessly draw them into our Late Night,” he says. How much the show will change with this, Bendel points to a look back: “This is an incredibly big step for our gossip campfire, which started in 2014 in a small studio on Sixx.”
PBB moves into primetime
In terms of scheduling, nothing changes: The “Late Night Show” will continue to follow the daily “Promi Big Brother” episode. However, it will now run consistently from 8:15 p.m. Sat.1 is following the Jungle Camp’s lead, which RTL had recently also moved from late evening to primetime.
The nights will also belong to the show for two weeks. Between the “Late Night Show” and the morning news program, the channel will carry the live stream from the container. And one constant remains: whoever leaves the show will give their first interview immediately afterward on the Late Night sofa.
These Ten Celebrities Move In
The first lineup has been publicly known for several days (TheColu.mn reported). In the PBB garden move former boxer Axel Schulz, No Angels singer Nadja Benaissa, restaurateur Redo, reality star Maurice Dziwak, former football pro Christian Lell, Gia Georgina, formerly of Sido, actor Gedeon Burkhard, creator Nina Bridney, Top Model finalist Godfrey Egbon, and reality star Francesca Morgese. It all kicks off on Monday, October 5. (spot)
