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Princess Charming (German TV series)

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Princess Charming
GenreDating game show
Presented by
  • The Big Reunion:
  • Lola Weippert (season 1-2)
  • Amiaz Habtu (season 3)
  • Charlotte Würdig (season 5)
Starring
  • Princess Charming:
  • Irina Schlauch (1)
  • Hanna Sökeland (2)
  • Madleen Matthias (3)
  • Lea Hoppenworth (4)
  • Vanessa Borck (5)
Narrated by
  • Nagmeh Alaei (Seasons 1-2)
  • Moretta McLean (Season 3)
Opening theme
Country of originGermany
Original languageGerman
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes51
Production
Running time75-80 Minutes
Production companiesSeapoint Productions GmbH & Co. KG
Original release
NetworkRTL+
Release25 May 2021 (2021-05-25) –
present
NetworkVOX
Release29 October 2021 (2021-10-29) –
28 June 2022 (2022-06-28)
NetworkVOXup
Release10 July (2024-07-10) –
13 September 2024 (2024-09-13)

Princess Charming is a German reality dating show that premiered on May 25, 2021, streaming on premium sector of RTL+ and began airing on October 29, 2021, on television on VOX. It is streaming on RTL+, operated by the RTL media group, in German. The show features women-identifying and non-binary contestants[1] and is modeled after Prince Charming (started in 2019).[2] Princess Charming was hailed as an example of German TV shows becoming more inclusive by Deutsche Welle.[3]

On June 22, 2021, RTL+ officially renewed the series for a second season which premiered on June 14, 2022.[4]

On March 20, 2023, RTL+ renewed the series for a third season[5] which premiered on September 1, 2023.[6] VOX did not include it in its schedule. The channel had previously stopped the airing of the second season earlier than intended due to low ratings.[7]

On December 11, 2023, RTL+ renewed the series for a fourth season[8] which premiered on July 3, 2024. It was also broadcast on free-to-air television by VOXup, a sister station of VOX.[9]

On March 21, 2025, RTL+ announced a fifth season[10] which premiered about two months later on July 24 of the same year.[11]

Format

[edit]

The original concept of Princess Charming, opening casting calls in October 2020, was to have a bisexual female lead, while the contestants were supposed to be lesbian or bisexual women and heterosexual men.[12] However, the channel, in response to audience and applicant requests, changed the show concept to focus on a lesbian lead in December of the same year.[13]

Unlike The Bachelor's "rose ceremony" or Prince Charming's black tie ceremony, contestants are eliminated if they are asked by the Princess Charming to take off and return the necklace they had previously been given.

Seasons

[edit]
Season Original run Princess Winner Runner-up Still together Relationship notes
RTL+ VOX VOXup
1 May 25, 2021 – July 27, 2021 October 29, 2021 – December 3, 2021 N/A Irina Schlauch Lou Elsa No After the end of filming Irina and Lou didn't start a relationship.
2 June 14, 2022 – August 16, 2022 June 21, 2022 – June 28, 2022[a] N/A Hanna Sökeland Jessica Laura No Hanna and Jessica started a relationship after the end of filming, but announced their breakup in April 2025.
3 September 1, 2023 – November 3, 2023 N/A N/A Madleen Matthias Elsa Nina No After the end of filming Madleen and Elsa didn't start a relationship.
4 July 3, 2024 – September 4, 2024 N/A July 10, 2024 – September 11, 2024 Lea Hoppenworth N/A Christine,
Maike
N/A Lea declined to get involved with either finalist.
5 July 24, 2025 – October 2, 2025 N/A N/A Vanessa Borck N/A N/A N/A Vanessa aborted the season before the finale.

Season 1

[edit]

The first season premiered May 25, 2021 on RTL+ and October 29, 2021, on VOX. 30-year-old Irina Schlauch, a lawyer from Cologne, was the first Princess Charming. She said in an interview to be a fan of Prince Charming and wanting to "create more visibility and acceptance" for lesbian women through the show's format. In the same interview, she mentioned enjoying sports, including soccer, and having a twin sister.[14] The season, which was filmed on the Greek island of Crete, consisted of nine episodes and one reunion special.[15]

At the Reunion, Irina and Lou announced they did not start a relationship after the finale.[16]

Contestants

[edit]
Name Age Hometown Outcome Place
Lou 21 Saarbrücken Winner 1
Elsa 22 Berlin Runner-up 2
Bine 33 Berlin Week 8 3-4
Miri 28 Kiel
Gea 28 Berlin Week 7 5-6
Kati 29 Berlin
Iry 27 Cologne Week 6 7-8
Sarina 27 Stolberg
Wiki 27 Hamburg 9 (quit)
Jana 26 Dorsten Week 5 10-11
Johanna 26 Hildesheim
Saskia 25 Berlin 12 (quit)
Britta 26 Aachen Week 4 13 (disqualified)[b]
Anja 30 Leipzig Week 3 14-16
Niki 27 Berlin
Tabi 25 Dortmund
Lia 30 Berlin Week 2 17-18
Sandra 31 Ratingen
Sonja 30 Salzburg Week 1 19-20 (disqualified)[c]
Ulle 28 Berlin

Contestant Progress

[edit]
Contestants Episode/Week
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Reunion
Lou IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN WINNER Guest
Elsa IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Bine IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Miri IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Gea IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Kati IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Iry IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Sarina IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Wiki IN IN IN IN IN QUIT
Jana IN IN IN IN ELIM
Johanna IN IN IN IN ELIM
Saskia IN IN IN IN QUIT
Britta IN IN IN DISQ Guest
Anja IN IN ELIM
Niki IN IN ELIM
Tabi IN IN ELIM
Lia IN ELIM
Sandra IN ELIM
Sonja DISQ
Ulle DISQ
  The contestant went on a Group date with the Princess.
  The contestant went on both a Group date and a Single date with the Princess.
  The contestant went on a Single date with the Princess
  The contestant went on a Group date and stayed a night together with the Princess.
  The contestant went on a Double date with the Princess and another contestant.
  The contestant quit the competition.
  The contestant was disqualified.
  The contestant had to give up her necklace and was eliminated.
  The contestant was the runner up.
  The contestant won Princess Charming.

Season 2

[edit]

The Princess Charming of the second season, 28-year-old project leader Hanna Sökeland from Hanover, was introduced on April 21, 2022.[17] The second season began airing June 14, 2022 on RTL+.[18] VOX initially broadcast the season, releasing each episode one week after its debut on RTL+.[19] However, the channel stopped airing it after the first two episodes due to low ratings. This also meant that the season could only be watched by RTL+ subscribers, since the "catch-up offer" (meaning the episodes were available for free on the RTL+ website for a few days after airing on VOX) expired.[20]

At the Reunion, Hanna and Jessica announced they were still together.[21] In April 2025, Sökeland confirmed media reports about their alleged breakup.[22]

Contestants

[edit]
Name Age Hometown Outcome Place
Jessica 26 Munich Winner 1
Laura 22 Munich Runner-up 2
Carolin 29 Leipzig Week 8 3-4
Jasmin Amelia 28 Osnabrück
Maria 30 Cologne Week 7 5
Tyshea 30 Cologne 6 (quit)
Sabcho 28 Berlin Week 6 7
Dora 23 Cologne 8-9 (quit)[d]
Paula 28 Bremen
Jördis 34 Berlin Week 5 10
Sarah 28 Düsseldorf 11 (quit)
Charlotte 29 Bremen Week 4 12-13
Lena 20 Leverkusen
Katharina 30 Cologne 14 (quit)
Anastasia 26 Kempten Week 3 15 (quit)
Aylin 30 Berlin Week 2 16-17
Kim 25 Hanover
Jay 27 Frankfurt 18 (quit)
Vivien 25 Velbert Week 1 19

Contestant Progress

[edit]
Contestants Episode/Week
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Reunion
Jessica IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN WINNER Guest
Laura IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Carolin IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Jasmin Amelia IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Maria IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Tyshea IN IN IN IN IN IN QUIT
Sabcho IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Dora IN IN IN IN IN QUIT Guest
Paula IN IN IN IN IN QUIT Guest
Jördis IN IN IN IN ELIM
Sarah IN IN IN IN QUIT
Charlotte IN IN IN ELIM
Lena IN IN IN ELIM
Katharina IN IN IN QUIT
Anastasia IN IN QUIT
Aylin IN ELIM
Kim IN ELIM
Jay IN QUIT
Vivien ELIM
  The contestant went on a Group date with the Princess.
  The contestant went on both a Group date and a Single date with the Princess.
  The contestant went on a Single date with the Princess
  The contestant went on both a Group date and stayed a night together with the Princess.
  The contestant went on a Single date and stayed a night together with the Princess.
  The contestant quit the competition.
  The contestant had to give up her necklace and was eliminated.
  The contestant was the runner up.
  The contestant won Princess Charming.

Season 3

[edit]

The Princess Charming of the third season, 23-year-old college student Madleen Matthias from Weyhe, was introduced on August 16, 2022. The season began airing September 1, 2023 on RTL+. Three contestants were absent from the first episode and joined the competition later on. One of them, Stephie Stark, had previously been a contestant on the German version of The Bachelor and publicly came out as pansexual before joining Princess Charming.[23] The season additionally featured Elsa, a returning contestant from Season 1.[24] Unlike the previous two seasons, this one was mainly shot on the Thai island of Ko Samui, with the finale taking place in Bangkok.[25]

At the Reunion, Madleen and Elsa announced they did not start a relationship after the finale.[26]

Contestants

[edit]
Name Age Hometown Outcome Place
Elsa 24 Berlin Winner 1
Nina 31 Berlin Runner-up 2
Aleyna 23 Cologne Week 8 3-4
Natalie 31 Mönchengladbach
Jazz 28 Hamburg Week 7 5-6
Melanie 29 Berlin
Aysun 23 Mannheim Week 6 7-9
Gabi 29 Berlin
Lili 29 Cologne
Linh 26 Salzburg Week 5 10-11
Stephie 28 Cologne
Kim 32 Cologne Week 4 12
Maria 29 Frankfurt 13-14 (quit)[e]
Rahel 27 Berlin
Desi 25 Cologne Week 3 15 (quit)
Ailena 26 Regensburg 16-17
Meli 27 Zürich
Ebru 33 Buchholz in der Nordheide Week 2 18-20
Lucy 25 Innsbruck
Nora 25 Cologne

Contestant Progress

[edit]
Contestants Episode/Week
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Reunion
Elsa IN IN IN IN IN WINNER Guest
Nina IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Aleyna IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Natalie IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Jazz IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Melanie IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Aysun IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Gabi IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Lili IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Linh IN IN IN IN ELIM
Stephie IN IN IN ELIM
Kim IN IN IN ELIM
Maria IN IN IN QUIT
Rahel IN IN IN QUIT
Desi IN IN QUIT Guest
Aileena IN IN ELIM
Meli IN ELIM
Ebru IN ELIM
Lucy IN ELIM
Nora IN ELIM
  The contestant went on a Group date with the Princess.
  The contestant went on both a Group date and a Single date with the Princess.
  The contestant went on a Single date with the Princess
  The contestant went on a Single date and stayed a night together with the Princess.
  The contestant quit the competition.
  The contestant had to give up her necklace and was eliminated.
  The contestant was the runner up.
  The contestant won Princess Charming.

Season 4

[edit]

The Princess Charming of the fourth season, 30-year-old copywriter Lea Hoppenworth from Berlin, was introduced on June 11, 2024. The season began airing on July 3 of the same year.[27] Maike, one of the featured contestants, had previously been in a relationship with Hoppenworth.[28] The main shooting location remained Ko Samui[29] while the finale was filmed in Phuket instead of Bangkok.[30]

In the finale, Hoppenworth decided to eliminate both remaining contestants. She was therefore the first Princess Charming to not pick a winner.[31]

Contestants

[edit]
Name Age Hometown Outcome Place
Christine 28 Cologne Runner-up 2
Maike 30 Berlin
Marlen 31 Cologne Week 9 3-4
Sarah 29 Berlin
Katharina 28 Regensburg Week 8 5-8
Marjam 30 Hamburg
Hang 31 Hanover
Laura 28 Bochum
Lara 27 Frankfurt Week 7 9-10
Tommi 23 Osnabrück
Inci 27 Heidelberg 11 (quit)
Lucia 28 Leipzig Week 5 12-14
Sara 20 Vienna
Seleya 23 Cologne
Melissa 28 Neuss 15 (quit)
Sina 24 Munich 16-17
Tay 25 Zurich
Julia 23 Berlin Week 2 18-20
Lisa 24 Bamberg
Viviana 24 Vienna

Contestant Progress

[edit]
Contestants Episode/Week
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Christine IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Maike IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Marlen IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Sarah IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Katharina IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Marjam IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Hang IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Laura IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Inci IN IN IN IN IN IN QUIT
Lara IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Tommi IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Melissa IN IN IN IN QUIT
Lucia IN IN IN IN ELIM
Sara IN IN IN IN ELIM
Seleya IN IN IN IN ELIM
Sina IN IN IN IN ELIM
Tay IN IN IN IN ELIM
Julia IN ELIM
Lisa IN ELIM
Viviana IN ELIM
  The contestant went on a Group date with the Princess.
  The contestant went on both a Group date and a Single date with the Princess.
  The contestant went on a Single date with the Princess.
  The contestant went on a Double date and stayed a night together with the Princess.
  The contestant went on a Double date with the Princess and another contestant.
  The contestant quit the competition.
  The contestant had to give up her necklace and was eliminated.
  The contestant was the runner up.

Season 5

[edit]

The Princess Charming of the fifth season, 28-year-old influencer Vanessa Borck from Berlin, was introduced on March 21, 2025.[32] The season was again shot in Thailand (with the location not further disclosed by RTL)[33] and began airing on July 24 that year.[34]

In the tenth episode, Borck announced to the remaining contestants that she decided to abort the season due to Lotti, a contestant she had developed feelings for, quitting shortly beforehand. Because of this, Borck was the first Princess Charming to prematurely end the competition and the second to not pick a winner.[35]

Contestants

[edit]
Name Age Hometown Outcome Place
Anna 29 Iserlohn Week 10 4-8
Kim 28 Aachen
Marlene 27 Cologne
Seinep 29 Oldenburg
Shirine 33 Hanau
Lotti 27 Berlin 9 (quit)
Fiona 24 Cologne Week 9 10
Donija 31 Bielefeld 11 (quit)
Jeni 26 Essen
Bianca 36 Berlin Week 8 12-13
Lara 23 Magdeburg
Vanessa 26 Dresden 14 (quit)
Alia 26 Viersen Week 5 15 (quit)[f]
Caro 26 Cologne
Chantal-Jale 24 Wuppertal
Johanna 26 Freiburg im Breisgau Week 2 16-17
Julia 27 Hamburg
Kelly 31 Kassel Week 1 18

Contestant Progress

[edit]
Contestants Episode/Week
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Reunion
Anna IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ABORT Guest
Kim IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ABORT Guest
Marlene IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ABORT
Seinep IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ABORT Guest
Shirine IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ABORT
Lotti IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN QUIT Guest
Fiona IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM Guest
Donija IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN QUIT Guest
Jeni IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN QUIT
Bianca IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Lara IN IN IN IN IN IN IN ELIM
Vanessa IN IN IN IN IN IN IN QUIT
Alia IN IN IN IN QUIT Guest
Caro IN IN IN IN QUIT
Chantal-Jale IN IN IN IN QUIT Guest
Johanna IN ELIM
Julia IN ELIM
Kelly ELIM
  The contestant went on a Group date with the Princess.
  The contestant went on both a Group date and a Single date with the Princess.
  The contestant went on a Single date with the Princess.
  The contestant went on a Double date, a Single Date and stayed a night together with the Princess.
  The contestant stayed a night together with the Princess.
  The contestant quit the competition.
  The contestant had to give up her necklace and was eliminated.
  The contestant had to give up her necklace due to the Princess aborting the season

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ VOX stopped airing the season after the first two episodes due to low ratings.
  2. ^ Britta was disqualified after fracturing her elbow during a Group date.
  3. ^ Sonja and Ulle were disqualified after an (unaired) altercation.
  4. ^ Dora and Paula quit the show together due to developing feelings for each other.
  5. ^ Maria and Rahel quit the show together due to developing feelings for each other.
  6. ^ Alia and Chantal-Jale quit the show together due to developing feelings for each other.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ ""Princess Charming" kommt - RTL startet lesbische Datingshow". stern.de (in German). 14 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  2. ^ Döbele, Ralf. ""Prince Charming": Deutschlands erste Gay-Dating-Show". fernsehserien.de (in German). Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  3. ^ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Is Germany nailing diverse and inclusive entertainment? | DW | 02.07.2021". DW.COM. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  4. ^ "2022 geht "Princess Charming" in die zweite Runde". RTL (in German). 2021-06-22.
  5. ^ ""Princess Charming" geht in die dritte Runde". GGG.at. 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  6. ^ Heichel, Michelle (2023-10-28). ""Princess Charming" 2023: Sendetermine und Übertragung". Augsburger Allgemeine. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  7. ^ Roth, Veit-Luca (2023-08-16). "Dritte "Princess Charming"-Staffel startet im September". Quotenmeter.de. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  8. ^ ""Princess Charming"-Kandidatinnen für 2024 gesucht, "Charming Boys" machen Pause". Queer.de. 2023-12-11. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  9. ^ Döbele, Ralf (2024-06-11). "Das ist die neue "Princess Charming": RTL+ verrät Termin für Staffel 4". TV Wunschliste. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  10. ^ Gerriets, Imke (2025-03-21). "Couple on Tour: Vanessa überrascht mit Teilnahme an Datingshow". Watson. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
  11. ^ Neutsch, Juliane (2025-09-25). ""Princess Charming" 2025 – so überraschend endet das Finale". GIGA. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
  12. ^ SPIEGEL, DER (19 October 2020). "Nach "Prince Charming" kommt jetzt "Princess Charming"". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  13. ^ SPIEGEL, DER (11 December 2020). "Neue Datingshow: "Princess Charming" sucht die Frau fürs Leben". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  14. ^ Adey, Oliver (2021-05-25). "2021 - Irina Schlauch: This is how the "Princess Charming" experienced her coming out". Brigitte. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  15. ^ "Princess Charming ist wieder solo". Queer.de. 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  16. ^ ""Princess Charming" Irina ist wieder single: Aber was lief da zwischen den Finalistinnen?". RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland. 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  17. ^ "Hanna aus Hannover ist die neue "Princess Charming"".
  18. ^ ""Princess Charming": Hanna sucht ab Mitte Juni die große Liebe".
  19. ^ ""Princess Charming" läuft nicht mehr bei Vox". Queer.de (in German). 2022-07-05. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  20. ^ Mantel, Uwe (2022-07-04). "Vox nimmt "Princess Charming" aus dem Programm". DWDL.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  21. ^ Koshka, Kim (2022-08-16). "Warum mich die zweite Staffel von "Princess Charming" sehr enttäuscht hat". Queer.de. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  22. ^ Schupp, Karin (2025-05-16). "K-Word #609: Neues aus der Lesbenwelt". L-MAG. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
  23. ^ "RTL stellt die Princess 2023 vor". Queer.de. 2023-08-16. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  24. ^ Westermayer, Daniela (2023-08-31). "Elsa versucht ihr Glück nochmal". Südwest Presse. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  25. ^ Schupp, Karin (2023-10-28). "Princess Charming 3: Das war Folge 9". L-MAG. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
  26. ^ Vock, Christian (2023-11-03). ""Princess Charming": Zwei Überraschungen beim "großen Wiedersehen"". Web.de. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  27. ^ "Die neue Princess heißt Lea". Queer.de. 2024-06-11. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  28. ^ Westermayer, Daniela (2024-07-03). "Kandidatin Maike ist Leas Ex!". Südwest Presse. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  29. ^ "Diese 20 Singles buhlen um Princess Charming". n-tv. 2024-06-25. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
  30. ^ Schupp, Karin (2024-09-04). "Princess Charming 4: Das war Folge 10". L-MAG. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  31. ^ "«Princess Charming»: Datingshow endet erstmals ohne Gewinnerin". Schweizer Illustrierte. 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
  32. ^ Schultz, Maike (2025-03-21). "Bekannt als "Coupleontour": Vanessa Borck aus Brandenburg ist die neue "Princess Charming"". Märkische Allgemeine. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
  33. ^ Schreiber, Michelle (2025-09-19). ""Princess Charming" 2025: Sendetermine von Staffel 5 - Wo läuft die Show im TV oder Stream?". Augsburger Allgemeine. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
  34. ^ Bolte, Marie-Luise (2025-10-02). "Princess Charming 2025 Sendetermine, Kandidatinnen & Staffelabbruch". Ruhr Nachrichten. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
  35. ^ Hofmann, Inga (2025-09-25). "Vorzeitiges Ende von "Princess Charming"". Der Tagesspiegel. Retrieved 2025-12-04.