His win felt less like a reality TV coronation and more like a national exhale—a reminder that in a world of manufactured outrage, quiet competence still resonates.
★★★★☆ (4/5) – A slow start, but once the hunger sets in, it’s hypnotic. watch olen julkkis... päästäkää minut pois! season 19
For fans of the genre, this season is essential viewing. For everyone else, it’s proof that the Finnish version has quietly become the best adaptation of the format—less cruel, more absurd, and ultimately, more kind. His win felt less like a reality TV
Every great season hinges on casting, and Season 19 delivered a brilliant dichotomy. On one side, we had the legacy celebrities: a beloved 90s pop star whose last hit came before most of the TikTok audience was born, a retired Olympic wrestler with a legendary temper, and a veteran soap opera actress known for her imperious off-screen persona. On the other side, the new blood : a controversial influencer whose entire brand is “unfiltered chaos,” a reality TV veteran from Selviytyjät Suomi , and a radio host famous for his cynical, metropolitan wit. For everyone else, it’s proof that the Finnish
The turning point came when the wrestler Marko, after losing a trial, walked back into camp and announced, “I am not a jungle person. I am a hall person. I need a hall.” He voluntarily left the show, but not before giving a farewell speech that compared the jungle to the 1997 European Wrestling Championships. It was oddly moving.
In a season full of big personalities, the winner was the quietest. Juhani, the rat-negotiating radio host, survived not through strength or strategy but through relentless, understated decency. He shared his rice. He never complained. He built a surprisingly effective rain shelter. When he won the final public vote, his victory speech was two words: “Kiitos. Olavi.” (Thank you. Olavi.)
In the pantheon of reality television, few formats have the enduring, almost primal grip of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! For Finland, the local adaptation, Olen Julkkis… Päästäkää Minut Polt! , has carved out its own unique identity—less focused on tabloid scandal and more on the quiet, creeping psychological toll of hunger, insects, and the relentless Finnish summer humidity (which, while not Australian, is surprisingly effective at breaking the spirit). Season 19, which aired in late 2024, was not merely another installment; it was a masterclass in slow-burn storytelling, a generational clash, and an unexpected lesson in national humility.