Family Tensions Surface on the Reality Show Prominent verwandt

The reality television landscape has a new entry as the series "Prominent verwandt" launched on RTL+. The show features prominent figures competing alongside family members, such as parents or children, while living together in a villa located in South Africa. Filming for the program began in late November 2025, bringing together various dynamic pairs competing for a grand prize of up to 100,000 euros.

Among the participants drawing significant public attention prior to the premiere were reality star Yeliz Koç and her father, Savaş Koç, as well as Thorsten Legat and his son, Nico. The relationship between Yeliz Koç and her father has long been strained. Savaş Koç, a former professional soccer player, separated from Yeliz's mother when the reality star was only three years old, and regular contact between father and daughter was virtually nonexistent over the years.

The show quickly exposed deep emotional wounds during its initial episodes. Savaş Koç openly discussed past relationships and remarked casually about his personal history, which visibly upset his daughter. The situation escalated rapidly during a confrontation in front of other cast members when Yeliz asked him to lower his voice. Her father responded with a severe insult in Turkish, prompting Yeliz to share her bitter conclusion about the experience.

Reflecting on the turbulent dynamic, Yeliz Koç expressed severe disappointment regarding her upbringing and her father's absence. In interviews following the broadcast, she stated, "I simply lacked a father. His soccer and other things were more important to him." She also expressed regret that her mother had endured such a difficult relationship, wishing her mother had left the situation much earlier.

Another pairing generating headlines involves Nico Legat and his father, Thorsten Legat. Prior to the show's broadcast, details emerged regarding events during the filming in South Africa involving Nico and fellow participant Anya Elsner. Nico's partner, Laura Parrinello, later discussed the incident publicly on another television program after discovering that the couple had grown intimate during production.

Despite the initial fallout and warnings from his father regarding the relationship, the family friction appears to have subsided. During a subsequent television reunion, Nico and his fiancée confirmed that they had resolved their differences and announced that they are expecting a child. Thorsten Legat later noted in interviews that all minor disputes have been successfully resolved.

The program features several other prominent pairs, including Danni Büchner and her daughter Jada Karabaş, Jana-Maria Herz and her mother Eva-Maria, Kevin Schäfer and his mother Michaela, Micha Klotz and his father of the same name, and Anya Elsner with her mother Katrin. Additional pairs are scheduled to join the villa over the course of the season, continuing the high-stakes family competition.