Heidi Klum is bringing Sharon Stone to Hollywood for the 2026 Germany’s Next Topmodel finale — but the showdown won’t happen live.
ProSieben has confirmed the finale will be filmed in Los Angeles on May 28, with a star-studded lineup expected to include Demi Lovato, Nicole Scherzinger, Winnie Harlow, Adriana Lima, and the Caten twins of Dsquared. While Bild.de teased the exclusive coup of securing Sharon Stone’s appearance, web.de revealed the deeper shift: the finale was taped weeks in advance, stripping away the live element that has defined the show for years.
This marks a fundamental change in how Germany’s most-watched reality competition concludes. Normally crowned in late June, the 2026 winner will be announced nearly a month earlier, with the finale moved to May to align with a condensed production schedule in Los Angeles. Christoph Körfer, ProSieben’s spokesperson, told Joyn.de the event will take place in a theater “filled with stars and starlets from film and television,” echoing Klum’s promise that “everything will be different than in Germany.”
The decision to pre-tape the finale stems from logistical and financial pressures. By filming immediately after the season’s wrap in LA, ProSieben avoids the costly gap between production and broadcast, freeing up calendar slots and reducing overhead. Ramon Wagner, a GNTM expert cited by web.de, warned this approach carries “a great risk” — likely referring to diminished spontaneity and audience connection, elements that have historically fueled the show’s viral moments and social media traction.
Still, the network aims to preserve the spectacle for German fans. A public viewing will be held at Berlin’s Zoo-Palast under the banner “Welcome to Hollywood,” complete with a red carpet, celebrity guests, and appearances by the finalists and Top Ten contestants. Klum herself will preside over the crowning, though viewers will watch the recorded event months after it was filmed.
This isn’t the first time GNTM has experimented with format. In 2020, the finale went fully remote due to pandemic restrictions, with Klum announcing the winner from a studio in Cologne while contestants participated via video link. That shift was temporary. this year’s change appears structural, reflecting broader trends in reality TV where pre-taped finales are increasingly common to manage talent availability and production costs.
Industry analysts note that moving the finale forward also reshapes the show’s cultural footprint. By concluding in May, GNTM avoids direct competition with summer reality staples like Das Sommerhaus der Stars and frees up June for other ProSieben programming. However, it risks losing the seasonal rhythm that has made the finale a seasonal event in German television.
For Klum, the Hollywood setting offers a chance to elevate the show’s glamour quotient after seasons criticized for repetitive challenges and predictable drama. Securing international names like Stone and Lovato signals an effort to reposition GNTM as a global entertainment moment rather than a national competition. Whether the pre-taped format enhances or undermines that ambition remains to be seen when the finale airs later this year.
Why was the GNTM finale moved to May?
The finale was moved to early May to accommodate a condensed production schedule in Los Angeles, allowing filming to wrap immediately after the season ends and reducing costs by eliminating the traditional gap between shoot and broadcast.
Will viewers be able to vote live during the 2026 GNTM finale?
No, because the finale was pre-taped weeks in advance, live voting during the broadcast is not possible; the outcome was determined during filming and will be presented in the delayed airing.
