Koh-Lanta All Stars 2026: the 18 contestants and what to expect

Koh-Lanta All Stars makes its grand return on TF1 this Tuesday, August 25, 2026 to celebrate the show's 25th anniversary. Eighteen legendary contestants head back into the fray in Panama, with a twist that upends everything they know from the very first minutes.

Koh-Lanta All Stars lands on TF1 this Tuesday, August 25, 2026 from 9:10 p.m., with Denis Brogniart still at the helm. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the iconic adventure game brings together 18 former contestants (nine women and nine men) and sends them to Panama, on the Las Perlas archipelago. An anniversary edition that promises to shake things up from the very first minutes.

Here we go again. Five years after La Légende, Koh-Lanta puts the legends back in the spotlight to mark a quarter-century of adventure (the first season goes back to 2001). And the event arrives quickly, just two months after Cynthia was crowned the winner in The Relics of Destiny.

Koh-Lanta All Stars 2026: when will it air and on which channel?

The premiere is set for Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at 9:10 p.m. on TF1. The episodes will then be available for streaming on TF1+, with a notable change: they will no longer be released in advance and will go online only after their broadcast. The launch details can be found on the official TF1 site.

Another nod to the show's history, this edition reconnects with the Panama, a destination Koh-Lanta hadn’t set foot in for 22 years. The totem, meanwhile, changes its face for the occasion, with a masculine version and a feminine version that symbolize gender-balanced duos.

Destinies Linked From Day One, the Big New Thing

Say goodbye to the traditional first round of watching and waiting. The real surprise of this Koh-Lanta All Stars is that the adventure kicks off directly with Linked Destinies. The contestants form nine pairs consisting of a man and a woman who have already shared a season together.

The premise is as brutal as it is straightforward: you win the challenges as a duo, but you can also lose as a duo. If one teammate is eliminated at council, their partner is sent home immediately. Ugo himself calls it the toughest Koh-Lanta yet, because you have to juggle your own survival, the challenges, the strategy, and a partner’s fate all at the same time.

Who are the contestants on Koh-Lanta All Stars? The nine duos

Nine women and nine men make up this dream cast. Here are the 9 pairs at the outset, brought together by the season they share:

Ugo and Camille (Malaysia, 2012), the former champion nicknamed the Phoenix and his partner from the very first edition.
Freddy and Christina (Palau, 2009), the record-holders for appearances paired with a former winner.
Clémentine and Yassin (Cambodia, 2017), an old feud that will nonetheless have to move forward hand in hand.
Naoil and Moussa (The Island of Heroes, 2020), the warrior and the giant, already very close from their previous adventure.
Lola and Dorian (The Four Lands, 2020), the strategist with a deceptive smile and the marathon-minded athlete.
Tania and Nicolas (The Sacred Fire, 2023), the youngest cast member and the versatile former soldier.
Charlotte and Jacques (The Cursed Tribe, 2024), the two standout revelations of their season.
Joana and Maxime (The Revenge of the Four Lands, 2025), an explosive duo whose dynamic is always a spark between them.
Vincent and Laure (The Secret Weapons, 2021), infectious good humor and fiery energy united.

Three former champions and a record holder in the running

This season brings together none other than three former winners: Ugo (Malaysia, 2012), Christina (Palau, 2009) and Naoil (The Island of Heroes, 2020). Ugo, in particular, has a strong storyline to push in the game, as he could become the first man to win Koh-Lanta twice.

Another point of interest, Freddy now holds the record for most appearances with six adventures under his belt, ahead of Teheiura (five), who is absent from the cast. On the generation front, Tania remains the youngest at 26, while Yassin stands as the oldest at 48. That sets the stage for some tasty group dynamics.

Koh-Lanta All Stars: anecdotes from the show's standout contestants

These adventurers have become fixtures of the show, often thanks to a moment etched in fans' memories. A quick tour of the most memorable moments from these emblematic candidats.

Ugo, nicknamed the Phoenix, earned his legend from La Légende: eliminated at the very first council in 2021, he survived on the island of the Exiles until reunification before climbing back onto the posts. This nature guide says he’d rather watch birds than outwit strategies.

Camille discovered Koh-Lanta in 2012 at just 18. At the final vote, she lent her support to Ugo, the crowned big winner of that year (and today her partner in a team). In the city, she shares life with former French footballer Morgan Schneiderlin.

Freddy holds the record for most appearances, with six seasons under his belt. In 2021, as prepared as ever for La Légende, he still had to quit after only two days following a tumble on the obstacle course.

Dorian, then a train controller, got completely lost in the jungle during the Four Lands’ orienteering challenge, a moment that has since become iconic. He changed his life and, in 2025, set a world record by finishing all seven major marathons in one year.

Clémentine left her mark on the show with blunt honesty and quotable lines, including the famous “Sandro, are you dumb or what?” shouted mid-conseil.

Vincent delivered one of the funniest moments of the program with his “I don’t want this!”—a line that became legendary after he inadvertently hinted at the existence of a secret weapon in front of everyone.

Tania held an infamous record at the Sacred Fire, amassing 36 votes against her. Eliminated twice, she nonetheless came back each time to march all the way to the final.

The unprecedented rule imposed by Denis Brogniart

Despite the friendships that have formed over the seasons, Denis Brogniart laid down a strict rule from the very start. Once the season was introduced and the cameras were off, he greeted each contestant one by one before delivering the directive: from now on, we use the formal 'you'. A move to keep the host completely impartial throughout the ordeal.

While you wait for kickoff, you can already plan your upcoming evenings with our TV guide, featuring our picks for the week’s top films, series, and programs. The rest of the updates will air on TF1 starting Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

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