“GNTM” Final: The Most Exciting Moments of the Anniversary Season
The 20th season of “Germany’s next Topmodel” is coming to an end after more than four months and 24 episodes. On Thursday, June 19, Heidi Klum (52) will crown a female and male winner (8:15 PM on ProSieben). Family and friends of the finalists, as well as familiar faces from 20 years of the casting show, are expected to attend at the Cologne Coloneum. The 2025 season offered a premiere: For the first time, there were two episodes per week, separated by female and male participants. Only from the episode aired on March 27 were the candidates featured together. And there were more exciting “GNTM” moments in 2025.
Lots of Nudity and Intimacy
From the beginning, the models showed a lot of skin – whether during photoshoots in the bathtub, on a motorcycle, in bed, or in revealing outfits on the runway. The interview coaching and subsequent real boulevard interviews also got very intimate: Daniela came out as a virgin, while Eliob revealed being a sperm donor.
Heidi Klum Shows Family & Friends
The host herself showed a more approachable side during the anniversary season. Not only did she bring half her family to the show, but she also appeared much more relaxed than in previous episodes. With her buddy and former judge Thomas Hayo (56), she spent the night in a tiny tent in the California desert, danced with model Jannik at Munich’s Hofbräuhaus, and enjoyed typical German food. She showed particular sympathy for model Nawin and revealed what type of man especially interests her.
With the Kaulitz twins, Heidi brought both her husband Tom (35) and her brother-in-law Bill as guest judges. Bill was particularly excited about the swimwear shoot with the male models at a Munich indoor pool, while Tom, being the dutiful husband, carefully avoided looking too much at the female candidates. Daughter Leni Klum (21) appeared multiple times throughout the season, and mother Erna Klum (80) also accompanied the shoots. For the anniversary, viewers got to see more of “Heidi Klum as a person”.
Major Celebrity Lineup
The “GNTM” boss also gave plenty of stage time to other stars. With Catherine Deneuve (81), she presented an absolute superstar as a guest judge. Klum also brought in a who’s who of supermodels – from Naomi Campbell to Adriana Lima and Eva Herzigova to model legend Twiggy. Additionally, under the motto “Son or daughter of…”, she also invited Elias Becker, son of Boris Becker, and Paris Jackson, daughter of Michael Jackson.
Mother-Daughter Duo Creates Emotions
In 2022, a mother-daughter pair participated for the first time, with daughter Lou-Anne Gleissenebner winning the 17th season. This time in Los Angeles, daughter Lulu was eliminated before mother Katrin. The special part: Mother Katrin didn’t want to stay without her mini-me and decided to return to Germany together. “Oh, mom! You know, your daughter is 32 and not 17 anymore”, Heidi Klum blurted out.
Rebellion Against a Designer
For the first time, there was an actual rebellion by some candidates: Faruk had interpreted a designer’s comment in Munich as body shaming. He was so proud of having lost so much weight in recent years and coming so far. In solidarity with him, the casting winners declined a major photoshoot for a lifestyle magazine – an absolute premiere in “GNTM”. However, three of them later changed their minds and went through with the shoot despite the behind-the-scenes drama.
Tearful Makeover
In the episode aired on March 6, which is annually among the most popular of each season, there were many tears as usual. Even guest hairstylist Klaas Heufer-Umlauf (41), who completed a three-year training but according to his own admission never cut hair again, couldn’t help. The host unsettled the models with funny remarks like: “Five or six years ago, I cut some neighbor kids’ hair. I was never really good at women’s haircuts.” Candidate Magdalena was especially shocked when he cut off a large portion of her long, dark hair: “I don’t recognize myself anymore.” However, the hair loss paid off for her: She made it to the finale – like Zoe, who was initially mortified about her short haircut. Afterward, though, her popularity with casting clients skyrocketed.
