Comedian Simon Gosejohann Eliminated from Let's Dance After Low Jury Scores

Actor and comedian Simon Gosejohann, 50, was eliminated from the German television dance competition Let's Dance after receiving just 9 out of 30 possible jury points for his salsa performance in the third regular episode of the 19th season, which aired on March 20, 2026. Gosejohann had been paired throughout the competition with professional dancer Ekaterina Leonova. The low jury score placed the pair last in the evening's partial ranking, and the subsequent audience vote did not rescue them. The elimination secured advancement for influencer Bianca "Bibi" Heinicke, competing alongside Zsolt Sándor Cseke, and singer Nadja Benaissa, paired with Vadim Garbuzov, both of whom had been at risk of elimination before the result was announced.

Painted abs and slapstick fail to impress the judges Gosejohann and Leonova had chosen a salsa — an erotic and sensual dance — for the round, a choice that required Gosejohann to overcome his discomfort with close physical contact, as rehearsal footage shown during the broadcast made clear. The comedian leaned into his strengths instead, delivering a performance heavy on slapstick comedy and dressed in a deeply cut flowered shirt beneath which painted-on abdominal muscles were visible in place of the real thing. Gosejohann had admitted to Leonova during rehearsals that he feared embarrassing himself, before noting, with characteristic self-deprecation, that embarrassing himself had essentially been his life's work. The jury acknowledged the entertainment value of the act but drew a firm line between comedy and dance. „I thought it was funny, but nothing more. This is a dance show here. You hardly hit the beat at all, you didn't even dance one proper basic step.” — Joachim Llambi via Der Tagesspiegel Llambi did offer one concession, noting that Gosejohann "had a little bit of hip," a quality the comedian was invited to demonstrate repeatedly to audience amusement throughout the broadcast. „You are not embarrassing yourself!” — Jorge González via Die Welt

Leonova hailed as queen, Gosejohann credited with small gains Juror Motsi Mabuse directed much of her praise at Leonova, who has previously won the competition four times while partnered with dance novices. Mabuse called Leonova a "queen" for her ability to get anyone dancing. She also acknowledged modest progress in Gosejohann himself, telling him he had improved his posture and shown slightly better coordination. Joachim Llambi, widely regarded as the show's toughest critic, was the most pointed in his assessment, though even he found something to credit. Jorge González rounded out the jury's response by confirming a "great entertainment factor" in the performance. Despite the mixed but largely critical feedback, the total of 9 points left Gosejohann and Leonova with no path forward once the audience vote was counted.

9 (out of 30 points) — Gosejohann and Leonova's jury score, lowest of the evening

Let's Dance has aired on RTL since 2006 and is now in its 19th season in 2026. The format pairs celebrities with professional dancers who guide them through weekly performances judged by a three-member jury consisting of Llambi, Mabuse, and Jorge González. Ekaterina Leonova, born in Volgograd in 1987, is one of the show's most decorated professional dancers, having won the competition four times with non-professional celebrity partners.

Llambi awards season's first 10 as Mattli impresses with samba The same episode that ended Gosejohann's run also produced the first perfect individual score of the 19th season. Ninja Warrior athlete Joel Mattli and professional dancer Malika Dzumaev earned a 10-point score from Llambi for their samba — a notable moment given that Llambi is consistently the jury's most critical voice and the least likely to award top marks. In his verbal assessment, Llambi told Mattli he was "the next one to open the door to the final," signaling confidence in the athlete's trajectory in the competition. Llambi also praised "GZSZ" actor Jan Kittmann and dance partner Kathrin Menzinger after their cha-cha-cha, telling Kittmann he had "the others so in the bag, nine out of ten hip movements are enough too," though Kittmann ultimately received only 9 points from Llambi on the evening. Gosejohann's elimination marked the third of the 2026 season, following the earlier exits of influencer Vanessa "Nessi" Borck, who had been partnered with Victoria Sauerwald, and television host Sonya Kraus, who competed alongside Valentin Lusin.

Joel Mattli and Malika Dzumaev (samba): 10, Jan Kittmann and Kathrin Menzinger (cha-cha-cha): 9, Simon Gosejohann and Ekaterina Leonova (salsa): 9