Koh-Lanta
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Reality television |
| Founded | August 4, 2001 |
| Headquarters | France |
Area served | France |
Key people | Denis Brogniart (host since season 2) |
| Products | Reality competition television series |
| Website | www |
Koh-Lanta is a French reality competition series inspired by the global Survivor concept. Debuting on August 4, 2001, it broadcasts on TF1 and has completed 22 standard seasons alongside 7 special editions. Since the second season, Denis Brogniart has served as the host. The show's name originates from its initial shooting location, Ko Lanta Yai in Thailand, reflecting both the island environment and its broad audience appeal.
The program showcases participants isolated in remote settings who must obtain essentials such as food, water, fire, and shelter while engaging in contests for rewards and immunity from elimination. Contestants are eliminated through voting until a sole winner emerges, awarded a grand prize of €100,000. Koh-Lanta has consistently dominated its time slot ratings in France since its launch.
Format and rules
Adhering to the classic Survivor structure, contestants begin divided into two tribes surviving with minimal resources over approximately six weeks (three weeks in special editions). They face physical and mental challenges competing for prizes or immunity; the losing tribe attends "Tribal Council" to vote out one member.
Once half of the contestants remain, tribes merge into a single group and competitions become individual. Immunity holders are safe from elimination while those voted out join the "Tribal Council Jury." The final two contestants present themselves before this jury, which determines the winner who receives €100,000; the runner-up earns €10,000.
Format distinctions
Certain Koh-Lanta seasons differ from most Survivor adaptations by permitting dual winners when jury votes result in a tie (as observed in Koh-Lanta: Bocas del Toro, Palawan, and The Cursed Totem). Both victors share €55,000 each. Other versions prevent ties by ensuring an odd number of jury members or implementing tie-break mechanisms—for example, Israeli Survivor resolves ties via public voting, while Dutch/Belgian Expeditie Robinson relies on a grand jury decision.
A further unique aspect involves managing unexpected contestant departures. In Koh-Lanta, if a player exits outside of Tribal Council—due to medical reasons or quitting prior to Raja Ampat—they are replaced either by the most recently eliminated participant or a new competitor, allowing gameplay to continue without alteration. Contrastingly, other adaptations typically modify game progression or cancel subsequent Tribal Councils under such circumstances.
Seasons
... [table continues with additional seasons and special editions]| No. | Season | Season premiere | Season finale | Location | Duration (days) | Initial tribes | Winner | Runner-up | Final vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Adventurers of Koh-Lanta | August 4, 2001 | September 22, 2001 | Ko Lanta Yai, Thailand | 43 | Two predetermined tribes consisting of eight members each. | Gilles Nicolet | Guénaëlle Biras | 4-3 |
| 2 | Koh-Lanta: Nicoya | June 28, 2002 | September 13, 2002 | Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica | 40 | Amel Fatnassi | Nicolas Roy | 5-2 | |
| 3 | Koh-Lanta: Bocas del Toro | June 6, 2003 | August 29, 2003 | Bocas del Toro, Panama | Two tribes of eight selected by oldest contestants. | Isabelle Seguin & Delphine Bano | 3-3 | ||
| 4 | Koh-Lanta: Panama | July 2, 2004 | August 31, 2004 | Pearl Islands, Panama | Two tribes divided by gender, each with eight members. | Philippe Bordier | Linda Alario | 7-0 | |
| 5 | Koh-Lanta: Pacific | July 1, 2005 | September 6, 2005 | Isle of Pines, New Caledonia | Two tribes of eight formed based on age. | Clémence Castel | Francis Bordas | 7-0 | |
| 6 | Koh-Lanta: Vanuatu | July 21, 2006 | September 5, 2006 | Efate, Vanuatu | François-David Cardonnel | Émilie Frahi | 5-3 | ||
| 7 | Koh-Lanta: Palawan | June 29, 2007 | September 11, 2007 | Palawan, Philippines | Two tribes of eight chosen by winners of initial challenge. | Jade Handi & Kevin Cuoco | 3-3 | ||
| 8 | Koh-Lanta: Caramoan | July 4, 2008 | September 20, 2008 | Caramoan, Philippines | 39 | Christelle Gauzet | Frédéric "Fred" Favier | 6-1 | |
| 9 | Koh-Lanta: Palau | August 28, 2009 | October 30, 2009 | Koror, Palau | Two tribes of eight selected by oldest and youngest players; two eliminated during first challenge. | Christina Chevry | Patrick Merle | 5-2 | |
| 10 | 'Koh-Lanta: Vietnam' | September 17, 2010 | December 17, 2010 | Con Dao, Vietnam | 40 | Two gender-divided tribes of nine members each. | Philippe Duron | Claude Dartois | 6-1 |
| 11 | Koh-Lanta: Raja Ampat | September 9, 2011 | December 16, 2011 | Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia | 41 | Two predetermined tribes composed of ten participants each. | Gérard Urdampilleta | Teheiura Teahui | 7-2 |
| 12 | 'Koh-Lanta: Malaysia' | November 2, 2012 | February 1, 2013 | Seribuat, Malaysia | 42 | Two tribes of eight chosen by winners of opening challenge; four unselected players exiled until after subsequent reward challenge. | Ugo Lartiche | Brice Martinet | 10-1 |
| 13 | 'Koh-Lanta' Season Thirteen | colspan=2 align="center"| Not Broadcast | Koh Rong, Cambodia | colspan="7" align="center"|'Cancelled - Production Stopped' | |||||
Season 5 Incident
In the second episode aired in July 2005, contestants were shown killing and preparing wedge-tailed shearwaters, a bird species fully protected in New Caledonia. This act triggered significant public backlash and numerous complaints directed at TF1. However, TF1 maintained that, according to the LPO (League for the Protection of Birds), the species was not officially protected. Following this, the LPO requested intervention from the CSA (French broadcasting authority), resulting in legal proceedings against both TF1 and the production company Adventure Line Productions.
The court ultimately ruled unfavorably for TF1, mandating a payment of €1,000 in damages and an additional €2,000 to cover legal expenses. Furthermore, TF1’s attempt to sue the LPO was rejected.
Cancellation of Season 13
Filming for the 2013 season was abruptly stopped after contestant Gérald Babin passed away on March 22, 2013, during the initial day of shooting in Cambodia. Babin collapsed and was promptly airlifted to a medical facility. Both Adventure Line Productions and host Denis Brogniart denied any delays in medical assistance or any accountability for his death. The show’s onsite physician, Thierry Costa, later took his own life amidst the ensuing controversy. Eventually, production recommenced under the title Koh-Lanta: The New Edition.
Babin’s death marked only the second fatality recorded across all international versions of Survivor. The first occurred during Bulgaria’s fourth season; however, unlike Koh-Lanta, that season continued despite the incident.
Cancellation of Season 19
On May 11, 2018, TF1 along with Adventure Line Productions (ALP) announced the termination of Season 19 following allegations of sexual assault during filming.