Marek Eben and Tereza Kostková to Step Down as Hosts of StarDance

Marek Eben and Tereza Kostková, the hosts of the popular Czech dance show StarDance, are ending their long-running partnership on the programme — the 14th season, kicking off on 10 October, will be their last. The news was announced by Czech Television.

The duo has hosted the show without interruption since 2006 — with only one exception during the Covid pandemic, when Aleš Háma stood in for Kostková for a single episode. Among all the countries that have licensed StarDance, Eben and Kostková hold the world record for the number of seasons hosted.

The New Season and Lineup

The fourteenth season of StarDance begins on 10 October and wraps up on 12 December. According to bookmakers, Vojtěch Dyk is the favourite to win. Among the professional dancers returning to the floor is Michal Kurtiš, who has previously won the show partnered with Anna Polívková.

The judging panel, which this time will consist of four members, will once again include audience favourite Zdeněk Chlopčík. A new face on the panel will be Jana Burkiewiczová, a respected figure on the international dance scene, who replaces Jan Tomaněk, who judged last season, the 13th.

Confirmed contestants for the new season include Marta Jandová, Tomáš Šoun Pšenička, Sára Sandeva, Radek Štěpánek, Hana Dvorská, Tomáš Matonoha, Lucie Tomašová, Tomáš Polák, Petra Nesvačilová and the aforementioned Vojtěch Dyk. The music will once again be provided by the Moondance Orchestra and Epoque Quartet.

The Show's History and Records

StarDance is the Czech version of the British TV format Strictly Come Dancing, on air since 2006 and remaining one of the country's highest-rated programmes. According to Czech Television, the penultimate — 13th — season averaged 1.6 million viewers over the age of 15 per episode, plus another 122,000 child viewers, the best result since the second season back in 2007.

The first winner of the Czech version of the show was actor Roman Vojtek, while the winner of the most recent season, in 2024, was actor Oskar Hes. Over thirteen seasons, the project has featured 118 celebrities and more than 60 professional dancers, some of whom have appeared on the show as many as five times. Originally, each season featured eight competing couples; since 2015 that number has grown to ten, and the same number of couples is expected for 2026.

Source: novinky.cz