StarDance Shake-Up and the Financial Reality of Czech Television’s Hit Show
After two decades at the helm of Czech Television’s premier dance competition, longtime hosts Marek Eben and Tereza Kostková announced on September 14, 2024, that the upcoming fourteenth season of StarDance will be their last. Speaking to eXtra.cz, former professional dancer and choreographer Marek Dědík described the exit as part of an ongoing “earthquake” within the production, admitting that the news moved him to tears given his deep ties to both hosts.
Dědík, who left the show ahead of its twelfth season in 2023, revealed that low honorariums and grueling schedules ultimately forced his departure to protect his career and family obligations.
Marek Dědík Exposes the Financial Strain Behind StarDance Honorariums
As Dědík explained to eXtra.cz, professionals are paid exclusively for the live broadcasts and receive zero financial compensation for training hours. He noted that the fees are simply not large enough to forgo his year-round professional commitments. According to Blesk, Dědík previously characterized these payments as negligible relative to the actual hours invested, noting that his efforts to negotiate better terms with production ultimately failed.
Leaked figures from 2020 published by eXtra.cz indicated that a professional dancer earned roughly 20 tisíc CZK per evening, potentially totaling around 220 tisíc CZK over a five-month run for those reaching the finals. When broken down into a monthly wage, earnings fell below 44 tisíc CZK before taxes, with early eliminations leaving dancers with virtually nothing for weeks of preparation. Subsequent reports in 2023 estimated professional pay at 30 tisíc CZK per episode, though Czech Television formally rejected those figures as speculative and misleading, maintaining that specific compensation details remain bound by confidential contracts.
Contrasting Pay Scales Across the Czech Showbusiness Landscape
Public registry data analyzed by iDNES.cz revealed that pop star Leoše Mareš secured 484 tisíc CZK including VAT for a single appearance at Zlín Region Day in 2024—more than double the estimated total season earnings of a StarDance professional. Similarly, producer Matěj Kretík noted to Aha! that professional actors securing post-show commercial endorsements can command tens of thousands of crowns per day of shooting, alongside separate rights fees.
Host Marek Eben himself previously acknowledged the financial vulnerability of participants, noting in an interview with Lifee that competing couples rarely profit and frequently experience financial losses.
The Evolution of the StarDance Judging Panel and Production Changes
The departure of Eben and Kostková follows other major disruptions to the show’s familiar lineup. Dědík’s reference to an institutional earthquake also points to turbulent shifts within the judging panel, most notably the high-profile exit and subsequent return of veteran judge Zdeněk Chlopčík. Czech Television announced in April 2024 that Chlopčík would not return for the thirteenth season, replacing him with Jan Tománek without providing detailed justifications for the move. Chlopčík, who evaluated contestants from the very first season, told Novinkics at the time that he saw no reason to comment on the broadcaster’s internal decision.
For the upcoming fourteenth season, Chlopčík will rejoin the panel alongside Tatiana Drexler and Richard Genzer, while choreographer Jana Burkiewiczová joins as a new judge, according to iROZHLAS. Meanwhile, Kostková and Eben confirmed at the September press conference that they plan to watch the fifteenth season from home as viewers, marking a permanent end to an era that defined Czech Saturday-night television for nearly twenty years.
Frequently Asked Questions About the StarDance Changes
When did Marek Eben and Tereza Kostková announce their departure?
The moderating duo announced on September 14, 2024, at a Czech Television press conference that the upcoming fourteenth season will be their last after hosting the show since its inception in 2006.
Why did professional dancer Marek Dědík leave the show?
Marek Dědík left the competition ahead of the twelfth season in 2023 due to family priorities, heavy workload demands, and uncompensated rehearsal hours that made participation financially unsustainable alongside his year-round career.
Who is joining the judging panel for the fourteenth season?
Zdeněk Chlopčík returns to the judging table alongside regular judges Tatiana Drexler and Richard Genzer, joined by newly added choreographer Jana Burkiewiczová.
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