Ples sa zvijezdama (English: Dancing with the Stars) is a Croatian dance competition television series. It is the Croatian version of the British television series Strictly Come Dancing and a part of the global Dancing with the Stars television franchise. The series follows various Croatian celebrities paired up with professional dancers competing for the win an elimination-style format.
Originally produced and broadcast by HRT, Ples sa zvijezdama debuted on HRT 1 in December 2006 to a ratings success, becoming one of the most popular television series on the network during its run. After the eighth season concluded in 2013, the series went on a hiatus on HRT, until it was picked up by Nova TV, which aired the ninth, tenth and eleventh season from 2019 to 2023.
In November 2024, various Croatian news outlets reported that HRT bought back the license for the series and is planning to air the overall twelfth season.
Various celebrities are paired up with professional dancers. Each week, the pair dances a certain style of dance, and their performance is scored by a panel of professional judges. Viewers can also cast their vote via televoting; the pair's final score is a combination of judge's and televote points. At the end of the episode, the weakest pair is eliminated. The highest-scoring pair wins at the end of the season.
The series premiered on 2 December 2006 on HRT 1. The first season was won by Zrinka Cviteà ¡iàand her partner Nicolas Quesnoit.
The highest scores of the season (40 points) were achieved by:
The lowest score of the season was achieved by:
The second season premiered on 3 November and concluded on 22 December 2007 on HRT 1. Luka Nià ¾etiàwon with his professional partner Mirjana à ½utiÃÂ.
The highest scores of the season (40 points) were achieved by:
The lowest score of the season was achieved by:
The third season ran for eight episodes from 25 October to 20 December 2008 on HRT 1. The season was won by actor Mario ValentiÃÂ and his professional partner Ana Herceg.
The fourth season premiered on 31 October 2009 on HRT 1. The winning pair was Franka Bateliàwith her professional partner Ià ¡tvan Varga.
The fifth season premiered on 30 October 2010 on HRT 1. The winner was Nera StipiÃÂeviÃÂ with her professional partner Damir HorvatinÃÂiÃÂ.
The sixth season premiered 29 October 2011 on HRT 1. The season was won by Marko Tolja and his professional partner Ana Herceg.
The seventh season premiered on 3 November 2012 on HRT 1. The winners were Barbara RaduloviÃÂ and Robert Schubert.
The eighth season premiered on 2 November, and concluded on 21 December 2013 on HRT 1. The winner was Mislav ÃÂavajda with his professional partner Petra JeriÃÂeviÃÂ.
In late 2018, various Croatian news outlets reported that the series is returning after the hiatus that followed the eighth season in 2013. The series was moved to Nova TV for its ninth season, which ran from 3 March to 2 June 2019. Slavko Sobin and his professional partner Gabriela PiliÃÂ won.
The tenth season premiered on 6 March, and concluded on 29 May 2022 on Nova TV. The season was won by Pedro Stolz and his professional partner Valentina Walme.
The eleventh season premiered on 5 March, and concluded on 21 May 2023 on Nova TV. The season was won by social media influencer Marco Cuccurin and his professional partner Paula TonkoviÃÂ.
In November 2024, various Croatian media news outlets reported that HRT is in the process of retrieving the license for the series. The twelfth season, which would become the first season since 2013 to air on HRT 1, has been reported to most likely premiere in the Spring of 2025. HRT's 2025 financial plan also included provisions for a new season of the series, which was expected to air in 2025. However, despite these plans, the season was not produced in 2025 for unspecified reasons. The broadcaster's 2026 financial plan, published in December 2025, once again allocated funds for a new season, setting aside â¬1.2 million for its production.
The series was a rating success for HRT, becoming one of the network's most popular shows over the years. The premiere episode of the fourth season, broadcast in 2009, drew an audience of almost million viewers.
The finale of the eleventh season, broadcast on 21 May 2023 on Nova TV, was watched by nearly 500,000 viewers which made up 38% of television viewers.