Ceca on Ana Bekuta's Exit: I'll Leave One Day Too

Svetlana Ceca Raznatovic, singer and Zvezde Granda jury member, spoke to reporters for the first time yesterday about Ana Bekuta’s departure from the competition, during filming for the new season. She said her colleague’s decision was justified, then hinted that she, too, will one day leave her seat on the jury.

Ana Bekuta left the Zvezde Granda jury after 12 years. Singer Sanja Vucic has taken her place. Bekuta had earlier explained that the jury job was taking up too much of her free time and that she wants to focus on recording new songs and organizing a tour. Grand Production issued a statement on the matter, telling her that the company’s doors will always be open to her.

“Ana left for a good reason, that was her wish,” Ceca told reporters at the filming. She also explained how she views the changes to the lineup.

People come, people go, one day I’ll leave too, and Zvezde Granda will keep being filmed. New people will come who will work on the jury and help keep it the most successful show of its kind here, and in the Balkans in general.

With those words, the singer publicly opened up for the first time about her own eventual departure from a show where she has sat on the jury for years.

Ceca then turned to the previous day’s filming, which she rated very highly.

“Yesterday’s filming went phenomenally, really! We had a great time, the contestants are wonderful, everything is phenomenal,” Ceca said with a smile, according to Telegraf.

Part of her conversation with reporters touched on family. Her daughter Anastasija Raznatovic recently gave birth to a son, Ilijan, and Ceca revealed that she talks to her children several times a day.

“We talk every day, that was the case even before she had the baby. I talk to my children many times a day. Now I just get videos and photos, because he’s the center of my world now,” Ceca said.

Ana Bekuta herself spoke out on September 14, the first day of filming for the new season, with a message to her fellow jury members. The message was posted on the official Zvezde Granda Instagram account.

My dear ones, I can already hear your sobs over my absence today. I hope you can manage not to collectively wail about it today. It will get easier with time, like back when you got used to mom not being home and could finally do whatever you wanted, wear whatever you wanted and play whatever music you wanted. Rest up without me, and I’ll start resting from you as soon as I stop crying. Keep your wits about you and call me sometimes, but only starting next year! I wish you a happy and successful season!

At the same filming, Snezana Djurisic spoke to Mondo, commenting calmly on her colleague’s departure from the jury. “Everything will work out fine, there’s no reason it wouldn’t. Yes, I heard about the changes, but well, my God, everyone’s wishes should be respected, Ana surely knows why she did it and I don’t doubt her. I think she judged that it was better this way, and I hope she’s happy,” Djurisic said. Our outlet recently reported on her statement that only God could separate her from Grand, so her comments today go in the same direction: she doesn’t dispute her colleague’s decision, but isn’t thinking about leaving herself either.

Before the message appeared on Instagram, Bekuta herself had explained why she decided to take a break. She said the decision wasn’t difficult and that she made up her mind one morning, and that Grand had told her she could stop by whenever she wanted, whether to promote songs or just sit next to Sljiva.

For now, this much is clear: the Zvezde Granda jury will work this season without Ana Bekuta, with Sanja Vucic in her seat, while Ceca remains part of the team and, as she says herself, doesn’t rule out that one day she too will be sitting in the audience instead of on the jury.