Zika Jaksic: No One Eliminated on Never Too Late
In the September 28 episode, host Zika Jaksic stopped the jury before the elimination announcement and decided that no contestant would leave the competition this week.
On Monday, September 28, something happened on “Never Too Late” that does not happen every week. Host Zika Jaksic stopped the jury at the exact moment they were about to announce who was leaving the competition, and told the studio that no one would be going home this time.
Normally, the decision on which contestants continue is announced on Mondays, after the public votes online on the show’s official Facebook page. This time was different. When the moment came for the jury to say who was staying and who was saying goodbye to the competition, Jaksic cut off the process and took the microphone himself.
Since it was hard for the jury too, and it’s hard for me as well to part with any of these contestants because this group is truly equally strong, I’m declaring that everyone moves on.
That was how Zika explained his decision. He said that, like the jury members, he found it very difficult to choose who the competition should end for this week, because the contestants in that group, as he pointed out, were all equally good.
The news was met with applause and excitement in the studio. One of the contestants dropped to his knees out of sheer joy, and the rest of the group joined in celebrating that the competition would continue for everyone. The audience welcomed the decision, while the contestants were relieved to hear that none of them would have to worry about elimination this week.
Jury member Tonci Huljic could not resist a laugh and a bit of teasing at the host’s expense.
Couldn’t you have said that earlier?
Huljic tossed that out with a laugh, poking fun at the tension that had built up in the studio right up until Jaksic revealed his decision.
“Never Too Late” airs on Prva TV. Following the usual schedule, the public vote on the show’s official Facebook page will start again next Monday, and the jury will once more decide which contestants move forward. Whether this episode stays a one-off or Jaksic keeps making exceptions whenever he judges a group to be evenly matched remains to be seen in the episodes ahead.
For now, both the jury and the contestants remember this episode as the moment their host, for the first time, took the side of every single contestant at once.
