Robert Ferlin (Pula, July 9, 1966) is a Croatian television and radio host. He spent his childhood in Pula, and studied until he went to the Faculty of Pedagogy in Rijeka, where he graduated in the late 1980s. He has been associated with HRT since the early nineties – since 1990 as an external associate of Radio Rijeka, and since 1991 he has been officially employed as a lecturer. In his many years of work on Croatian Radio and Television and Croatian Radio, Ferlin won over the audience with a cheerful approach and a recognizable voice.
Career on television and radio
Ferlin hosted numerous television shows on HTV and HRT. He started a television career at HTV, leading music and entertainment programs such as “Studio 10” and “Afrovision”. He was a festival leader “Dora” (national selection for Eurosong) and the show “Evergreen”, “shush”, “Sunday afternoon” and morning program “Good morning, Croatia”. In addition, he often appeared on public service in shorter forms as a host, for example a show “Dnevmic”. For almost three decades, Ferlin has hosted the cult show “Tužibaba” On Radio Rijeka, a satirical quiz that was unavoidable entertainment for generations of listeners. He is also known for his sports commentary role, especially during the broadcast of NK Rijeka matches.
- The main shows he hosted: Studio 10, Afrovision, Dora, Evergreen, Shušur, Sunday afternoon, Good morning, Croatia, as well as a radio quiz Tattletale.
- Quiz The weakest link: Popular HTV quiz “The weakest link” He was also associated with Ferlin – in 2010 he was shortlisted for the show’s new host.
In the last decade, Ferlin has actively participated in numerous television competitions. He is perhaps best known for the fact that in 2022 he won the 10th season of the music show in a pair with singer Mario Lipovšek Battifiaca “Stars sing” on HRT. Their joint leadership experience was shown later – both in 2023 and 2024 stood at the head of the teams in the new retro quiz “Year to Remember” led by Daniela Trbović. In 2024, Ferlin and Battifiaca presented themselves together at the Dora Song Contest “Drink water, Trizan to be”.
Awards and recognitions
Ferlin has been nominated for an award several times for his work “Golden Studio” (in the category for best radio voice). During 2018–2022. He was nominated every year, and he won the prestigious statue in 2019 and 2020.
Departure from HRT
In recent years, Ferlin has been one of the key figures on Rijeka radio and HTV. In March 2025, he accepted the offer of severance pay and left HRT after a 35-year career. This ended his long period on public television and radio. The same trend was recorded on the radio – at the beginning of 2025, Novi list reported that together with his colleague Josip Krmpotić (“trademarks of Radio Rijeka”), he was leaving Radio Rijeka. According to these reports, on March 31, 2025, Ferlin officially ended its radio engagement after 34 years on that program. At the same time, HRT announced the possible return of Robert Ferlin in the future as a part-time associate, but until that moment he had used the severance pay to rest and temporarily withdraw from the media.
Personal life
Robert Ferlin lives in Rijeka today. In his marriage with professor Edita, he had two children, a son and a daughter, and from a further extramarital relationship with Suzi Petričić (singer), he has a younger daughter, Pija. The couple Ferlin – Petričić broke up 15 months after the birth of the girl. Ferlin is also publicly known for his long-term relationship with television presenter Barbara Kolar, which lasted for five years – after the breakup, they remained on very good terms.
The conclusion
Robert Ferlin is one of the prominent figures of Croatian television and radio. With more than three decades on HRT and numerous popular shows behind him, he acquired the status of a media legend – his colleagues said goodbye to him with words of praise and humorous memories, for example that with his departure, “the iconic Tužibaba is also going”. His career illustrates the journey from a local radio host to a recognized national TV personality, and successes in award-winning quizzes and show programs confirm his diversity. If you are interested in similar biographies of Croatian media stars, follow our blog and share this article – your comments and suggestions for new topics are welcome!
