TV Star Must Go

ORF Cuts Costs at the Vienna Opera Ball

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03.11.2026 20:00

Will this really all pay off? ORF’s incoming Director General Clemens Pig faces a cost-cutting target of 140 million euros. The question is why the cuts are being made specifically at the expense of a fan favorite. The “Krone” knows who will lose their show at the 2027 Opera Ball and who will be on the air instead.

A quick glance at the local ball calendar confirms it: This year’s season is shorter than it’s been in a long time. On February 4, the Opera Ball will mark the end of the festivities—almost before they’ve even begun. Speaking of which! As of January 1, ORF Director General Clemens Pig (52) will officially take up residence at the command center on Küniglberg, and the manager is already setting the course for the announced cost-cutting measures.

And quite obviously so, because as the “Krone” has learned, the axe is falling on the state-funded program, where actress, host, and audience favorite Lilian Klebow (49) most recently hosted the show with flying colors—with empathy, charm, and wit.

Successor Already Named
When asked by the “Krone,” the actress—who made a name for herself playing “Penny Lanz” in the ORF cult series “SOKO Donau”—refuses to comment on the matter. But she doesn’t have to say anything, either. Because the die is cast—her successor has already been nominated as well. 

Kristina Inhof is in pole position for the role. The 38-year-old host is returning from maternity leave and will be stepping into action. This is also the point in this story where the ORF director general and his budget come into play. Because, as insiders claim, Klebow will disappear from the screen solely because she would cost “extra” and Inhof would not. After all, Inhof is an ORF employee and doesn’t incur (too much) additional expense for the public broadcaster.

So has Pig—who is supposed to save 140 million euros—mathematically adhered to the prescribed course? Yes. But the fact that a fan favorite has to be one of the first to go seems short-sighted, especially to Klebow’s many fans.

This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.

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