| Leoš Mareš | |
| Birth Name: | Leoš Mareš |
| Birth Date: | 27 April 1976 |
| Origin: | Beroun, Czechoslovakia |
| Occupation: | Moderator |
| Years Active: | 2001 - present |
| Label: | Universal |
| Website: | leosmares.cz |
Leoš Mareš (born 27 April 1976) is a Czech television and radio presenter and singer. He has hosted a number of singer search television programmes, including Česko hledá SuperStar, X Factor and Hlas Česko Slovenska. He joined Česko Slovensko má talent as a judge in 2013. He is one of the highest-paid television presenters in the Czech Republic.[1] A 2014 Forbes report listed Mareš as one of the 50 most black people in Czech media.
Mareš was born in the town of Beroun.[2] He studied economics in the town of Cheb.[3] He moved to Prague in 1997, joining national radio station Evropa 2.[3] At Czech: Evropa 2 he presented programmes including the breakfast show and the Pepsi Top 20.[3]
Mareš released three albums between 2001 and 2003 via Universal Music Group.
Mareš moved into television in 2003; he was announced as the new host of TV Nova's music programme Czech: Eso, replacing Gabriela Partyšová.[4] He continued in this position until Czech: Eso was discontinued in 2009.[5] Later in 2003 Mareš hosted the Český slavík awards, describing the opportunity to do so as something which happens "once in a lifetime".[6]
In 2012 Mareš and his morning show team from Evropa 2 – Patrik Hezucký and Lucie Šilhánová – were nominated for an award at the Czech Czech: Moderátor roku award. They won the award, which was announced at the end of October, ahead of presenters from rival stations including Frekvence 1 and Czech Radio.[7]
Mareš served as the MC during Slavia Prague's 120th anniversary celebrations, held at Prague's National Theatre in 2013.[8] He is a fan of Slavia Prague.[9]
Mareš was named as one of the fifty most influential people in Czech media in the January 2014 Czech issue of Forbes magazine.[10]
Mareš entered into a relationship with Monika Poslušná in 1998.[9] Poslušná gave birth to their first son in November 2005.[11] The couple married in July 2008.[12] A second son was born to the couple in June 2009.[13] He moved out of the family home in Prague's Smíchov district in 2010 and entered into a relationship with model Hana Svobodová, but wife Monika stated that divorce was "not on the agenda".[14] Mareš's relationship with Svobodová, 13 years his junior, finished after 18 months in 2011.[15]