Osher Cohen Joins Judges Panel on Israel's 'The Next Star' Replacing Eden Hason

Israeli singer Osher Cohen is set to join the judging panel of the popular music competition show "The Next Star for Eurovision" on Keshet 12. Cohen will replace singer Eden Hason, who is stepping down after three seasons. "The Next Star" will select Israel's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2027, which will be held in Bulgaria, and the show is scheduled to air later this year on Keshet.

This development comes as Channel 13's competing singing reality show "The Voice" recently returned to Israeli screens. In an interview with Walla Culture, Zvika Hadar, host of "Kochav Nolad" and a judge on the first season of "The Next Star," discussed the viability of having two prime-time singing reality shows in Israel. He noted that the singing reality genre has significantly declined in the US and UK, with some markets canceling major formats and the genre losing its cultural prominence.

Hadar expressed that while there is room for two such shows in Israel, he would prefer a different format than "The Voice," which he finds less interesting. Reflecting on his experience with "Kochav Nolad," Hadar emphasized the show's original focus on discovering genuine new talent and the emotional stories behind them, citing examples like Ninet Tayeb, Harel Moyal, and Idan Amadi. He lamented the shift in recent years towards a reality TV focus on the judges and their choices rather than the singers and their songs, which he believes has diminished the genre's impact.