Cătălin Măruță debuts as host of ‘Furnicuțele’ on Antena 1

Cătălin Măruță has officially debuted as the host of the show ‘Furnicuțele’ on Antena 1, following his departure from Pro TV after nearly two decades. The premiere, aired on September 7, recorded viewership levels similar to those achieved under previous host Denise Rifai.

In terms of audience metrics, the show averaged nearly 400,000 viewers per minute, ranking third behind Pro TV and Kanal D. Within the commercial target demographic (ages 21-54, urban), the program performed strongly, reaching second place and briefly surpassing Pro TV during its second hour of broadcast. Antena 1 achieved a market share of nearly 13 percent during the episode.

Behind the scenes, colleague and long-time friend Radu Ciucă shared insights into the working relationship with Măruță. Ciucă noted that while they share a deep professional respect, Măruță’s habit of checking his phone during briefings can occasionally cause friction when instructions are later questioned.