Photo: Joost Evers / Anefo — CC0Source
Helga Vlahović
- January 28, 1945
- February 27, 2012
- 67 years
- uterine cancer
About Helga Vlahović
Helga Vlahović, 67, Croatian journalist, producer and television personality, uterine cancer.
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Full Biography
|Helga Vlahović (28 January 1945 – 27 February 2012) was a Croatian journalist, producer, and television personality, whose career spanned five decades in both SFR Yugoslavia and later Croatia. She was one of the most popular television presenters in the 1980s. Throughout her career, she was also credited as Helga Vlahović Pea and Helga Vlahović Brnobić during the times she was married.
Early life
Born in Zagreb to a Hungarian father, Kalman Vlahovics (or Vlahovicz), and an Austrian mother, Vera. Helga grew up speaking German with her mother while learning English.
Career
Vlahović started working at Zagreb Radio and Television (part of the Yugoslav Radio Television network) in 1964, while studying German, English, and art history at the University of Zagreb. By 1966, she became an anchorwoman of various entertainment and musical TV shows, putting her in charge of such popular programs as TV Magazin and musical television shows. In 1968, she was selected to run the Sopot International Song Festival in Poland, and in 1971 she ran the song festival in Scheveningen, Netherlands. She was then placed in charge of the morning talk show Good Day, Yugoslavia (which she hosted) in 1972, as well as the music variety show, Svjetla pozornice (Stage Lights), in 1977 and 1978. From 1978 to 1980, she organized the Jadranski susreti (Adriatic Reunion, a Yugoslav version of Jeux Sans Frontières).
In 1984 and 1988, Vlahović organized Beč pozdravlja Zagreb, Zagreb pozdravlja Beč (Vienna Salutes Zagreb, Zagreb Salutes Vienna) and Dubrovnik-Stuttgart, musical and travelogue series broadcast between JRT, ORF, and ARD, respectively, geared at Yugoslav guest workers who wanted to "see home" but could not afford to make a trip there. Due to her extensive musical programming experience, as well as her proficiency in English, she was picked, along with Oliver Mlakar, to host the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 in Zagreb following Yugoslavia's win in 1989. She was also the presenter of Yugoslavia's jury votes in 1981 and famously said that she didn't have the votes.
With the fall of Yugoslavia in 1991 and the onset of the Croatian War of Independence, Vlahović was quickly put in charge of informational television series relating to the war on the newly formed HRT channel. She was head of "war information programming" until the end of war in 1995. In 1996, she started her own television series, Govorimo o zdravlju (We Talk About Health), which covered many health and wellness topics. Vlahović officially retired in 2006, but nevertheless maintained her television presence until her final broadcast on 1 January 2012.
Personal life
Vlahović had two daughters, Renee Pea (born 1975), from her ten-year marriage to Franc Pea, and Karla Brnobić (born 1982), from her marriage to neurosurgeon Miljenko Brnobić, who died in 1997. It was his influence which inspired her to start the program Govorimo o zdravlju.
Death
In 2009 Vlahović was diagnosed with uterine cancer. In early 2012 it was reported her condition has worsened and she was hospitalised. She died on 27 February 2012, aged 67.[citation needed]
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helga_Vlahovi%C4%87
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 21, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Helga Vlahović's archived record and the sources above.
1.On what date was Helga Vlahović born?
- A.15 February 1945
- B.28 February 1945
- C.10 January 1946
- D.28 January 1945correct
Helga Vlahović was born on 28 January 1945.
Source: Biography introduction
2.What was the nationality of Helga Vlahović's father, Kalman Vlahovics?
- A.Hungariancorrect
- B.Serbian
- C.Austrian
- D.Croatian
Helga Vlahović's father, Kalman Vlahovics, was of Hungarian descent.
Source: Early life section
3.Which subjects did Helga Vlahović study at the University of Zagreb?
- A.German, English, and art historycorrect
- B.Journalism, History, and German
- C.Art history, Law, and Music
- D.Political science and English
Helga Vlahović studied German, English, and art history at the University of Zagreb while beginning her career.
Source: Career section
4.In which city did Helga Vlahović host the Eurovision Song Contest in 1990?
- A.Belgrade
- B.Vienna
- C.Dubrovnik
- D.Zagrebcorrect
Helga Vlahović hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 in Zagreb.
Source: Career section
5.What was the name of the morning talk show Helga Vlahović hosted starting in 1972?
- A.Good Day, Yugoslaviacorrect
- B.We Talk About Health
- C.Zagreb Salutes Vienna
- D.Stage Lights
Helga Vlahović was placed in charge of the morning talk show Good Day, Yugoslavia in 1972.
Source: Career section
6.Which musical and travelogue series did Helga Vlahović organize in 1984 and 1988?
- A.TV Magazin
- B.Beč pozdravlja Zagreb, Zagreb pozdravlja Bečcorrect
- C.Svjetla pozornice
- D.Jadranski susreti
In 1984 and 1988, Vlahović organized the musical and travelogue series titled Beč pozdravlja Zagreb, Zagreb pozdravlja Beč.
Source: Career section
7.What was the reason Helga Vlahović stated during the 1981 Eurovision jury votes?
- A.Technical error in transmission
- B.She didn't have the votescorrect
- C.The connection was lost
- D.She could not hear the jury
While presenting Yugoslavia's jury votes in 1981, Helga Vlahović famously stated that she didn't have the votes.
Source: Career section
8.What role did Helga Vlahović hold between 1991 and 1995 during the Croatian War of Independence?
- A.Health department spokesperson
- B.Head of war information programmingcorrect
- C.Foreign correspondent
- D.Director of state television
Vlahović was head of war information programming at HRT from 1991 until 1995.
Source: Career section
9.Who was the father of Helga Vlahović's daughter Renee Pea?
- A.Kalman Vlahovics
- B.Oliver Mlakar
- C.Franc Peacorrect
- D.Miljenko Brnobić
Helga Vlahović had a daughter named Renee Pea during her ten-year marriage to Franc Pea.
Source: Personal life section
10.What inspired Helga Vlahović to start her health-focused television program?
- A.Public demand for wellness content
- B.The influence of her husband, Miljenko Brnobićcorrect
- C.Her own diagnosis of uterine cancer
- D.A health report from the government
The influence of her second husband, the neurosurgeon Miljenko Brnobić, inspired her to start the program Govorimo o zdravlju.
Source: Personal life section
11.In what year did Helga Vlahović officially retire from her television career?
- A.2006correct
- B.1995
- C.2012
- D.2009
Helga Vlahović officially retired from her career in 2006.
Source: Career section
12.On what date was Helga Vlahović's final television broadcast?
- A.28 January 2012
- B.1 January 2012correct
- C.31 December 2011
- D.27 February 2012
Helga Vlahović maintained her television presence until her final broadcast on 1 January 2012.
Source: Career section
13.At what age did Helga Vlahović pass away?
- A.65
- B.67correct
- C.68
- D.66
Helga Vlahović died on 27 February 2012 at the age of 67.
Source: Death section
14.Which medical condition was Helga Vlahović diagnosed with in 2009?
- A.Respiratory failure
- B.Breast cancer
- C.Uterine cancercorrect
- D.Heart disease
Helga Vlahović was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2009.
Source: Death section
15.Which languages did Helga Vlahović grow up speaking or learning as a child?
- A.Hungarian and Croatian
- B.German and Hungarian
- C.German and Englishcorrect
- D.English and Croatian
Helga Vlahović grew up speaking German with her mother and learned English as well.
Source: Early life section
16.Who co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 alongside Helga Vlahović?
- A.Kalman Vlahovics
- B.Miljenko Brnobić
- C.Franc Pea
- D.Oliver Mlakarcorrect
Helga Vlahović was picked alongside Oliver Mlakar to host the Eurovision Song Contest 1990.
Source: Career section
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