TV hosts Tamuna Chikhladze and Teona Bakuradze leave Formula after four years

Television hosts Tamuna Chikhladze and Teona Bakuradze have announced their departure from the Georgian broadcaster Formula, where they most recently co-hosted the daily program Formula’s Day. The pair had worked at the channel for four years.

Initially, the show was co-hosted by Guram Rogava alongside Chikhladze and Bakuradze, but he left the program earlier. The two women have now followed, citing personal reasons behind their decision—reasons they say are deeply tied to the environment they are living and working in.

“In a time that’s extremely difficult for the country, democracy, and critical media, we must clarify that this decision was made a long time ago. Behind it are personal reasons, which, in the end, are still caused by the conditions we are forced to live in,” Bakuradze said on-air during their final broadcast.

The hosts used their last episode to reflect on the worsening media environment in Georgia and growing repression against journalists under the ruling Georgian Dream party. They were particularly outspoken about the pressures facing independent media.

“We really want to say that everything will be okay,” Chikhladze told viewers during their farewell. “But during our time in this profession, we followed the principle that the truth is more important than hope. And the truth is, we’re not Belarus yet, but we are rapidly heading in that direction.”