Stefano De Martino is staying on "Stasera tutto è possibile." His contract traps him, and the cast begs him.

Stefano De Martino had to say goodbye. He had cried, thanked everyone, promised that it had been an unforgettable experience. On April 8, 2025, the audience of Everything is possible tonight he greeted him with the certainty that it was a farewell.

And instead — in a twist worthy of the program's title — Stefano stays. Everything is possible, precisely. Even taking back a solemn declaration, if the one asking you to do so is an entire television network and a contract with more clauses than feelings.

Secondo Fanpage.it, the Neapolitan host will continue to lead STEP. The official reason? The insistence of the cast, who “feared losing the magic”. The real reason? A sealed contract and Rai, which, faced with the risk of losing its golden goose, preferred to apply pressure through private meetings. And in the end, they won.

De Martino's return: more contract than heart

Behind the good-guy smile and the enthusiasm of a perpetual newcomer, there's a man who—in his own words—wanted a change of scenery. New formats, new challenges, perhaps a leap toward entertainment that "really matters." Instead, he'll find himself once again (luckily for us) in prime time on Rai2 with his friends Giovanni Esposito, Francesco Paolantoni, Biagio Izzo and Herbert Ballerina.

The crux of the matter is also in a contractual clause: De Martino is still tied to Rai for a certain number of episodes. Furthermore, the request for a reconsideration also came from the cast.

The cast didn't want to risk losing the magic (and neither did the network)

It seems that the ones pushing for the U-turn were mainly the fellow adventurers. Francesco Paolantoni was the most explicit: “Without Stefano there is no group”. Which is a bit like saying: without the nice class leader, the trip cannot be done. But behind the apparent nostalgia, there is a real fear: without De Martino, Stasera tutto è possibile would have risked collapse. And no one wanted to take responsibility for another flop on Rai2, which was already quite battered.

The format, which struggled to emerge before Stefano's arrival, has experienced a second youth thanks to him. Fresh, ironic, with the right face to please both the grandmother and the twenty-year-old influencer. Why change it now?

The Jackal's Frozen Future

And so goodbye — at least for now — to the handover with Ciro Priello and Fabio Balsamo of The Jackal. Stefano's idea was clear: introduce new faces, hand over the scepter, take a break and maybe build something of his own. But Rai, in perfect conservative style, has decided that it's better not to touch anything. If it works, keep it. If it breaks, change it — but only then.

Now it remains to be seen what will become of The Jackal. Will we see them relegated to some corner of the program, perhaps with a supporting role or as "future hosts in waiting"? Or will they be sent home with a pat on the back and a "we'll talk to you later"? In Rai certain things are not said, they are done.

Stefano, from ex-dancer to Rai pillar (almost without knowing it)

Meanwhile De Martino, who wanted to close a cycle, finds himself stuck on a show he had already said goodbye to. Ironically: the title Everything is possible tonight has never been so prophetic. Even going back on one's steps and remaining nailed to a contract can be, for Rai, a happy ending.

But beware: the presenter's career is not downhill at all. Between the (inevitable) success of Your business and the forced return to STEP, next season could really sanction his definitive consecration. And maybe, who knows, a place as king of Sanremo. Unless he signs a contract there too that he can't get out of.

Who win?
Everyone wins in the end: Rai, which avoids collapse. The cast, which holds on to its frontman and above all the audience, which will continue to laugh lightly.
Who loses? Probably only him, Stefano. Who wanted to go beyond STEP… and instead for at least another year he will still be at the helm of the program.