TV: Sweden aim to steam to glory at Eurovision
Our act, Emmy, and her song Laika Party failed to proceed from Thursday’s semi-final, although I reckon it was a close-run thing - not much consolation!
However, the show must go on, and Irish Eurovision fans will just have to adhere to the old age for tonight’s grand final: If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!
Coverage of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest starts on RTÉ1 and BBC1 tonight at 8pm, with Marty Whelan celebrating his 25th anniversary in the role of Irish anchor, and Cork’s Graham Norton racking up his 16th year on the mic for the Beeb.
This year’s show comes live from Basel in Switzerland, after the success of their act Nemo, with The Code in last year’s contest.
All 26 finalists will perform - 20 from this week’s two semi-finals, the ‘Big Five’ pre-qualifiers, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK, and the hosts, before the famous voting takes place and the winner is crowned.
At least we in Ireland will have a say in that - viewers here may vote for their favourite song and full details will appear on screen.
Eurovision is hosted by a three-woman Swiss team this year - poet and comedian Hazel Brugger, TV presenter and singer Sandra Studer, and model and presenter Michelle Hunziker.
The Swiss also hosted the first-ever Eurovision back in 1956, which they won. Can they do it again?
Among the favourites to win are Sweden, with their entry Bara Bada Bastu (Let’s Just Sauna), performed by Finnish band KAJ.
It’s a tribute to the joys of a good sauna, and boasts a fun and catchy chorus.
The Austrian entry is also fancied - Wasted Love by JJ - a pop-opera story of unrequited passion.
Other contenders with the bookies this year include France the Netherlands, and Israel, whose participation in recent years has been the subject of much protest owing to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
However, the UK entry - What the Hell Just Happened? by girlband Remember Monday - is very much seen as an outsider.
The trio includes redhead Lauren Byrne, whose family have roots in Wicklow.
Should the favourites Sweden win tonight, they will pass out Ireland as the most successful Eurovision country, with eight in total. It would be their fourth win since 2012, while Ireland has not won the contest since 1996.
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