Spain is turning into Operación Triunfo to find their Eurovision entrant for Lisbon 2018. But there's a twist: there will be a specially staged Eurovision final for the five finalists - before the OT is over! The five finalists will have songs written by experienced composers to compete and televoters will choose the winning compination. After that OT continues to its end so the OT winner may not be the one going to Eurovision.
Nine out of original 18 singers are still in the competition, but four more has to go before we get to the Eurovision stages. The next episode will air after New Year's so February looks likely for the OT/ESC final.
Then again, this isn't something new either: Beth who represented Spain in those OT years didn't win OT either. She only came 3rd in OT behind Ainhoa and Manuel Carrasco but beat them in the special Eurovision selection. The year before when the first OT was used as Eurovision selection the winner Rosa took her runner ups (including future stars David Bisbal, David Bustamante and Chenoa) as her backing singers and dancers in Eurovision. In 2004 OT runner up Ramòn went to Eurovision instead the winner Vicente Segui.
Other names that came from OT to Eurovision without being connected directly are Soraya, Gisela, Edurne, and several others have tried to get to Eurovision like Jorge Gonzales and Mario Jefferson for example.
Those three OT meets Eurovision years 2002-2004 are now looking back the last time Spain had real success placing in Top-10 every year ( 7th, 8th and 10th). Since then Spain has managed only two 10th places (2012 and 2014) and nine placings between 20th-26th..... Will OT do the trick again?
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