Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Jaana Pelkonen retuns to Eurovision bubble being the Finnish spokesperson 2026 nicely after 20 years when she was commenting the 2006 edition won by Lordi with Heikki Paasonen, and then hosting the show in Helsinki 2007 with Mikko Leppilampi.  But not only. She has hosted the Finnish national selection seven times, and has been the Finnish commentator also in 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010.  After the national final in 2011 she left the bubble and went to the parliament instead after being selected in 2011 and again in 2015 when she was the 5th most voted MP in the whole country. After two rounds she stepped out of politics and returned to show biz in 2020.  Maybe, just maybe she'll repeat the magic..... 

Käärijä has been touring Finland with full packed sold out gigs ever since he cha cha chaed to victory in UMK2023, hasn't left the charts and radio waves since and has got everyone talking about him, fueled by the Eurovision 2023 polls and odds. Some eager Finns might be already booking hotel rooms in Tampere and speculating who will be hosting Eurovision 2024 in Tampere Arena. If I may say mine I think it'd be very classy to welcome back amazing Jaana Pelkonen and Mikko Leppilampi and Krista Siegfrids could be the princess of the nation played by Krisse Salminen in 2007. Just like AFTER Lordi's win there are products! If Lordi got his Lordi Cola in shops the summer after their win Käärijä is already ready with his very own alcohol free Piña Colada and Piña colada tasting ice cream! It's crazy, it's party! And just before packing his bolero for Liverpool he got the ultimate honor by this ice-hockey crazy country: The bolero was lifted to the ceiling of Helsinki Ice...

All together now Suomi debuted in tv last night, after being postponed from spring season (having been filmed in March before Covid-19 restrictions) and has Laura Voutilainen (ESC 2002) as the captain and Jaana Pelkonen (ESC 2007 in Helsinki) as the host. She makes a very welcome comeback to entertainment television after being in politics and in the parliament for years now.  The first episode already had familiar names trying their luck with the 100 judges, namely UMK (and every other possible talent show) hopeful Ilari Hämäläinen who scored 61 but in the end didn't make it any further. The winner of the evening and finalist with 94 was a girl trio Heroines including UMK hopefuls Rafaela Truda and  fabulous personal favorite back then Ylona. Among the 100 another UMK stars spotted, namely Eini, Niki from Barbe-Q-Barbies and Jepa Lambert. Let's wait and see who pops up in the future episodes!

How times flies? It feels like last week when ten years ago after two weeks of 24/7 Eurovision hassle non stop the grand final was here, I was sitting in the audience waving my Finnish flag and feeling so sleepy.... Amazing two weeks, house full of people, writing for a website, staying in the arena and in the press center from early morning to late night only to contnue to day at the EuroClub.  Amazing production also the final with Lordi's opening video and live performance. Who could forget Krisse, the princess of the republic? Jaana Pelkonen & Mikko Leppilampi the fantastic hosts? Santa Claus! The Apocalyptical interval act with more heavy rock than all other Eurovisions put together.... I'm a proud Finn!  Such wonderful colorful memories! Here's the final recap: And here's the full show:

Finland had its municipality elections and among the election candidates we had a good share of known names from the entertainment and sports world, among others. Among them also three Eurovision veterans; Jaana Pelkonen, Vicky Rosti and Sami Helle of Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät. Jaana Pelkonen , already a second term MP and well known local politician in Helsinki scored 6.466 votes and was the 5th best in Helsinki. The Eurovision song contest 2007 hostess and ex-commentator and national final hostess is also a fresh mother so maybe she has new ideas how to make Helsinki better? Anyways, she's been leading the fight against the rather ridiculous Finnish alcohol laws since years and if I could have, I would have voted her, too. Virve "Vicky" Rosti , Eurovision 1987 entrant tried to get into politics in her hometwon Vantaa, but with her 222 votes she narrowly missed out the reserve place. That's a bit like coming 12th in the semifinal. So close yet so far... ...

Fans have spoken. Helsinki born Lill Lindfors was chosen as the best Eurovision host of the 1980's, Swedish Ulrika Johnsson and Irish born Terry Wogan the best ones of the 1990's, Finns Jaana Pelkonen and Mikko Leppilampi were the favorites of the 2000's and finally Swedish Måns Zelmerlöw and Petra Mede the best of the 2010's. Four Swedes (one born in Finland), two Finns and one Terry Wogan. The Nordics know how to host! (And Terry)

By the readers of the official Eurovision website . And without being patriotic, deversedly so. I have always thought they did a marvellous job and way better than many other couples in other years. Excellent job and a great compliment for their credit by fans. This blogger thanks all voters for good taste and congratulates Jaana, Mikko and YLE!

Yle's Nenäpäivä aka Red nose charity event included tonight a live broadcast on YLE1 and online from Helsinki's Musiikkitalo with Radio Symphony Orchestra and several artists giving a go of Finnish Eurovision classics.  To make the event even more special was the reunion of Eurovision song contest 2007 hosts Mikko Leppilampi and Jaana Pelkonen . Mikko has continued his career as a tv-hosts and movie actor and is a regular hosting popular series and big events. Jaana has moved on from entertainment to politics and is today a MP. In the last parliament elections she was the most voted female member in the whole country and was tipped to become a minister but that hasn't happened yet. Wouldn't she be a great minister of culture for example? Now it looks pretty much like she's pregnant in her glittering long dress. Congratulations!!! Anyways, a nice evening with great songs and stories of children of the world in need and stories how they have been helped th...

Speaking on this week's special Eurovision episode of Newsmakers, HSTV's weekly English-language current affairs show, the host of the 2007 Eurovision song contest in Helsinki Mikko Leppilampi says  "It's pretty serious. The forum is so huge, you reach so many people. The economic benefits for the country and the city that gets to host it" are important, he adds. Leppilampi recalls that he was selected to host the live shows after a series of auditions and call-backs. "I was pretty new to television and hosting at that time, so we just did the auditions, like everyone else" explains Leppilampi, who is currently filming the new Finnish political drama 'President'. "I think it was probably every single male performer who had been on television or acting got auditioned for that and it ended up probably being the EBU mostly who selected us". In the end in the final he wasn't to one to say the magic words "Welcome, Europe...

This week we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Lordi's win in the Eurovision song contest 2006 and I will be posting some posts related to people who were involved. One who was very much involved - and even more so in 2007 as the hostess! - was Jaana Pelkonen, today a member of parliament.  She has been appointed today, the International Day against LGBT fobias, the Goodwill Ambassador against LBGT fobias by the Finnish Rainbow organisations. She has been tiressly campaigning for equal rights over the years, even saying she won't marry herself until her firends can do so, too. Congratulations Jaana and keep up the good work!

Finland has its #umk16 final tonight and the winner will be our 50th Eurovisison entry. Roope Salminen is hosting the show from Helsinki with 2013 entrant Krista Siegfrids and Eurovision 2007 hostess Jaana Pelkonen will be there, too. Eurovision 2006 winner Lordi is performing and celebrating the 10th anniversary of their win and also last year's participants Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät grace the show with their presence. For the first time for a very long time, or ever, the polls give no clue who will win. Pre-contest favorite Saara Aalto is not doing so well in the polls, and the fan favorites Mikael Saari (He won the Finnish fanclub's Fan Award again) and Annice & Kimmo don't seem to appeal to the masses, nor Tuuli. Eini is doing well with general puclic, critics love Sandhja and Barbe-Q-Barbies is picking up speed. Being the only rock entry will surely be an advantage when the masses start to vote tonight, same goes for Eini having the only song in Finnish. Cri...

The Finnish national final #UMK16 will take place tomorrow in Helsinki. In the end we will celebrate the 50th Finnish entry to the contest but tomorrow is also a celebration of 55 years since debut, and most importantly 10th anniversary of the monstrous win in Athens 2006. The Eurovision winners Lordi will be performing as guest stars, along with last year's entrant Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät. And like that wasn't enough, the one and only legendary Eurovision hostess, commenatator and national final hostess Jaana Pelkonen makes a comeback to the Eurovision bubble. Read more here . All these beautiful people and much more tomorrow night 9pm CET.  I will be live blogging so please do join me! For an interesting video how Tomi Putaansuu becomes Mr Lordi check here .  His three hours trasformation in one minute!

Jaana Pelkonen returns to the Eurovision stage when she will co-host the #UMK16 final next Saturday with Krista Siegfrids and Roope Salminen. She's done it many times before, she's been the Finnish commentator for years and when Lordi won in 2006 she was the unquestionable choice for the female host of Helsinki 2007 Eurovision song contest. Her being Eurovision fan started back in 1998 when Dana International won.... That was nine years ago, and last time she was involved in Eurovision was five years ago. Since then she's got into politics being a member of parliament - and in the last elections the most voted female politician in Finland. Not bad! Jaana found her ESC dresses in YLE's wardobe after 9 years She believes Eurovision and politics mix nicely together. They always have and always will. This year surely the refugee crisis will have its effect on the songs by some, and it's not a bad thing. Eurovision is a platform of 200 million people so wh...