Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

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)

Allsång på Skansen, the hugely popular sing-a-long summer show in Sweden has a new hostess this year: Sanna Nielsen. She takes over from Petra Marklund (2014-2015) and Måns Zelmerlöw (2011-2013) who hosted the show the previous years.  The show started already back in 1935 and since 1979 has been on television as well. These days, every Tuesday some 10.00-25.500 people gather around to Skansen in Stockholm to be part of the show and a few million Swedes (and Finns) watch it on television.  This year's guest list is rich with Eurovision and Melodifestivalen stars as usual: June 28: Frans and BAO (Benny Andersson Orchester) July 5: Malena Ernman and Oscar Zia July 19: SaRaha, Anders Glenmark, Orup, Sonja Alden July 26: Jamala August 2: Martin Stenmarck August 9: Lill-Babs August 16: Lill Lindfors along with all the other artists from Veronica Maggio to Lisa Nilsson, Laleh and Zara Larsson.

The hostess has landed Malmö 2013 Eurovision. Stylish. Elegant. Popular. Down-to-earth. Extremely talented. Warm. Unpredictable. Funny. Spomtaneus. Critizised. Petra Mede is all that and more.  Her demands in her rider for the backroom have made the headlines but it all was rather a misunderstanding, all she ever wanted was something where to bath her baby.  Her role model for the part is Lill Lindfors, the legendary hostess back in 1985 but we can't expect similar wardrobe shocker as these days it's forbidden in the rules. She may have something else in her sleeve though. She says her goes is to lead the show in an exciting, funny way and bring the boys home, so to speak. She'll be alone and will alternate between being funny and serious, depending on the situation. The script will be developed and changed until the very last moment with Edward af Sillén and Daniel Rehn. She says she will do the hosting in Swedish, English and a little bit of French thrown in. But ...

Great to come to home to these wonderful news: Petra Mede! Did anyone ever mention her name? No. Somehow I knew SVT had something in their sleeve so I was pretty sure it wouldn't be Sarah Dawn Finer nor Måns Zelmerlöf or any of the other mentioned. I remember Petra from Melodifestivalen 2009 and I just adored her! She's the lovechild one Lena Philipsson and Christer Lindarw and surely will be having some surprises a la Lill Lindfors! I can't wait to see her in action! :-)

The 11th Eurovision song contest took place March 5, 1966 in Grand Auditorium de RTL in Luxembourg and Austria's Udo Jürgens was third time lucky with Merci chérie . Milly Scott from the Netherlands was the very first coloured singer, and also the very first who didn't stand behind her microphone but used a handy. Jurors didn't like the combination and it took another 35 years before a coloured singer won the contest, namely Dave Benton for Estonia. Udo's win was very clear: 31 votes against 16 for Swedish Lill Lindfors & Svante Thuresson. Denmark said goodbye to Eurovision for 11 years and returned only 1978. And Italy scored a flat zero with Domenico Modugno's Dio come ti amo . How do you explain that? And Udo still tours and records... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeeStaXs1sQ