Petra Mede, a Swedish comedian and television personality, will host Eurovision in Malmö.
Petra, who hosted Melodifestivalen 2009, will be the first person to host Eurovision without a co-host in 18 years. A journalist asked whether it will be a challenge for her to put her own stamp on the contest, which is so formatted and scripted. Here’s what she said:
I think that is a challenge because there are so many things that you have to go through with the format and the competition itself. But since I’m the only presenter I have the opportunity as soon as I can to say something personal and give it a personal touch. It doesn’t have to be something big, only the way I speak and the way I look at things will give it a personal touch.
Petra was slightly overdressed for today’s presentation, wearing sequins head to toe. But I guess she’s just getting ready for her role, and making up for wearing this rather casual number at Melodifestivalen 2009. In the video below you’ll see she is totally animated, which bodes well for ESC. The Azeri hosts were totally boring.
The announcement will no doubt shock and disappoint tens of thousands of Eurovision fans who had hoped to see Sarah Dawn Finer on stage in Malmö. Sarah, who did a stellar job hosting Melodifestivalen last year, was widely rumored to be the front-runner to host ESC. She was even given the opportunity to present Sweden’s votes at Eurovision in Baku. She did so as her character “Lynda Woodruff”, and was totes hilarious.
What do you think of the announcement? Are you at all surprised? How do you think she’ll go down across Europe?
You need to have a poll for worst hosts ever – for the last 10 years of ESC. They all have been so bad I’m left hoping for not painful.