Yesterday, the first semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2020 kicked off, with seven acts trying their best to win over Swedish viewers. But in next weekend’s second semi-final, there’s one act who won’t be in that position. Broadcaster SVT has disqualified the provocative performer Thorsten Flinck. SVT says the artist has been “currently charged criminally with unlawful threat and vandalism”.
Melodifestivalen project manager Anette Helenius confirmed Flinck’s disqualification today, saying:
“We deeply regret this. We really wanted to see Thorsten Flinck on the stage of Melodifestivalen on Saturday. But because he is in the middle of an ongoing legal process, we cannot allow Thorsten Flinck to participate as a competitor.”
SVT has learned that the artist Thorsten Flinck, planned to take part in heat 2 of the 2020 #Melfest, is currently charged criminally with unlawful threat and vandalism. SVT has decided that Flinck can not take part. 1/2 https://t.co/EE0i7BI87X
— Melodifestivalen (@SVTmelfest) February 2, 2020
Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet report that the charges were brought against Flinck before Christmas, though a court date has not yet been set. The paper says it is not known why SVT made the decision to disqualify Flinck less than one week before his semi-final.
Flinck was due to perform “Miraklernas tid” (The time of miracles) in next weekend’s semi-final in Gothenburg. But the song itself — written by Thomas G:son — still remains in Melodifestivalen 2020. The song will be performed by another singer. SVT is now searching for Flinck’s replacement.
Melodifestivalen rules make it clear that the song is what is entered in the contest and give SVT the right to change performers.
Flinck’s previous brush with disqualification
Flinck flirted with a disqualification in November, when he revealed he would be participating in Melodifestivalen 2020 — well ahead of SVT’s big reveal. This is, in theory, in breach of the Melodifestivalen rules.
But broadcaster SVT chose to turn a blind eye to the rule break. At the time, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that one of their sources sighed and said, “Some other artist could definitely have been disqualified. What is okay for some is not allowed for others.”
Thorsten Flinck is an actor and musician, with a career spanning over 40 years. He is known for playing villains, but also for his outrageous personality off-stage.
He made his Melodifestivalen debut in 2012, performing with his group Revolutionsorkestern. They placed eighth in the grand final with the song “Jag reser mig igen” (I Rise Again).
The last Mello disqualification: Anna Book’s Moldovan mix-up
The last major Melodifestivalen disqualification happened to Anna Book in 2016. Eurovision fans recognised her Melodifestivalen entry “Himmel för två” as a Swedish-language version of Felicia Dunaf’s 2014 Moldovan national final entry “Taking Care of a Broken Heart” from 2014 — and therefore breaking the 1 September rule.
At the time, the news was confirmed by a solemn press conference and it is said that many tears were shed.
The song was disqualified from Melodifestivalen, however Anna Book was still able to perform the song out of competition at the semi-final. The performance was a hit with audiences, giving a happy ending to an upsetting situation.
The new artist to perform at the second semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2020 will join Klara Hammarström, Dotter, Méndez feat. Alvaro Estrella, Linda Bengtzing, Paul Rey and Anna Bergendahl. The semi-final will take place in Gothenburg next Saturday, February 8th.
Jan Johanssen will sing instead of Torsten Flink
It s look that SVTv don t want to see him in final. Look how many televote he got from public in 2012 in semi and final (in final international juries destroy him, maybe because song was in swedish language)
he cheated on his wife with an immigrant from Iraq
I never understood why they brought Flinck into the competition again. I’m glad he’s gone. He’s just weird.
Weird is good, though.
He’s not the good weird :/
Well my singing services are available, SVT. 😉
But jokes aside… Very sad news about the Thorsten Flinck legal situation. Not really much else Melfest can do except carry on regardless. 🙁
So this is how Aly Ryan will break into Eurovision. What an unexpected turn of events.
Ah bravo, spot on. 😀
I actually came here expecting someone already had made the mandatory Aly Ryan joke, but I guess it was my turn to do the honors. 😀
They will surely find someone, they will take some middle aged celebrity man to perform his song.
And if not there is always Anna Book xD
Get Greta Thunberg to sing it!!!
Yes her mother Marlena Ernman won the melfest once and her sister Beata sing on musicals. Greta is probably a great singer. But good luck … think she has more important work ahead of her. Like save the world.
Greta Thunbergs sister Beata Ernman
https://youtu.be/4AChmpYevkg
Gretas Thunbergs mother Marlena Ernman on melfest 2009
https://youtu.be/6zJpww_mz8s
Greta is the real-life Peter that Paradise Oskar sang about.
I was thinking this the other day!!
Greta and all the kids ”are the heroes of our time” whith treir ”Statements”
….ops..a musical whith melfest and esc songs about Greta. ; )
Not sure if he was/is a singer, but can’t they just let Thomas G:son sing the song himself? :))
But I think they should just disqualify the whole entry (it’s an incomplete entry, because it has no artist to interpret it now), but give it a special performance slot, like what they did with Anna Book.
Hmm well. I see your point. Maybe the song «Miraklernas Tid» can have a special performance slot. But if I have to be honest. I am not in agree with you Chromium. Why? Because I think Thomas G:son and SVT will find another singer to sing the song «Miraklernas Tid». And really you compare the song «Miraklernas Tid» to Anna Book’s song «Himmel för två» that is a plagiarised song from Melodifestivalen 2016. The reason that the song «Himmel för två» got a special performance slot were because this song «Himmel för två» is a plagiarised song. And really the… Read more »
I tried to post twice, but my comment just disappears. 🙁
Probably you used some weird word. Happened to me a few times. You will get na email saying that it’s approved soon. Unless what you wrote is against some rules.
Thorsten Flink was once considered a creative genius, the future of theatre, working with Ingmar Bergman at Dramaten. Now he’s singing a song by Thomas G:son? Still, I guess it’s sad that he’s out, the contest could do with some more non-conformists.
“written by Thomas G:son “. Say no more. Just bring another song with another artist, even though the staging would be hard to settle up in less than a week. It’s a bit ironic though that a “provocative” artist was going to sing a Thomas G:Son song. He brought us “Euphoria” or “Quédate conmigo” among others, but it’s his time to go on a retire in the Himalaya to found himself and bring up new ideas, cause his song are all over the place in every NF and right now all of them sound like a uninspired mix up of… Read more »
I like the time before when there were no sites where you can write negative comments all the time. The old times was a better place.
I like the time before you refused to accept other people’s opinion, Rasmus. Or did that time even exist at all?
its mostly negative on every article here. havent you noticed?
Move to China or North Korea then
Or Africa, since Rasmus seems to think (based on a previous comment of his) that we have no radios, music, innovation, and technologies here In Africa… He probably thinks that I am sending this message to Wiwibloggs via snail mail, which is me putting a sticky note on my pet slug and making it glide to Wiwibloggs headquarters. Faster Gary… FASTER!!! So now that my message is on the way to Wiwibloggs, its time for me to go back to my hut, in the middle of the desert, to be like Jurijus, and run with my pet lions. Bye ya’ll!… Read more »
I would think they would try to get someone who can infuse the song with a similar tone and attitude as him. They just can’t plop in some teeny bopper. I’m imagining a Caroline af Ugglas or Jan Johansen who surprisingly made a brief appearance in semi 1
Caroline yes, but Jan no. They probably could use Björn Kjellman or someone like him.,
And I was right….?
But they choose Jan.
I mean he looked dangerous.
They should just disqualify the song too. Tbh.
SVT should give the song to Lisa Ajax.
As much as I love our Swedish female-pop-songstress, I highly doubt that Lisa would fit a song originally given to Thorsten Flinck 😀
Maybe that’s why these past MF has been boring: no scandals:)
That said, no major loss really. More a win than anything for us!
hallelujah
Thanks for the article. I was on wikipedia and there was just a blank next to the song title and I was like, “Where’s Thorsten at?”
Now, I know.
The right thing to do would be to offer it to Anna Book…
No please
Is this the dude with the cigarette picture? If so, good riddance! I wanna put everyone in jail who dares to smoke (cigarettes) anywhere near me. Unless they’re really, really cute, then I try to stay upwind.
Get a grip
Get a personality.
Ew imagine being this weird…
Eww imagine being this useless to any conversation. Funny how someone named Grace is completely graceless.
Mr Vanilla you are a good person. I am your big fan. The only bad thing is that you watch Melodifestivalen. MF is so sh*t or cringe almost every year, probably this year too.
Well thank you. It it makes you feel better, I listen to the preview snippets and then only watch the performances I’m interested in. I don’t actually watch any show as a whole. I liked three to four out of the seven acts in semi final one, so it was a rather decent outcome this year so far. That’s a first for me.
That picture would totally fit the story, though. 😉
Saddo
Ashtrayo
language 🙂
Frigging pleb
#JeSuisMila
Damn, that’s almost too kind :v
hahaha! i’m sorry, please try to understand me, i hate getting all that second-hand smoke when i’m walking in milan so i had to vent. thank heavens no one smokes in my family.
I do agree that people who smoke should stay in an area designated to smoking so they don’t cause harm to those who don’t smoke. But saying that you would make an exception for “cute” people is just extremely shallow thing to say. You should not get a pass on being disrespectful to others just because you’re good looking.
🙂
why are they looking for someone to sing his song rather than for someone else, anyone, with their own song?
Cos it’s another G:sson poultry factory masterpiece. Can’t miss any of those.
Because preparations in regards of staging are well in advance.
Well it’s a SONG contest