Petra Mede, host of Eurovision 2013 in Malmö

Back on May 28, we asked our readers to start voting for their favourites to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Sweden. As you’d expect, the current standings heavily favor acts that have been involved in Eurovision and Melodifestivalen. Our readers demand relevant experience, clearly!

Leading the pack with a staggering 20% of all votes is Petra Mede, Sweden’s Oprah Winfrey (but way funnier). She knows how to work that tongue — she’s fluent in Swedish, English, Spanish and French — and made us laugh as the host of Melodifestivalen 2009, Eurovision 2013, and the Eurovision’s Greatest Hits show in 2015. And boy does she look good in a tin foil dress! We caught up with her in London moments after the Greatest Hits show. She’s always on!

In second place with 18% of the vote it’s Eurovision 2015 winner Mans Zelmerlow. The “Heroes” singer is the bookies’ odds-on favourite, and not just because of his victory in Vienna. Rumours suggest SVT may ask Mans and ROCKY IV star Dolph Lundgren to co-host, just as they did at Melodifestivalen 2010. He’d bring the voice and, of course, that body.

Sanna Nielsen, Sarah Dawn Finer and Gina Dirawi round out our Top 5. You can see the current standings below. Who is your pick? We’ll leave this poll open until the end of August, so there’s still time to support your favourite.

Eurovision 2016: Who should host?

Standings as of 22 June at noon GMT

  1. Petra Mede 20.09% (678 votes)
  2. Mans Zelmerlow 18.05% (609 votes)
  3. Sanna Nielsen 14.49% (489 votes)
  4. Sarah Dawn Finer 13.31% (449 votes)
  5. Gina Dirawi 8.24% (278 votes)
  6. Eric Saade 6.25% (211 votes)
  7. Danny Saucedo 3.82% (129 votes)
  8. Robin Paulsson 3.79% (128 votes)
  9. Charlotte Perrelli 2.37% (80 votes)
  10. Carola Haggkvist 1.66% (56 votes)
  11. David Hellenius 1.13% (38 votes)
  12. Lena Philipsson 1.1% (37 votes)
  13. Shirley Clamp 0.8% (27 votes)
  14. Andreas Lundstedt 0.68% (23 votes)
  15. Marie Serneholt 0.53% (18 votes)
  16. Jessica Almenas 0.44% (15 votes)
  17. Martin Stenmarck 0.39% (13 votes)
  18. Nanne Gronvall 0.27% (9 votes)
  19. Anders Lundin 0.12% (4 votes)

Total votes: 3,377

Our favourites to host Eurovision 2016

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19 Comments
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Rubank
Rubank
8 years ago

Lots of good points here. I think last time Mello-Tzar Christer Björkman played it safe with the great Petra Mede. It’s unlikely he will do the same thing again. I think he will try to renew the concept and come up with something unexpected.
I am hoping for an all-immigrant line-up, representing the new multi-cultural Sweden; Gina Dirawi and Soran Ismail. (And of course Lynda Woodruff as Green Room reporter.)

Anabel
Anabel
8 years ago

I think Eric Saade and Måns Zelmerlöw should be hosts! They deserve it, it would be nice to see the both of them. They have charism and fame around Europe, so I think people would like it!

Erel
Erel
8 years ago

Petra should do it as she knows the work and would do a very good job, or Elena and Petra could be duo hosts, or possibly abba could host maybe that would be great

Mark
Mark
8 years ago

If they do not choose Petra Mede I will be so dissapointed. Show in Malmö was the one I didn’t like, it looked so quickly done with no much attention to details, graphics and the whole look of the show. Petra was the bright spot in the show, she was absolutely amazing, the best ESC host ever. This time bring back Petra Mede and do a little more work on the show and whole thing, it is going to be hard to be better than Denmark 2014, but I know that Sweden and SVT can do it !

savio
savio
8 years ago

Oh pliz… Invite Petra Mede, she’s perfect <3

George
8 years ago

Sanna Nielsen? Oh please, she looks like the most humor-less creature on earth.

zoharica
zoharica
8 years ago

Petra’s voice is annoying, she speaks too loud and stresses words in sentences in a weird way. Also, she looked very confused most of the time in Malmoe. Next one, please.

Leon
Leon
8 years ago

You guys I was re-watching Eurovision 2012 and God, the hosts were the worst. They were sooo boring. I remember at one point the older, pretty girl in the green room spoke with a contestant and with literally bugs under eyes said “back to you young people”. Cracked me up. I wonder if they were quiet cuz of the Russian grannies? Anyway, whatever they do, as long as the hosts are not that boring I’m down

Maxim
Maxim
8 years ago

I think Sweden wants to do something different than back in 2013. So that’s why I think Petra will not host it, or maybe just a little part or something. Gina would be great as well as Sarah aka Lynda Woodruff. Sanna would also be good but then there are too many women. Cause Austria did the same, Sweden won’t do it (I think) Maybe this is the oppurtunity for Mans or Danny. I can’t wait for it! XD

Otna
Otna
8 years ago

Petra is basically the best thing to happen to ESC. Hope they bring her back <3

JESCGermany15
JESCGermany15
8 years ago

I still hope that we will go to Stockholm in the Tele2 Arena! And I want Gina Dirawi, Sarah Dawn Finer and Mans Zelmerlow to host the show 😀

LalehForWD
LalehForWD
8 years ago

I love Gina Dirawi and I think she has been brilliant the 2 times she hosted Melodifestivalen. However I’m not so sure a non-Swedish audience will understand her character with many paradoxes like for example strong dialect Swedish country girl visavi arabic heritage and the constant self-irony humour. If she get the job I think she must invent another more general dimension of her public image.

Huh
Huh
8 years ago

I like and respect Petra but I think other Swedish people should have the chance to host the 2016 contest. Same way goes to Sarah Dawn Finer.

Mario
Mario
8 years ago

Currently we have bids from 5 cities / towns that are alive in the running of winning the bid to host next year’s Vision..
~ Stockholm
~ Goteborg
~ Linkoping
~ Örnsköldsvik
~ Sandviken

Only Malmo is the only withdrawn town & out of the competition to host the Vision of 2016 and it is understandable to us…Hosting possibly the Vision again after 3 years is too early to happen..

Mario
Mario
8 years ago

Here are my own suggested cool line up <3 🙂

1) Helena Paparizou <3 🙂
2) Sarah Dawn Finer / Lynda Woodruff <3 🙂
3) Mariette <3 🙂
4) Samir + Victor <3 🙂
5) Charlotte Perelli <3 🙂
6) Carola <3 🙂

D
D
8 years ago

I love Petra but she hosted only two years ago and she also hosted the anniversary show. She doesn’t need to host yet another Eurovision event. I’d prefer Gina and Måns/Danny host the show together and then put Danny/Måns in the greenroom.

Mathew
Mathew
8 years ago

Love the idea of Petra coming back, but also Sanna did a fantastic job at Mello this year, as have Sarah and Gina in the past – though I’d love to see Helena Paparizou back in the Eurovision fold after Mello and announcing results!

Mario
Mario
8 years ago

Yes…Agree with both Robyn & Matt..
Petra is fantastic & did great job in hosting the Vision of Malmo but to see her presenting again our Vision after only just 3 years might be too much for us..
And she was the host that presented the Greatest Hits Party this year as well..

If Goteborg wins the bid to host the Vision of 2016 i would like to see Helena Paparizou as the hostess of the contest <3 🙂

MattVision
MattVision
8 years ago

I don’t see why we need the same people coming back every year. Sweden has hundreds of famous people to take over the reins so I don’t know why fans need Petra, Mans, Sanna, or Eric when someone else can do very well. Please don’t get me wrong either; I love Petra, Mans, Sanna, and Eric but I’d rather see someone Europe hasn’t seen.

Gina Dirawi did an amazing job hosting the 2013 Melodifestivalen and I’d like to see Bjorn Gustafsson because he’s hilarious. Mans can host the green room.