Russian media is reporting that EBU General Director Ingrid Deltenre has fallen victim to Russian pranksters Alexey Stolyarov and Vladimir Kuznetsov — revealing that Eurovision 2017 could very well be taken away from Ukraine over the ban of Russian singer Julia Samoylova.
According to Russian website Life.ru, the notorious pranksters posed as Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman. Deltenre revealed that there is a contingency plan in place to move the Eurovision Song Contest to Berlin, Germany, if the ban isn’t scrapped.
The audio of the alleged prank call was published here. Ingrid Deltenre tells the pranksters posing as the Ukrainian premier that it is the first time when a host country denied access to a singer from another country. This of course is in reference to the fact that Julia Samoylova from Russia is banned from entering Ukraine. Deltenre adds that when Samoylova was in Crimea, she was not yet the Russian representative for Eurovision. She is also says that the ban can be re-imposed after the contest.
According to the audio, which has not been confirmed by the EBU, the general director stated as well that Ukraine would incur a loss of reputation if Julia Samoylova is not allowed to perform and that the event should be used to promote an open Ukraine. “If you ban her from participation, the reputation of Ukraine in whole Europe is going to suffer. Every newspaper will only write about the ban and not about the song contest,” Ingrid Deltenre added.
At the same time, there is a real prospect that Kyiv could lose the right to host the contest, in which case Eurovision would be moved to Germany. The EBU general director is clearly heard saying, “we have everything reserved in Berlin.”
Ingrid Deltenre made a comparison between hosting the Eurovision and hosting the Olympic Games, saying that Ukraine would not be allowed to ban athletes from Russia. “This can only be done by the International Olympic Committee and the same goes for the song contest. It can only be the EBU who bans someone to participate. It cannot be done at the country level.”
However, the EBU have swiftly denied the report of moving the contest. Lenta.ru quotes senior communications official David Goodman from the EBU as saying that holding the contest in Ukraine remains their top priority.
Towards the end of the call, the pranksters tell Ingrid Deltenre that the Ukrainian side can accept Julia’s participation if Ukrainian president Poroshenko (in blackface) and Jamala are allowed to sing and rap together about Russia’s aggressive stance during the contest. Obviously in disbelief, but still thinking she is talking to the Ukrainian PM, Deltenre says, “I will have to discuss it with the Reference Group, but I am 90% sure that they will not allow it.”
Ingrid Deltenre’s concession to the “Ukrainian prime minister” would be to limit the movement of the Russian delegation, to keep it to a minimum number of people and to ensure their security.
Wiwibloggs reached out to the EBU to confirm the veracity of the Russian reports that Ms Deltenre did fall victim to the pranksters. They responded as follows:
“The EBU will not comment on prank calls. Our top priority remains concentrating on producing a spectacular Eurovision Song Contest with our Member UA:PBC in Kyiv in May.”
Interestingly, they did not deny that the call took place, nor that Eurovision could, in fact, still be moved.
Moving the contest at such short notice would create a new (excuse the pun) host of issues. Relocating the competition when the stage is already under construction would be a logistical nightmare, not only from the point of view of running the show, but also with all the adjacent facilities. And that does not even include the fact that the fans and the press have already booked flights and accommodation and bought tickets for the show in Kyiv.
If the contest were to be moved, it would likely be staged on a much smaller scale — perhaps in a studio, rather than a massive arena. Our Internet sleuthing reveals that all of Berlin’s major venues are already booked for the set dates for Eurovision 2017.
What are your thoughts about the idea of moving the contest to Berlin, in order to accommodate Russia? Is this fake news or is the EBU ready for any possibility? Sound off below!
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Not sure if she was banned. But if she was it is due to her repeated uncivil comments notably about Ingrid Deltenre.
Does Wiwibloggs banned Oxana? It was so stupid… As ukrainian I see it like a clear move against Ukraine. Oxana tried to tell you: dont play in putin’s games, you wiil always lose, but you dont want to listen her.
@Purple Mask
In Ukraine ”cow” is a word of supreme wisdom, moderately offensive only if you are very ugly.
Garden gnome FYI:
“The word ‘cow’ is also a moderately offensive insult in the United Kingdom towards a woman who is supremely unpleasant.”
(Taken from “Urban Dictionary: Cow, definition 4.”)
aye, I’m getting older, I forgot to mention one prediction from Oxana than actually inspired me to write this list
a cow and her milk. Indeed, it sounds rude but you can’t deny – Oxana predicted you will use this EBU official many times to spread news. I’m pretty sure she laughs at you now while you’re clearing all comments for no reason (that’s what a common reader might think)
you gotta settle this issue
what’s the deal with that cow thing? why you’re removing last comments?
do you really have to remove now every phrase if it have the word “Oxana” in it?
🙂
you look really red handed
@William Adams you should hire Oxana as your adviser. She had accurate predictions on all topics where you claimed the opposite. To name a few: 1) Ukraine won’t host because they are broke – they are hosting like it or not 2) Belarus will accept Russian singer Nargiz to represent them – Oxana said they will have national selection (Navi band won) 3) Ukraine can lift a ban from Russian Julia Samoilova – Oxana said their president will never do it and indeed he said NO 4) Russia will participate – Oxana said they won’t and as you can understand… Read more »
Loved the interview! Thank you, William, for the great job you’re doing
The show will not be moved, this is just slow news day.
The winner should host, and Australia should host in Australia if wins.
And I don’t know why always people talk about UK and Germany as hosts for plan B.
Why not Italy. Toto Cutugno is ready anytime. He can’t wait.
So if Ukraine messes up, we Germans are supposed to jump into the breach? As much as I would personally love this, you’ve picked the wrong country, just because we’re the one most likely to be able to afford it (and organise it that quickly 😀 ). It doesn’t surprise me at all that all major venues in Berlin are already booked for that date because people have different events to go to that week – the Song Contest is way too unimportant and unpopular here, not only due to our terrible placings in recent years. Even though these bad… Read more »
This is ridiculous, of course the contest will take place in Kyiv. Rehearsals will start in about three weeks.
I can’t believe the EBU is falling for Russia’s tricks…
I don’t think Wiwibloggs guys have to justify themselves to people like Oxana. It’s completely irrelevant what you guys say – she has already made up her mind about Bogdan and others being anti-Ukraine. Save your energy and time.
@OUTwithUkraine–Take the contest away from those barbarians
You Russians, can you tell how Russia would’ve been as a host?
a) Brilliant
b) Stupid
c) Useless
d) We just love Putin
e) Everything just to be visible
f) We have the best drinks made of god knows what
g) Just for fun
h) We know that you will want to work for us for free, because you are afraid we’ll kill esc
i) We are Russia and we love culture, we go to opera and theater because are the only warm places in our country
j) Why not?
@ banned O x a n a 🙂 – The mere fact that you can still comment shows that you have not been banned from commenting. We just deleted insulting comments. Also, just to clear things up. Maybe we have quoted the pranksters saying that the Ukrainian president should sing alongside Jamala because we have Russian speaking members on our team (some of them Ukrainian) who kindly translated what the Russian pranksters were saying. We would not invent such a thing, not even as a joke. The insult belongs to the pranksters, not us, and our readers deserve to know… Read more »
Take the contest away from those barbarians
It’s funny how people think they are so insightful when they say that if a participant from another country had entered Crimea and performed in the same time period there would be no bad. Interestingly enough, Julia is the representative of the Russian broadcaster which is overseen and funded by the Russian government that (surprise) illegally annexed Crimea. I don’t think Armenia invaded sovereign Ukrainian territory, so obviously the effect is different.
@Oxana,
You can’t claim this blog sabotaged Ukraine in 2016 when it was one of the editor in chief’s favourite songs. I’d wager that as a British-American blog, Wiwibloggs would be inclined to support Ukraine over Russia in the actual geopolitical conflict, but is keeping it objective when covering a song contest.
@ Purple Mask
Is he the young man you were asking about from Croatian video?
https://www.facebook.com/Endi.MBI
How many of you don’t like Croatian song because you thing the singer is homophobe? This is politics interfering with music too. Everything is politic.
If they won’t let her in, then they should move it to Berlin. She’s absolutely right with the Olympics comparison, and this is extremely unprofessional on Ukraine’s part. If it does get moved to Berlin, I do hope that they keep the same hosts and theme, and keep it as Ukrainian as possible even though it’s in Germany, as I feel like Jamala at least deserves that for winning. But this is what happens. People say that Ukraine is just obeying their laws, but honestly you’re very ignorant if you can’t see what’s actually happening here. If any other country’s… Read more »
The prank is very bad taste, around the quality of Borat-type movies. Apart from this it is strange how a phone conversation with a supposed prime minister do not have some security checks from EBU, they could not even see that the call was from Russia instead of from Ukraine. About the situation by itself, it is where it should not have needed to be. Ukraine failed to understand what it means to be allowed to host a branded international contest – the host role is to be gracious, to make some compromise. EBU is in an impossible situation with… Read more »
To be honest the comments thread (for this post) doesn’t makes any sense any more. It’s not about the music or the contest, and personal jibes to each other are really not helping. Perhaps it should be frozen or deleted when it gets to this point. Sorry to spoil the fun; I just don’t like personal bickering. 🙁
@Oxana
Wiwibloggs has not banned you despite your immensly inflammatory comments even unresponsive to NSAIDS.
That is proof enough that Wiwibloggs is neutral. If anything I’d accuse them of being too soft on pro-Ukraine trolls.
Bogdan, nice try to reassure me in your pro-Ukrainian sentiments is to ban me from commenting (actually not me but a network of thousands of IP addresses in a place I don’t belong to, I just used their exit point). if you’re pro-Ukrainian then I guess I’m a pro-Russian 🙂 see, I’m Ukrainian in Romania? let me tell you something. insulting Ukrainian president in the direct proof you’re Russian propagandon, because none of other ESC blogs cited that insult, only you. none of ESC blogs elevated the idea of Berlin hosting and obviously none of them bans people for pointing… Read more »
Right move would be to move contest to Berlin
Dear Oxana, please rest assured that we are not pro-Russian propagandists. As anyone who has been following what I write on wiwibloggs can confirm, if anything I am maybe a little bit too pro-Ukrainian. As my name should tell you you, I have Ukrainian heritage. I supported Jamala throughout, she was my favourite to win last year (please check my Wiwi Jury review for “1944”). William also did support Jamala, as all the videos and written materials by him can confirm. This is only to calm you down – I am sure that the Ukrainian secret services have better things… Read more »
@Oxana
Wiwibloggs merely reported on this event, as is their right to do. Nowhere did they condone the pranksters’ behavior. This appears to be a very neutral, balanced, and unbiased piece that details what occurred, and nothing more. Nowhere does it talk about approving what the pranksters did or anything that could be interpreted as “sabotaging” Ukraine. Reporting on ESC-related events is their JOB –and they don’t have to stop reporting on something just because it’s a topic YOU don’t like.
Kudos to wiwibloggs for their great work as usual! 🙂
Purple Mask, also about the “quality” of news of this blog. somehow our paparazzi comsosed such a detailed article about Berlin and ban but failed to highlight most important news regarding the topic 1. president of Ukraine said that Samoylova won’t step on our soil. period. consider it as a final decision of Ukraine 2. Broadcaster published a letter to EBU where they said to stop bullying them on behalf of Russia and to mind their own business rather try to impose a penalty because Ukraine is not going to break international law 3. Russian preparty in Moscow stopped to… Read more »
Oxana: 1. I don’t see how Wiwibloggs writers such as Bogdan are supposed to fully understand about the propaganda links to acts of war. As far as I know, they are not paid journalists, only bloggers. Perhaps this matter is better taken up with Editor-in-chief William Lee Adams himself. If you are concerned, then please do send him an e-mail; as a fan, I don’t want Wiwibloggs to get into trouble over this, and I find it very unlikely that William and the bloggers have an active political agenda that is anti-Ukranian. I think this is a misunderstanding. 2. As… Read more »
I don’t know if this is true, but I think the Olympic Games comparison is really on point! Only the OlC is allowed to ban athletes, the same should be with the EBU in Eurovision. I don’t like Russia nor this year’s song, but Ukraine can’t ban a singer in an international event, If they want to ban Yulia or other people is right at a local/private level, but at an international level like Eurovision or the Olympic Games this shouldn’t happen!
Purple Mask, this “blog” is sabotaging Ukraine in ESC for the 2d year in a row. pranksters are paid Russian propaganda agents (one of them is a nephew of Vlad Surkov who rules Russian occupation forces in Donbass on behalf of Putin). Yulia Samoylova is a relative of Vadim Samoylov, Russian singer and propagandist who currently reqruits Russian idiots to fight in Ukraine in Donbass, to kill us! if wiwi can’t put facts straight and uses only propaganda and this farcial “prank” to sabotage the event they are propagandists on behalf of Russia and by our law Security Service have… Read more »
@Purple Mask
Thank you for info about tickets
Eurovision in Berlin, it is a very good idea.
How did this pranksters get mrs.Deltenre phone number? The answer is in the same way they got numbers of Prime-ministers, Presidents and other politics they pranked before and who against the Russia. KGB gave them Ingrid’s number, Putin just wanter to laugh on this.
Well if Ukraine does start selectively banning media or fan blogs from other countries (as Oxana suggests), then it’s all over for them. Good luck applying to be part of the ESC ever again. I do hope their powers-that-be are more understanding than that.
I know that “esctoday” also reported this story, and possibly other western media as well. Is Ukraine going to ban them all?! Come on. This has gone too far.
Notice how once again we’re not talking about the music? Just saying.
Its so depressing and if Russia takes part they will just get sympathy votes and this is a SONG contest after all. Politics have always behind Eurovision this is not a new thing.
I would absolutely love to see Berlin host the Eurovision, I always said it was a missed opportunity in 2011 when Düsseldorf was chosen instead.
The tag line could still be “Celebrate Diversity”, as Berlin is a multicultural diverse city and one of the friendliest places I’ve ever been to.
However, moving the contest at such a late stage would be impossible. I think we all need to accept that Kyiv is the host city for 2017, whatever about Russia withdrawing and Ukraine being excluded next year, its safe to say Ukraine will be hosting in may.
I think that the purpose is to scare Ukraine, but I’m sure Ukraine will not be scared because they have saw worst things than PR tactics.
There’s not enough time to move the contest. The arena is already being arranged and the stage is being built. It’s either Kyiv or complete cancellation at this point.
Again, my solution is the same: Countries at war, with each other or with themselves (i.e., civil war) will not participate; and in this case, whether they let the girl sing in this year’s contest or not. A country at war that wins must relinquish the hosting rights for the following year.
Moving the contest to Berlin? This is definitely not going to happen. Ukraine does not prohibit the participation of the country, but only the person who violated its law. If the EBU deprives Ukraine of the right to host a contest because of this, we will lose Ukraine forever for Eurovision. We have already lost Turkey, loss of Ukraine will be a crime. I think Ingrid is just bluffing under Russian pressure when she talks to the Ukrainian representatives. The EBU is a commercial organization and the procedure for resolving all conflicts is described in its rules. The maximum that… Read more »
@ Bogdan Honciuc
The only right way to report something is without taking sides. That’s not just understandable but also admirable.
It’s just that original source of the material is known for it’s “quality”.
It’s probably too late to move the contest They have already started building the stage in Ukraine I just want it sorted Russia are as much to blame as Ukraine
I just watched William on his UA interview – very good as usual. I agree with most of what he has to say. 🙂
Perhaps the only difference is that I would not be afraid of going to another Eastern country other than Ukraine or Russia – I would specifically avoid those two because they are in conflict right now, but that doesn’t mean that the rest of Eastern Europe is off the table.
@ Bogdan Honciuc
I understand your opinion. Thank you !
@Penelope – it is difficult to express an opinion on something that is yet to be confirmed. But I think you could read my opinion between the lines, when I ask what our readers think about the idea of moving the contest to Berlin, in order to accommodate Russia… It’s obviously preposterous, at least as far as I am concerned.
PS: And I am Romanian. Bad stuff already happened to my country at Eurovision…
Bogdan Honciuc, if Wiwibloggs has attitude, then maybe you can tell your personal opinion.
What if this will happen to Moldova your country, or Romania?
Fine, you just report, but is all about Russia, and I respect Ukraine for not giving up. EBU only wants to make sure Russia with 40 millions viewers will participate. I don’t hate Russia, but this time they have played a dirty game.
@Alex M – The audio has surfaced. Please refresh the page. The general director of EBU is clearly heard saying that they reserved everything in Berlin.
Propaganda or not, we have to report what is happening, without taking sides. Thank you for understanding.
Life.ru is a well known source of russian propaganda.
Please, Wiwi… do you not see Russia’s intentions here? And you are quoting them. Very nice.
L’oiseau, why do you think that my mentality is stupid? WLAdams said that in the East the air is ”poisoned”, of course metaphorically, but why is more political what I’ve said?