After a couple of years when Eurovision producers decided to serve us only one gender at a time, Israel has decided to mix things up. Yup, that’s two men and two women ready to slay across gender lines. We know that because today KAN revealed the Eurovision 2019 hosts. They are supermodel and presenter Bar Refaeli, TV and radio personality Erez Tal, TV-host Assi Azar and KAN’s radio and TV presenter Lucy Ayoub.
Who are the Eurovision 2019 hosts?
The names may sound familiar. In our previous posts looking at the leading candidates to host Eurovision 2019 we mentioned each of them. But now it’s time for the official introduction. Each host has a different character. But guess what? They’re all Israelis and, obviously, they’re all experienced TV personalities.
Bar Refaeli and Erez Tal will be the main hosts of the show, while Assi Azar and Lucy Ayoub will be the Green Room hosts. The Green Room will be next door in a separate hall, a few steps away from the main hall. It’d be a bit of a trek to run from the main stage to the auxiliary building, so having two teams makes sense. Let’s get to know our hosts a little better.
Bar Refaeli
The 33-year-old beauty is an Israeli supermodel, television host, actress, and businesswoman. You’ll have seen her name mentioned for months. And for good reason. She’s got the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent to carry the show — and presents a very pretty face for Israel.
Forbes has estimated her personal wealth at $20 million. The mother of two puts that money to good use, and boy can she turn a look, as seen on the cover of the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and in advertising campaigns for Chanel, Escada, Victoria’s Secret, Reebok and more.
With her stunning look and amazing businesses success, you won’t be shocked to hear about her new businesses partner — Kim Kardashian.
Bar is used to the English language, as she has appeared on many TV shows abroad and her English is great. But most importantly, Bar is the host of Israel’s X Factor. She has song contest experience as well as live-TV experience, and she knows the many pitfalls that can occur — with contestants and with the production teams that surround them — so can guide us through proceedings smoothly.
Erez Tal
Erez Tal is all about experience. He is one of Israel’s most successful TV and radio hosts. He has hosted an endless number of TV shows in recent decades and has huge experience guiding live TV shows, which made him the leading male candidate on KAN’s wishlist for Eurovision. He’s kind, friendly, funny and he knows both English and French really well. You say wiwi, he says oui oui!
Another reason he is one of the leading candidates is because of his role in Eurovision 2018 — he was a commentator and received incredibly positive feedback after the broadcast.
You can’t deny his enthusiasm for ESC. Following Netta’s recent Eurovision victory, he is the one who called on Israelis to “forget about work” and to go to Rabin Square to celebrate the nation’s fourth win…just as they did when Dana International won in 1998.
Assi Azar
Assi, 39, is one of Israel’s most famous publicly gay TV hosts. He has been hosting TV shows since 2004, but his big breakthrough happened between 2008-2015, when he co-hosted the Israeli version of Big Brother with Erez Tal. That chemistry with Erez might have helped him during his auditions, as the dynamics between all of the hosts were tested.
Assi is also a script writer, he wrote a very successful romantic comedy called Lehiyot Ita (In English it’s called Beauty and the Baker). The series was sold to the UK’s Channel 4, as well as Amazon (and is also available on Netflix). He also filmed a few movies regarding his gay life and his coming out process with his parents.
Over the last six years he has hosted countless TV and radio shows including The Next Star, Israel’s national selection for Eurovision. He also hosted the first season in 2013-2014, when the show had no connection to Eurovision. He is a known LGBTQ activist and in 2016 he married his Catalan boyfriend Albert Escola.
Lucy Ayoub
Lucy, 26, is an Arab-Israeli poet as well as KAN’s TV and radio presenter, who presented Israel’s jury points during Eurovision 2018. She is the “fresh face” and the youngest among the four hosts of Eurovision 2019.
She has worked at KAN for the last two years and has hosted many cultural shows. You can also find many short videos that she has done for the digital department of KAN on their YouTube channel.
She lives with her partner in Tel Aviv, where she studies philosophy, economics, political science and law.
KAN has great faith in Lucy, as she has been one of the names that on their wishlist right from the beginning. She has great English and is very pleasant — just what a Green Room host should be.
Are you excited about the hosts of Eurovision 2019? Who is your favourite and who do you think will be the best one? Tell us in the comment section below!
This is really helpful for many user. Glad that you written the step by step process. Thanks for the link back too
Lucy Ayoub is actually Half Jewish and Half Arab. It’s a “small” detail that needs to be mentioned in the article just to be more accurate! 😉
I want a free drink directly from this Bar
I really love the multiculturalism in This
I like this! They’re all promising, and for those worried about the script: nobody has a wilder sense of humor than Israelis. That signature bluntness and self-deprecation will hopefully play into it.
You know what, congrats Israel. This is diversity. Spreading the love across gender. I hope they won’t be destroyed by a terrible script.
In the end it is all up for the script writers. Hosts in those events barely improvise. So if the script is good and not filled with lame aunty jokes (like last year), then the hosting will be fine.
I agree that the script is fundamental. There was some cringy moments, but there were lots of good stuff as well. But possibly you were one of the Portugal haters that bashed it for everything and anything.
Bring back Filomena. The best host of this century.
Filomena was awesome and should have gotten more screen time than she did.
My favorite host of this century, and probably of all time, is Anke from 2011.
Yes Anke was also top. Dream team would be Anke Filomena and the talll dark guy from Denmark. Petra for me is cringy though
I also don’t get the fuss over Petra, I find her very stiff.
Anke is my favorite too. I think a comedian should be host every year.
Yaaay! Filomena is the new Petra was the new Katie Boyle
🙂 Yes!
Best hosts: 2013/16, 2018 (at least for Filomena), 2014, 2011, 2006, 2003, 1999, 1998, 1996, 1985, 1984, any time Katie Boyle hosted
Worst hosts: 2017, 2015, 2012, 2009 (in the semis), 2004, 2002, 2001 (ugh), 1990, 1983, 1977
Add Catarina from 2018 to the list of worst. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen more incompetent hosting in this show.
I’m still angry over the fact that Catarina ruined the suspense of the voting last year by saying that “Cyprus is in the lead”. That’s NOT what you do when you’re hosting a TV-show.
And they weren’t even in the lead. All it did was get a lot of commentators and fans confused and made them think she had given away that Cyprus had won (when they hadn’t).
I agree, Catarina was indeed a big disappointment… She was very nervous and the whole thing seem too much for her. Her English was surprisingly very poor. Daniela, though, was very competent.
The 2009 semis hosts were bad, but they were SO bad that it was good! it was hilarious.
Also, how could you forget the 1991 hosts? They looked like they didn’t rehears even once, didn’t speak any language other than Italian and messed up the voting with their less-than-basic English and French. At times it was really funny but I can’t forget the constant look of frustration on the face of the scrutineer (the ‘Jon Ola Sand’ of that time). He always had the interrupt them to correct their mistakes.
Yes, 1991 was so funny…
You can see Filomena in 2017 too. She announced the Portuguese votes.
I don’t know them so I can’t have an informed opinion. However, I like it that they are more balanced gender-wise, that there is an isareli-arab among them and they all seem to be very nice and telegenic. About being four… I think maybe too many, but the Green Room parts are becoming increasingly more important so, I guess that is the reason… I just hope that the whole debate about the absence of “ethnic minorities” does not pop up, like last time…
Lucy Ayoub is Arab Israeli, Bar Refaeli is Ashkenazi, and Assi Azar and Erez Tal are both Mizrahi. The demographics of the hosts actually match Israel’s pretty closely.
So now we’re choosing hosts based on their gender and ethnic background (and not skill maybe?), Political correctness has become madness
Who said they were picked *because* of their ethnic background? Erez and Assi are two of Israel’s most experienced and poular hosts, Bar is famous world wide and also has some experience in hosting big events, Lucy is KAN’s leading talent and they wanted one of their own involved in hosting, in addition to her being witty, eloquent and beautiful . This is why they were picked, diversity wasn’t a factor though it is nice to have a foursome that roughly represents the local demographics. Also, since the late 1970 most of the contests was hosted by a male-female duo,… Read more »
I didn’t say that at all and it is good that they were picked for those reasons. Unfortunately the issue of not having one black host caused quite a stir last year (for some just another pretext to bash the host as it was the fashion) and I hope that this silly argument does not pop up again
Notice my comment was in response to what Cole wrote, not to you.
I don’t think not having a black host will be an issue this year, because in Israel black people (most of them from Ethiopian descent) are a very small minority, unlike in Portugal.
Though I would have loved to see Ester Rada, an Israeli musician and actress of Ethiopian descent, among the host. She’s really cool. https://youtu.be/c_QFQCvdtyw
Right now most of the protest I’ve seen here was over Bar Refaeli, for being a draft dodger and her recent frictions with Israeli tax law.
Skill is and should be the defining criteria. But in my opinion it is nicer to have a male female mix. Because the energy is more balanced. Like yin and yan :-). Again, ethnicity should definitely not be an issue, but it became one big issue last year… hopefully not this year
What? I never said that. The comment I responded to said that he hopes there’s no debate about the absence of ethnic minorities, and I was making the point that that’s not an issue since ethnic minorities are represented proportionally.
Great. As you can see from my comment, this shouldn’t really matter, but it did for some people last year (or another reason to bash RTP…)
Agreed! I was just making the point that it won’t even be a potential issue this year.
as it seems erez and bar will be the lead hosts with lucy and assy to be the ones in the green room with a lighter atmosphere. this won’t be limw portugal’s hosting. KAN s trying to be innovative as it gets,
ouiouibloggs
Looks like someone will get the chance to evade more taxes. Good luck to the others, though.
They never learn…
Why?
4 hosts…
They are not going to be 4 together on the stage at the same time! Yeah, Portugal was a complete mess on stage, but the Israelis are going for 2 hosts on the main stage, and 2 hosts in the green room.
One or two hosts is all that is needed .max of three .. learn from 2011 , 2013 , 2014, 2016 as examples of good /excellent hosts .. all other years in last decade have been terrible
It’s a different ballgame when the green room is physically separate from the main arena.
The green room was separate from the arena in 2013 as well. Basically there’s no need in 2 hosts in there
Petra was outstanding in 2013 and one of very few people capable of hosting the show alone, but Eric was pretty cringy even when you ignore the infamous “MILF” comment. I think two hosts in a room is ideal.
More information – Assi and Harel Skaat were together for many years when they were young. Harel made a film about his life out of the closet LONG BEFORE Assi’s film. Moreover – their both fathers are Yemenite Jews (Both are Mizrachi Jews.., the mother of Harel is Iraqi Jew while the mother of Assi is Buchari Jew).. they broke up and Harel started dating the model & lawyer Idan Roll while Assi met Albert in Spain. ASSI SPEAKS SPANISH very well…naturally…
So will Harel Skaat perform on Eurovision 2019 as a guest?
NO. But he is one of the judges in the Israeli selection process (of the singer) together with Shiri
I know. I’ve watched every episode of Rising Star. I mean will Harel perform as a guest instead of contestant.
A very nice foursome, they’ll do a good job.
Still, if last year taught us anything is that four hosts is way too many. They could have settled for two or three.
At least here they made a separation between the main hosts and the greenroom hosts so hopefully only two of them will get most of the focus.
Lior will be in the Green Room !! he will be doing his show with the delegations !!! https://www.mako.co.il/good-evening-with-guy-pines-all-the-articles?subChannelId=6efda3130ab68610VgnVCM2000002a0c10acRCRD&vcmid=e24e938c49b78610VgnVCM2000002a0c10acRCRD&sCh=3d385dd2dd5d4110&pId=1872247920
The part when everybody go to tha bathroom
Amazing news!
Good luck new Daniela, Silvia, Catarina and Filomena! 😉
No !!! Bar&Erez will lead. The others (Lucy, Lior & Assi) are there to give you lots of fun. Assi is funny as hell. Lior is Lior – out of this world. Stay tuned. The hosts will steal the show. Wait & see .
Thas’ts the problem, they should not steal the show.
“steal” in a good way…
OMG! This is the perfect team! Well done, Israel. I love you and I always will
plus – 1) Lior Suchard in the green room. Both Bar and Lior are Ashkenazi Jews ( originally from East Europe) and good friends of Kim K. 2) Rotem Sella (Assi’s best friend) is the beauty in Assi’s show “The Beauty & the Baker” (also at “Walter Presents”). But originally, it was written about Bar Refaeli, just after she broke up with Leonardo and started dating others. 3)Rotem Sella is the best friend of……Gal Gadot (“wonder women don’t you ever forget”…) that was the first one who received Kan’s offer to host the contest. 4) Bar is the best friend… Read more »
Lior Suchard is not in the green room but he was confirmed as an interval act alongside Idan Raichel. We’re still waiting on an end to the Madonna rumor mill.
Lior will be in the Green Room !! he will be doing his show with the delegations !!! https://www.mako.co.il/good-evening-with-guy-pines-all-the-articles?subChannelId=6efda3130ab68610VgnVCM2000002a0c10acRCRD&vcmid=e24e938c49b78610VgnVCM2000002a0c10acRCRD&sCh=3d385dd2dd5d4110&pId=1872247920
You clearly did not watch the video carefully – he is an interval act in the green room. But an interval act. He is not part of the hosting cast. He is just giving one performance on the 18th during the final.
“One performance” ???? what ?? where did you get it from ?? Lior will be in the green room at the final all the way , throughout the entire evening together with Lucy & Assi.
You’re in denial, it’s OK, just let it go…
One fact missing in the reporting – Bar Refaeli and Assi Azar used to be best friends. She then abandoned him on set of his production “Beauty and the Baker” where she was supposed to play the lead (Rotem Sela took that position and became Assi’s new best friend and co-host of Next Star to Eurovision). Assi and Bar haven’t spoken since and certainly haven’t worked together. KAN had to confirm with Bar’s mother (and personal manager) that she would be okay working alongside Assi despite all of this drama. It would be super interesting to examine their dynamic throughout… Read more »
Interesting, I didn’t know that! Is this why Bar’s new bestie is Ivri Lider?
plus – 1) Lior Suchard in the green room. Both Bar and Lior are Ashkenazi Jews ( originally from East Europe) and good friends of Kim K. 2) Rotem Sella (Assi’s best friend) is the beauty in Assi’s show “The Beauty & the Baker” (also at “Walter Presents”). But originally, it was written about Bar Refaeli, just after she broke up with Leonardo and started dating others. 3)Rotem Sella is the best friend of……Gal Gadot (“wonder women don’t you ever forget”…) that was the first one who received Kan’s offer to host the contest. 4) Bar is the best friend… Read more »
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/walter-presents/videos/all/walter-presents-beauty-and-the-baker/5095268096001
News
the contestant from austria will be announced on tuersday
I think this was really, really smart of Israel. Having two separate teams for each building makes perfect sense, and having an even split of men and women is nice too. They’re giving representation to more than one kind of person. On top of that, they are letting Eurovision be an opportunity to showcase one of their more famous presenters (Bar Refaeli) while also giving newer, younger hosts a chance. Identities and representation shouldn’t be the most important thing about the hosts, but seeing that Israel is making the effort to add some diversity is very much appreciated.
Lol not even one comment here talking about bar refaeli ? She is a great choice . Stop wasting your time talking about the other three hosts that no one knows them
They’re very known in Israel, so…
Actually Assi Azar and Erez Tal are well known in Israel and actually most of the Israelis like Assi Azar more than Bar Refaeli
I don’t know anyone who likes Assi, actually most of the people I know dislike him for being an attention wh0re. But since he’s literally everywhere – TV, radio and campaigns – I guess he has many fans, and I just never met any of them.
I think Israelis have a love-hate complex with Bar. Like a mix of admiration and envy.
I misread and thought Aziz Ansari will also host the contest.
Not a fan of Bar as a host but I guess I’ll just trust KAN
However, I’m pleased with Erez, Assi and Lucy 🙂
Good luck to all four hosts <3
Yes sure keep supporting unknown presenters. Famous celebrities like bar will make Eurovision even more famous . Indie artists and hosts that no one knows them is not good for Eurovision. We want more known singers and hosts
Bar & Erez give me 1998 vibes (and Ulrika and Terry were one of the best hosts we had), Lucy seems super nice and great green room host together with Assi. Overall, Israel, good job!
If Rotem Sela could come, it would be perfect.
She can’t speak English.
She can speak English very well !!! but she has 3 little children at home and many obligations (she is an actor as well) so she did not want to take the job
Now I’m excited. It is going to be amazing show.
It seems too stupid and just ridiculous to talk about FREEDOM , and celebrate diversity and in the same sentence include israel…and let’s not talk more about that…
So people just be happy with the hosts, and stop with the “kyiv take note, lisbon also…bla bla” cause if the topic is freedom etc etc…my god what a lecture Portugal would give!!
Last year eurovision was amazing, this year i will watch at home…cause i am to young to die…
I love this hosts!!! Good luck 🙂
LOL, let me guess, you’re English, Irish or Swedish, right?
That doesn’t matter, i love Israel, i will visit the country…just not now, it’s not the best time! I wish some day israel can achieve true freedom…but i don’t want to talk more about that. The point was: Stop the HATE!!! “my country is better than your”, “this hosts are better that last year”, that should not matter!! As i said: love the hosts, gluck to them!
Wow, I was right, shocking. (actually ‘I love this hosts’ makes me think again… you probably come from an /aeiou/ language like spanish or greek.)
I don’t agree with Elfi, but bringing out nationality and picking out mistakes is never a good argument.
Stop being so stupid…
A) You can literally die everywhere in the world at any time
B) People here live their lives for decades and not getting killed, so… You are very welcome to Israel and, obviously, stay alive after you return home
Our government is not the best, I would really love it to change ASAP, but Israel really is a better place than you might hear on social media and news, trust me, I have no reason to lie about it
Roy, writing “Israel is a genocidal, apartheid state” is pathetic. but even more pathetic than this is trying to educate those brainwashed Europeans online.
Sit back and let their politically correctness destroy their continent. let’s talk in 10 years when they finally realize their stupidity.
Sad but true :\
First: you are wrong about my natonality!! Second: you misunderstood my words… Third: yes i can die right now on my own country sure…but it is also true that some place with conflicts are not the best to visit RIGHT NOW…and that’s the true… I will clear things out: i am sorry if i hurt someone feeling when i said “too young to die”, however the point that i would want you to think is why people feel the urge of saying “mine s better than yours”, “esc tel-aviv will be better than kyev, lisbon etc etc”… You talk about… Read more »
I can’t tell whether Tel Aviv 2019 will be better and anyway, it’s a matter of taste I believe
I enjoy Eurovision every year anyway :3
Israel is not one of those countries, it’s a safe place to visit
If fighting and achieving…and be able to have “human rights” will destroy my country, and my continent, so be it… i am not to young to die fighting for that!!
I’ve seen what you guys think about “human rights”. you prefer ignoring Muslim grooming gangs than to insult Islam. you can wipe your *ss with your “human rights”.
Sad words…and as i said before : always ready to spit hate…
Whatever, last years esc were amazing, good hosts with some cringe moments sure, but good shows overall, i think this in tel-aviv will also be good…and that’s all, i dont care about if u have blacks isralelis jewes, aliens…gays…straight…if they have more skills than the hosts from previous year…
Israel and Europe are going down the same path and it’s not one of political correctness nor one of a leftist uprising. It’s a dark path towards right-wing fanaticism and I stress again, it’s happening in BOTH Europe AND Israel. Both are disintegrating so get off your high horse.
This discussion is going nowhere and has not much to do with Eurovision and this article.
You can’t complain about people making generalizations about Israel when you make such a stupid generalization about Europe.
Israel is one of the most safe countries in the world, especialy Tel Aviv… The things you see in the news are not the truth about life in Israel just come and see
Sorry, last year Eurovision was a bit too poor and dark. And Salvador’s comments even darker that the rest: unfriendly, nasty, bad host.
It was not poor. It was financially sound and sustainable and RTP actually made a profit. And dark??? It had so much lights!… RTP was an excellent host. I met so many Isreali fans in Lisbon and they all were enchanted by the hospitality. So stop that bashing.
Sorry Elfi u can’t hope likes on your messages when u say too many truths….
People are bad normally, and they come to this chat to say something not nice…at all. So I understand that u would love that the comments were like, love the hosts, or hate the hosts without bashing previous years but that just to unrealistic…
I will go to israel, but I understand your point and concern…denying that is just outrageous!
Sorry Tst3, this topic is closed for me! (And I don’t care about likes or dislikes) xD
My opinion: Erez Tal – The most experienced from the others. He will be great for sure. Lucy Ayoub – I know KAN are trying to promote her, but I think she can be nice But about Assi and Bar, four words: NO, NO AND NO!!!!!!!!! Assi is so overrated in my country (Israel) – He hosts almost any show with his bestie Rotem Sella and I have to say this duo is repulsive by most of the people who loath them because of that. And about Bar, not just she had the tax problems and also she ran away… Read more »
Bar speaks English with no accent and is a familiar face to a foreign audience. She’s probably one of the biggest celebrities to ever host the contest.
This is how you celebrate diversity! An Ashkenazi woman, 2 Mizrachis (one of whom is gay) and an Arab woman! Take note, Kyiv.
And Lisboa, four female presenters?
the real diversity here that Israelis don’t care about either of those traits, and neither should you.
Oh come on, Lucy Ayoub being Arab is definitely gonna be pushed 😉
plus Lior Suchard in the green room- Ashkenazi Man
Lucy is a poet, radio presenter, and studies philosophy, economics, political science and law. Oh, give me a break Lucy, when you say that, people will think you are not too good at any of these.
Down vote as much as you like, my comment is not against Lucy in particular, but even for a job interview, too much is too much. You can’t be great at everything. Just saying… You’re not hired if you can’t focus.
Diversity haunty!
This lineup is looking good!
4 hosts again?!?! Why?
2 main hosts and 2 for Green room. Seems fair to me 🙂
Plus Lior Suchard in the green room. he is in charge of the Magic of it all …Stay Tuned !!
https://www.instagram.com/liorsuchard/