Coronavirus has been dominating world news headlines in recent weeks and has also started to make the Eurovision news round. Sweden’s SVT News checked in with four Eurovision 2020 stars — Ulrikke, Samanta Tīna, Sandro and Daði Freyr — and got their thoughts on the virus and Eurovision.
SVT Nyheter talked to the four Eurovision 2020 stars who were in Stockholm for Friday’s Melfest WKND 20 pre-party. The Eurovision acts were asked: “How afraid are you if the Coronavirus spreads to Eurovision?”
Norway’s Ulrikke said she was keeping calm and following public health guidelines, saying “I’m trying to do good hygiene, washing my hands a lot.” She was keeping positive about Eurovision adding, “As long as nobody tells me that I’m not going, I think I’m going.”
Latvian diva Samanta Tīna was taking inspiration from her song “Still Breathing”. She explained, “I have a lot of woman’s power and I believe in that. And I believe in that that nothing is going to hurt me because that is my way to the Eurovision Song Contest.”
Samanta also asserted, “I don’t have time for coronavirus.” As the music video for her song demonstrates, she and her posse of strong women are prepared with gloves, cleaner and face shields.
Cyprus’ Sandro was keeping super chill. He told SVT Nyheter, “I’m cool. I’m laidback, you know. I’m just like, whatever.” The “Running” singer was keeping philosophical but strong, adding, “If it hits me, it hits me. I can’t help it, you know. But I’m not gonna die from that.”
Iceland’s Daði Freyr was looking at the bigger picture — outside the Eurovision bubble. He said, “I’m more afraid of the coronavirus in terms of the world and people than I am in terms of Eurovision.” He brought perspective to the situation, saying, “If Eurovision isn’t held, it’s not the end of the world, but if coronavirus is the end of the world, then that’s the end of the world.”
As coronavirus and COVID-19 diagnoses slowly spread around Europe, its impact is starting to be felt in the Eurovision community, though mostly through preventative measures.
On the weekend, Danish broadcaster DR chose to hold its national final without a live arena audience, following advice from the Danish government. The EBU has given Heads of Delegation the option of staying home and remotely attending today’s Heads of Delegation meeting.
The EBU and the host broadcasters of Eurovision 2020 are said to be monitoring the situation. Last month a spokesperson from the city of Rotterdam said, “We monitor everything closely and are prepared for all possible risks and threats.”
“Hurricane is coming guys, corona virus is nothing.” – Sanja Vucic
I feel a bit sorry for Montaigne and the Italians. . Coming from Australia and then having to return. That’s about 22+ hours travelling on a plane. The usual stopovers in Asia won’t happen so she has to take a non stop flight from Western Australia . So the math to get to Eurovision becomes 6 hrs to Perth from the east coast of Australia to the West Coast then 17.5 ish hours to London as there a very few direct flights from Oz to anywhere in Europe. I know she is stopping in London to perform Then what another… Read more »
My biggest fear is that by the time we get to May 14, we’ll all have much more to worry about than The Eurovision Song Contest.
Doctor Anna Bergendahl says we shouldn’t worry. I tend to trust the doctor..
Is she an actual doctor by now? Good for her.
Of course we all have to watch out and do our part to prevent spreading.
But as for myself, I wash my hands more often than before and I mostly prevent hand shaking.
Overall, I‘m more like Sandro, if it hits me, it hits me. I also know that I have a strong immune system and in the current state of Corona-Virus right now here in Switzerland, I‘m not worrying at all.
I just love the Iceland guy. He made the most reasonable point here, unlike the guy who kept saying LIKE… LIKE …WHATEVER.
Diodato was asked in an interview and he said that he’s from Taranto so he’s used to living with “Corona virus”, with disasters and misfortunes beyond one’s control. He was referring to the toxic fumes from the steelworks in his city.
Brilliant.
dadi freyr keeps showing his utter clownery i see.
You keep showing your utter clownery i see
This is bait
Maybe the contest should be staged the first week of September. By then, the virus should have diminished and/or the physicians across the globe will have a handle on it.
The problem is then that the country who will host Eurovision in 2021, will have less time for the preparations
That’d interfere with JESC too
Problem is deadline. And with expensive live events such as this postponing is a costly risk. Its to far along in the planing to be postponed.What if the arena isn’t aviablr at the time? Hosts? Or artists who have schedules, will they be aviable? And of course the audience, will they care about ESC enough to watch it. There are other events at the time..
Best option is to actually go on for now. In case of virus either empty arena or a studio shoot.
I think it should be televised without an audience or postponed. The world owes a duty to protect the elderly and those with underlying health problems. Eurovision can take place at any time in whatever forum is necessary. The time to act for the protect of the vulnerable is now. Holding crowed gathering events is unacceptable in the present circumstances.
I’d like more if the show was canceled for this year then if it was held in studious in each country because It’s not really fair since some countries will have big stages with more technology etc while some will have to sing in small studious. I hope nothing bad will happen
If its cancelled then going through the process of selecting songs is for nothing. Then what is the point of having them?
Most likely if it comes to that, empty stadion or studio work.
As thrilled I would of been to see Mahmood win last year, it’s probably a good thing that the Netherlands won. What a headache this would of been for the Italian broadcaster.
Best wishes for all to keep healthy.
Oh yeah- especially had they opted to host in Milan.
Someone said: “I love how their answers reflect their personalities and attitudes”. Yeah, that is right. And I absolutely despise Samanta Tina after this statement. If you have nothing smart to say, just keep your mouth shut. This is a global health emergency, nobody cares if you want to play the strong and invincible woman. “I do not have time for Coronavirus”. Oh, sis, we’re not gonna have time for your song, either.
But I don’t think it was meant in a flippant way, it was her way of saying “keep calm and carry on”.
That just means that she is not occupied with being worried. Sort of that worry, that day..
I’m with Sandro here, If I have to take it, I take it, there’s nothing I can do about it, even because I live in Lombardy, the Italian and European region mostly hit by the virus. By the way all the normal people who get it recover in a week, it’s just an issue for people who already have illnesses, just like all other viruses..
There’s no way the show gets cancelled. The worst scenario is that we’ll have a show with no audience just like DMGP.
I wish that were the actual worst case scenario, but unfortunately you are incorrect. 🙁
I remain hopeful though.
No audience means no revenue for the host country. The Netherlands would practically be in debt after all the work they’ve done to create the stadium. Who would want to be in such a hassle for nothing, anyway?
If EBU approves to return the total cost back, then we have a different scenario.
They’d be in debt anyway. The contest has never been a for-profit enterprise.
Dadi is so funny, I burst out laughing reading his quote! What an endearing chap. What a shame his song sounds like I did it on my keyboard when I was 13. Loving Samanta, you go get ‘em girl. Not sure about Sandro’s confidence, but hey if it works for him, then fine. And Ulrikke, she sounds like a very sensible lady. Someone you would have no problems taking round to see your Mum. On a serious note, let’s hope we can get this virus under control. It’s scary seeing how many people are dying. I don’t want to see… Read more »
“Dadi is so funny, I burst out laughing reading his quote!”
Which part is exactly the funny one? He was talking about the coronavirus affecting not only a contest or two, but the world in general. If that’s funny to you, you’re mentally damaged. Laughing at the death of people is the first step to madness.
I do apologize, you’ve misinterpreted what I was saying. Perhaps it is also the British dark humour which I know doesn’t travel well to all parts of the globe. I was laughing at his clever use of the phrase “the end of the world”. This is a common phrase in English and people often say, “it’s not the end of the world” to get someone to not worry too much. So it was a nice play on words in saying Coronavirus is not the end of the world, unless of course it does kill everyone in which case it is… Read more »
He’s still wrong, though – even human extinction would not be the end of the world. The world will carry on without us, it will probably be better off actually.
Jonas, as always, you raise a good point. It is the human ego-centric view is all. I suppose though that anything other than humans don’t actually have the concept of a world, or even the end of it (at least not in our present understanding) and ergo, philosophically speaking, would the human “end of the world”, still be the end of the world?
If people took care of themselves and stayed hygienic we wouldn’t be in the middle of this mess. Some people don’t wash their hands even after going to the toilet. Of course all kinds of viruses will be spread thanks to such idiots.
Dotter was/ is worried to catch corona. She has astma. Maybe some things are for the best..
She should be safe, as she is only 32. People who should be worried are, unfortunately, either old or have more health complications. I think the youngest who died so far was someone in their 40s ? Anyhow, if Dotter catches the disease she might need to go to the hospital and probably longer ill than most people, but she shouldn’t be too worried. Sending hopes to her and the rest of you all!
Two of the people that died were Chinese doctors who were 29 and 34 years old.
There are other worries apart from death. I doubt Dotter would like any long-term impacts on her health that would make her condition even tougher to deal with.
I like Dadi’s attitude. I don’t think he seriously means that coronavirus can cause the end of the world, he probably just wanted to emphasize that health is much more important than Eurovision . I think that there’s nothing to panic about but at the same time we have to be careful and follow WHO’s guidelines. I just hope that even if the situation get worse and the Eurovision won’t be held in May, it won’t get cancelled but just postponed because it would be a shame to lose all these songs. They should be able to compete, even if… Read more »
you can’t use woman power to protect yourself from catching coronavirus lol…and “If it hits me, it hits me. I can’t help it” is sth Wuhan citizens once had said it before.
With the lack of public health awareness Europe are def. not going to defeat corona by May.
“If Eurovision isn’t held, it’s not the end of the world”. I beg to differ
I feel like Mr Cyprus had the same attitude towards his Eurovision song: ‘I’m just like, whatever.’ Still better than Latvia, though. While her attitude is excellent, everything is going to stop her from making the final.
Same. I have no definite list but Latvia is without question the bottom of the barrel this year for me. Unlistenable.
I think u might be in the minority. I love how avant-garde it is. Feels like a female Telemóveis (not at all similar to the song, but similar in terms of craziness and being out-there, though I prefer Telemóveis to Still Breathing).
Remember that thought when this comes dead last in its semi final. If you meant minority in terms of Eurofans, I would even doubt that, but it’s not like Eurofans are a majority that matter in the voting. I find it Iceland-2018-level bad. And equally avant-garde. lol
??? Come on. You can hate Latvia but comparing it to Iceland 2018 is horrible. Iceland was boring and soulless, and you can’t say that Latvia this year is boring.
Hurrah for the Icelandic attitude. They get it right (yet again – and I’m not ironic)
How is that answer right? Implying that corona even COULD be the end of the world is just stupid, irresponsible fearmongering. I prefer all the other answers.
Doesn’t he put Eurovision into perspective, you think? After all – it’s just a tv-show. Much worse if corona spreads to a continent like Africa. Many countries don’t have our health system. Think about it!
Irresponsible? There’re no vaccines nor medicines to protect humans from coronavirus. It will be the a big threat to the world if ppl don’t start taking personal hygiene and precautions. The mindset of “If it hits me it hits me” is very selfish and irresponsible considering the virus can spread to many people. YOU can potentially be the person who contribute the spreading of virus and killing of the people (esp. elderlies) if you get infected.
I’ve always washed my hands a lot and always turned away from people who cough so for me, pretty much nothing has changed. I’m with Mr. Iceland here, in that I’m also concerned about the world as a whole because lots of people are not very bright, or hygienic.
Like Romeo and Juliet once before
We are lost in Corona
Ohhh, very good. 🙂
I love how their answers reflect their personalities and attitudes.
Did anyone else just forego the article once they saw Daði’s Eurovision mashup? 😉
I like Daði Freyr’s answer the most. 12 points to Iceland.