Denmark has won 2013 Eurovision Song Contest, held in the Swedish city of Malmo.
Danish Emmelie de Forest had been the overwhelming favorite among the 26 entries, with her song Only Teardrops.
Danish Emmelie de Forest had been the overwhelming favorite among the 26 entries, with her song Only Teardrops.
There was disappointment for Ireland’s Ryan Dolan as he finished in last place with just 5 points.
Emmelie de Forest won with 281 points and Azerbaijan’s Farid Mammadov finished 47 points behind, followed by Ukraine in third and Norway in fourth.
Denmark, which will now have the job of hosting the 59th contest next year, had previously won in 1963 and 2000.
Emmelie de Forest sang her up-tempo tune barefoot, saying before she performed: “It makes me feel closer to the ground, the earth and makes me feel more relaxed.”
At the post-event news conference, she told reporters: “It has been quite stressful but it’s also a wonderful thing that has happened to me. It’s amazing.
“It was crazy when they put the butterfly [of the winning country’s flag] on the dress. I didn’t understand we had won at that point.”
She added: “Of course I believed in the song, but that’s the exciting thing about Eurovision you don’t know what’s going to happen. So I was surprised and shocked when it happened.”
TV viewers across Europe were treated to the mix of high-energy pop and power ballads that have become synonymous with the contest, as well as some outlandish stage performances.
One of the more eccentric acts was Romania’s Cezar, who mixed his operatic voice with a disco beat. He managed a respectable 13th position.
The UK’s veteran Bonnie Tyler came 19th, an improvement on last year when Engelbert Humperdinck came second from last.
Bonnie Tyler, 61, who is best known for her 1983 hit Total Eclipse of the Heart, had high hopes for her chances.
But the Welsh singer scored just 23 points for her performance of Believe In Me.
Eurovision 2013 Top 10
- Denmark – 281
- Azerbaijan – 234
- Ukraine – 214
- Norway – 191
- Russia – 174
- Greece – 152
- Italy – 126
- Malta – 120
- Netherlands – 114
- Hungary – 84
[youtube uz525vn_Vbw]
2013 Eurovision Song Contest is under way in the Swedish city of Malmö as 26 countries compete in front of millions of TV viewers.
Denmark’s Emmelie de Forest is the favorite to win with Only Teardrops.
Veteran singer Bonnie Tyler, best known for her 1983 hit Total Eclipse of the Heart, performed the UK entry Believe in Me half way through the contest.
France’s Amandine Bourgeois was the first act to take the stage.
Also among favorites is Cezar, who is representing Romania and is considered as one of the most talented contratenors of his generation, due to his ambitious and special vocal techniques. Cezar’s unmistakable sound led his fans add The Voice to his name. He represents Romania in Eurovision Song Contest 2013, in Malmö, with the song It’s My Life, music and lyrics by Cristian Faur.
Cezar is considered as one of the most talented contratenors of his generation and represents Romania in Eurovision Song Contest 2013, in Malmö, with the song It’s My Life
Bonnie Tyler claims she has “a fighting chance” of becoming the first British winner in 16 years, but bookmakers William Hill revealed her current odds stand at 50/1.
Denmark has odds of 4/6 to win the contest, with its closest competition coming from Norway and Ukraine.
“Emmelie looks very hard to beat and she could spark the biggest payout in the Eurovision’s long and distinguished history,” said William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams.
“Normally we see a patriotic punt on the Eurovision, but it looks like the public have given up on our chances and Bonnie is simply friendless,” he added.
Welsh star Bonnie Tyler, 61, performed in 15th place, midway through the show – giving her a clear advantage over Engelbert Humperdinck, who opened the contest last year in Azerbaijan, and ultimately finished in penultimate place.
Newcomer Ryan Dolan performs Ireland’s entry, Only Love Survives, in the coveted final slot, after qualifying from the semi-finals in Malmö earlier in the week.
The UK is one of the “big five” countries along with Germany, France, Spain and Italy, which automatically qualify for the final.
The remaining 21 spots were filled by the highest scoring countries from two semi-final heats held this week.
A number of countries have withdrawn from the competition citing financial woes. Bosnia-Hercegovina, Portugal and Slovakia pulled out over money, while Turkey withdrew after complaining about the automatic inclusion of the big five.
[youtube -M9Iix4eHDY]
