Today the Swedish broadcaster for their National Final, Melodifestivalen 2019 (Melfest) has announced their presenting team. Comprising of: Sarah Dawn Finer, Kodjo Akolor, Marika Carlsson and Eric Saade!
For the past two years MelFest has had David Lindgren at the helm of the show. In 2017 he was joined by Clara Henry and Hasse Andersson and in 2018 he was joined by Fredrik “Fab Freddie” Svensson. But this year it was revealed that David would not host the 2019 edition of the very successful national selection to chose the artist and song that would represent Sweden in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest 2019, which is due to be held in Tel-Aviv, Israel.
So in 2019 SVT needed to search for a new hosting team to take the helm. They have chosen Sarah Dawn Finer, Kodjo Akolor, Marika Carlsson and Eric Saade.
Sarah Dawn Finer
The Swedish singer of British and American heritage returns to Melodifestivalen, once again as a hostess having previously hosted the show in 2012 and 2016 and making multiple appearances over the years as Lynda Woodruff, the comedic ‘EBU Spokesperson’ character created ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerjaban… Azurj… Baku…!
Dawn Finer, of course, also participated in the competition in 2007 with “I Remember Love” and 2009 with “Moving On”.
Kodjo Akolor
This Swedish comedian and TV & radio personality has hosted all sorts of entertainment programming across his broadcasting career. Most recently he was voted Best Male Host at the 2014 Swedish Radio Awards and has previously co-hosted a Game of Thrones discussion show on SVT.
Marika Carlsson
Also a comedian and TV personality, Carlsson was born in Ethiopa and adopted into a Swedish family aged two. Best known for presenting popular panel show Parlamentet on TV4, Carlsson was also awarded the prize for Best Female Stand-Up at the 2006 Swedish Comedy Awards.
Eric Saade
No stranger to Melodifestivalen, this previous winner of Palestinian and Lebanese descent will host the competition for the first time having finished 3rd in 2010 with “Manboy” and 1st in 2011 with “Popular”, which went on to place third at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
These hosts will of course have big shoes to fill. This is due to the fact that Gina Dirawi, who hosted in 2012 alongside Helena Bergström and Sarah Dawn Finer, is much revered for her hosting capabilities. In 2013 she hosted again alongside 2012 Runner-Up, Danny Saucedo and again in 2016 when she was joined by guest hosts each week, was hugely popular with Swedish and similarly European audiences.
The hosts will also have to live up to the high expectations of now legendary Eurovision presenters Måns Zelmerlöw and Petra Mede who hosted the contest together in 2016 in Stockholm while Petra hosted the contest alone in 2013 when the contest was held in Malmö. Both, in the past have hosted MelFest separately. In 2010 Zelmerlöw hosted, with Christine Meltzer and Dolph Lundgren and 2009 Mede, whom likewise in 2013, hosted MelFest on her own.
Sweden and the Eurovision Song Contest.
Debuting in 1958. Sweden, with six wins are the second most successful nation in the contest’s history. They are second only to Ireland and their seven wins. Sweden first won the contest in 1974 with the now legendary ABBA with the song “Waterloo”.1984 was their second win, with The Herreys and the song “Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley”.1991 was their third win, with Carola and the song “Fångad av en stormvind”.1999 when the contest was last held in Israel, was their fourth win, when Charlotte Perrelli won with “Take Me To Your Heaven”. They had to wait 13 years, their longest wait between wins for their fifth win. In 2012, Loreen won with the now iconic “Euphoria”. The Nordic nation only had to wait three years for their sixth and last win. This came in 2015, when the aforementioned Måns Zelmerlöw won with the song “Heroes”.
Sweden have only had one Non-Qualifier when Anna Bergendahl failed with the song “This is My Life” in 2010. But since then, in contrast, they haven’t looked back. With a record from 2011 to 2018 being: 3rd, 1st, 13th, 3rd, 1st, 5th, 5th, 7th, has meant that this recent decade so far has definitely belonged to Sweden.
What do you think of the choice of MelFest host(s)? Sound off in the comments below or get in contact with us on @escxtra on all platforms.
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