The new director of entertainment and varieties of France Télévisions Alexandra Redde-Amiel has confirmed to Pure Médias that the French entry for Rotterdam will be selected through a National Final.
Is Destination Eurovision making a return in 2020?
During her interview with Pure Médias, Ms Redde-Amiel has not confirmed if Destination Eurovision will be making a return, or if changes to the current format would be made.
What is certain is that the show will come back. In what form and with what name, it is not decided yet.
Ms. Redde-Amiel on the National Selection for 2020.
In addition to the above, Ms. Rede-Amiel has confirmed that the main focus right now is Junior Eurovision, and that the representative for Gliwice-Silesia will be revealed shortly. She has also said the following in regards to what France Télévisions, aims to acheive with Eurovision in the long run.
Our desire is to turn the Eurovision brand into a bigger event.
Ms Rede-Amiel on the long-term goal for Eurovision
We can not disappoint, because Eurovision has become the unmissable event of entertainment on France 2 for viewers.
This is the best entertainment audience of the year, the one that brings together all audiences.
France at the Eurovision Song Contest
France was one of the seven countries that debuted in the first contest all the way back in 1956. Since then, France have participated 62 times, winning five times and coming second on four occasions respectively. In the modern contest, France constitutes a fifth of the ‘Big Five’ automatic qualifiers in the Grand Final. Somewhat unsurprisingly, France almost always competes with songs entirely or almost entirely in French. Exceptions or deviations include regional languages (Breton in 1996, Corsican in 2011 and 1993, Spanish featuring in 2004 and Antillean Creole in 1992). In recent years, English is often paired with French for a verse, chorus or few sentences. However, Sebastian Telier broke the trend in 2008, with his entry Divine only using a few phrases of French. This was deemed so controversial it was a point of discussion and outrage for some French politicians.
This year, Bilal Hassani was selected to fly the French tricolour with the song Roi. Bilal’s first rehearsal was a hit with the media in the press centre, creating a huge buzz that France may sneak a sixth victory. However, despite the polls placing the young singer as third favourite to win prior to the final, France placed 16th overall.
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