Recently, the Irish Independent questioned the validity of Emmy’s Eurosong 2025 winner, ‘Laika Party’ that will represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. National broadcaster RTÉ has confirmed it did not break any rules of the competition.
Ireland’s Eurovision 2025 entry cleared by RTÉ
Following the conclusion of the recent Irish national final Eurosong 2025, the Irish Independent asked broadcaster RTÉ to respond to a possible rule break. The issue was regarding the wording of one of the Eurosong rules which stated songs: “must not be submitted for consideration to any other country participating in Eurovision Song Contest 2025.”
During interviews in the lead up to Eurosong 2025 Emmy inadvertently raised suspicions after revealing that ‘Laika Party’ had been written at a song camp known for producing entries for Norway’s national selection, Melodi Grand Prix. However, Emmy clarified the origins of the song with Norway’s TV2 stating that ‘Laika Party’ was:
“automatically sent to Melodi Grand Prix along with a hundred other songs, but it wasn’t like we actively sent it in there.”
Responding to Irish media, an RTÉ spokesperson stated that ‘Laika Party’ had not broken the Eurosong rules and that the rule is there to ensure artists and songs are not participating in multiple selections simultaneously. Therefore it was “clearly not the case with Emmy and ‘Laika Party'”
History of The Late Late Show Eurosong
Since 2009, The Late Late Show Eurosong Special has been a mainstay of Irish programming. The late night chat show is currently the longest running live talk show. It first aired in 1962.
Opting for internal selections after 2015, Irish broadcaster RTÉ came back to the format for Eurovision 2022, and has stayed true to it ever since. This makes it one of the rare national final not to take place on a Saturday, since “The Late Late” is broadcast on Fridays.
The first results of the return to a national selection were poor for Ireland, with two non-qualifications, before the victory of Bambie Thug in Eurosong 2024, last year. With ‘Doomsday Blue’, they managed not only to qualify but also finished 6th in the Grand Final, with what was one of the most impressive performance in Malmö. This was Ireland’s best result in the 21st century.
Do you accept RTÉ’s decision on ‘Laika Party’? Let us know! Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra.bsky.social on Bluesky, @escxtra on Instagram, @escxtra on TikTok and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, be sure to follow us on Spotify for the latest music from your favourite Eurovision acts. As well as YouTube to see interviews and reactions to the latest Eurovision news.
