Plenty of people were a bit miffed (or should that be Myffed?) when Australia was brought into the fold of Eurovision, despite being pretty much as far away from Europe as it’s possible to be on this planet, and for a while there we wondered how long the dream could last for.
Now, as TV Tonight reports, we’ll definitely be back for a fourth run, with our next contestant trying once again to continue the streak of top 10 finishes we’ve seen from Guy Sebastian, Dami Im and Isaiah Firebrace.
With this year’s comp being taken out by Portugal with a fairly handy margin, meaning that the next contest will take place in its capital of Lisbon in 2018, so time to start planning your costume and getting your event page set up.
Aussie contestant Isaiah Firebrace initially did very well with the jury voting (points awarded by industry professionals from each country), but a poor reception from the general public saw his position slump to a still-respectable 9th after the public vote.
Dami Im, of course, cam agonisingly close to winning the contest the year before, finishing a close second, while Guy Sebastian had also chalked up a very solid 5th spot in Australia’s debut year.
“It’s wonderful that we’re back! In the three years that we have competed in Eurovision we have achieved huge success, ranking second in the results overall behind Sweden,” says Paul Clarke, Australia’s Head of Delegation for Eurovision. “It’s an exciting challenge for us to find a competitor who can fly the flag high for Australia, and we can’t wait to begin that search.”
“In Guy, Dami and Isaiah, SBS has showcased the incredible talent of Australia’s musical performers on the world stage, and in turn, the wonderful diversity that makes up Australia today.”
And fear not, as Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey will be returning to host on SBS once again, having taken over from the hugely popular combo of Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang on commentary and interview duties.
“It’s also great to be welcoming back hosts Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey after they perfectly captured the spirit of the contest in their debut this year,” Clarke added. “We’re looking forward to revealing more exciting news in the coming months.”
As SBS reports, Eurovision is also hoping to take the global phenomenon to the huge pop market of Asia, and if that happens we have to wonder whether Australia will stay put in Europe, or join our neighbours in the new contest… or why not both?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTCP4S1dqwA
Australia’s 2017 Eurovision contestant Isaiah Firebrace ended up finishing in 9th place
