This night the Swedish broadcaster SVT decided to disqualify Carola Häggkvist, who submitted the song Autumn Leaf, for the national final Melodifestivalen 2003.

A new rule made up by SVT says that the performers of the song on stage during the national preselection and final must be the same as the one who recorded the demo version submitted to the broadcaster. After all, Carola did not agree with it and SVT decided to replace the song by Stay the Night, said to be performed by 21 year old Fame Academy participant Patrik Rasmussen.

“This solution was the only one,” the project leader of Melodifestivalen 2003, Thomas Hall, stated to the news paper.

Carola represented Sweden twice at the Eurovision Song Contest. The last time was in 1991, when she won the contest with Fångad av en stormvind.