While the Eurovision Song Contest community is waiting to hear who will be the host of the 2013 international contest in Malmö next May, the Swedish national broadcaster SVT has just held a press conference in the Radio House (Radiohuset) in Stockholm to reveal the hosts of the Melodifestivalen 2013 tour. The job has been given to Gina Dirawi and Danny Saucedo.
The Swedish Melodifestivalen has grown to become the biggest entertainment show in the whole of Sweden, and as well as selecting the Swedish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest every year, it has become one of the most anticipated media event in Sweden. So hosting the event is a very prestigious job for any public figure in Sweden. Often the hosts are established TV personalities, but also artists who have previously participated as singers in the contest. And sometimes Melodifestivalen can even start careers, as was in the case of Gina Dirawi (21) last year. From complete obscurity she went on to be the success of Melodifestivalen in 2011 and went on to win the coveted TV industry price Kristallen for the best female TV host of the year.
Danny Saucedo (26) has taken part in Melodifestivalen on several occasions, as a solo artist and as part of the band E.M.D. He shot to fame in the Swedish version of Idol in 2006. He has been the runner-up in the Melodifestivalen final twice in a row now.
The two hosts are the youngest ever to be in charge of Melodifestivalen hosting.
Edward af Sillén, script writer and director of the live shows, says: We will continue the tradition of offering entertainment and humour for Saturday nights. Now we are ready to present the exciting and quirky hosts for 2013, he concludes.
The first two artists for Melodifestivalen 2013 have been named as Elin Petersson with the song Island as well as Therese Fredenwall with Breaking the silence. The remaining 30 names will be announced soon. Names speculated in Swedish media include three-times contestant and 1991 winner Carola, La Camilla (Henemark) off the Army of Lovers and Dr. Alban.
Tickets for the Melodifestivalen tour will go on sale tomorrow 25 October.
Source: SVT
