Thomas Hall, who has been responsible for Melodifestivalen in Sweden since 2002, will resign later this year, as previously announced. Now his successor has been announced by SVT. Her name is Christel Tholse Willers, 34 years young.
To the Göteborgs Posten she said: “There are no big changes scheduled for next year; four semifinals will take place, a second chance round and a final, as in previous years. If we change to much people will wonder and if we don't change anything at all, people will think that we are stucked in an old system, so there is a way of balance we must achive in the future”.
Earlier, Thomas Hall said to esctoday.com that “ït's time for tactical changes”, though there is no indication yet of what these changes are.
The fact that the jury vote decided the outcome of the 2005 national selection with a difference of only three points, while an overwhelming majority of televoters voted for runner-up Nanne, caused mixed feelings in Sweden directly after the competition. Thomas Hall already said that “it's a new experience that the viewers' choice actually didn't win, it will definitely be something we need to think about when we make the plans for next year's competition”.
Sweden didn't manage to qualify for the final of next year's Eurovision Song Contest, ending up 20th with Las Vegas, performed by Martin Stenmarck.
