Eurovision: Bookies' favourite Sweden might overtake Ireland as country with most wins
The 2025 Eurovision Song Contest final in Switzerland will have to 'wait and see' if Celine Dion performs, while Sweden could move clear of Ireland to become the most successful country in Eurovision history.
Sweden is the red-hot favourite for this year's Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday in the Swiss city of Basel, with an offbeat song about saunas which could cool some recent controversies at the show.
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Bookmakers give Sweden's entry, comedy trio KAJ, a 42 per cent chance to win the world's biggest music event, which is taking place amid protests over participation by Israel, which is continuing a military assault on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
A win for KAJ would be Sweden's eighth overall, moving it clear of Ireland's seven wins.
Ireland's 2025 representative Emmy Kristiansen failed to get through in Thursday's semi-final.
KAJ's song, Bara Bada Bastu, translates as "Let's Just Sauna" and celebrates the power of saunas.
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"It is a cherished way of everyday life, just relaxing and connecting and like staying quiet," KAJ member Kevin Holmstrom said before the final.
There has also been speculation that Canadian singer Dion, who won for the Swiss in 1988 with Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi, could take to the St Jakobshalle stage, amid her stepping back from touring due to health issues.
She did appear during the first semi-final on Tuesday, where she sent a video message saying she wants 'nothing more' than to be in Basel, and recalling her triumph as a 'life-changing moment'. Switzerland had not seen a winner until Nemo last year.
Celine Dion during a semi-final pre-recorded message on Tuesday. Photo: Associated Press
At a press briefing on Saturday, Eurovision director Martin Green, from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), commented on Dion, saying: 'My answer was going to be, Father Christmas exist, you'll have to wait and see.'
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When asked by the PA news agency if he was feeling relieved that the contest has not seen significant incidents so far compared to 2024's Malmo, when protests and politics overshadowed the singing event amid the outbreak of war in Gaza, he said that he was feeling 'quite emotional'.
Appearing to break down, Mr Green added: 'I would be lying, of course, if we didn't come into this hoping that we could re-establish a sense of unity, calm and togetherness this year in a difficult world, every single person over the past few months has worked to make that happen, not by force, but through conversation and demonstration of common-held values.
'And we have 12 hours to go, and if we get there, and I think we will, I am just in awe of this thing for making a really profoundly beautiful statement to the rest of the world.'
A small group were ejected from the arena after Israeli singer Yuval Raphael's rehearsal on Thursday was disrupted by what appeared to be pro-Palestinian demonstrators with 'oversized flags and whistles', and the EBU confirmed it has received a complaint from Israeli broadcaster Kan over another incident.
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This year, there is no ban on types of flags brought in by fans, unlike acts, but there are restrictions on their sizes, as Palestinian symbols have been seen inside the arena this week.
A Palestinian flag is held up in the audience as Yuval Raphael from Israel performs during a dress rehearsal on Friday. Photo: Martin Meissner/AP/PA
There were pro-Palestinian protests in Basel on Sunday and Wednesday, which were attended by no more than 150 people, police said, a significant drop from Malmo 2024, which saw thousands of marchers demonstrating against Israel's inclusion.
On Thursday, a protest was held against antisemitism by around 150 people, which went without incident.
Last year also saw Dutch singer Joost Klein kicked out of the competition by the EBU over alleged verbal threats to a female production worker, which he denied.
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Beat Lauchli, the project manager for Eurovision with Basel city, said that local police are 'ready' for the pro-Palestinian protests on Saturday night and will have more officers on the streets for the final.
Other favourites this year are Austria's JJ (Johannes Pietsch) with the emotional song Wasted Love and October 7 survivor Raphael, who will see her country join Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom on five wins if she lifts the trophy with the ballad New Day Will Rise.
Also in the mix are Finnish leather-wearing Erika Vikman with the innuendo-laden German language song Ich Komme, France's Louane with the soulful Maman, and Dutch singer Claude Kiambe's touching C'est La Vie.
There has also been buzz around host country Switzerland's Zoe Me with Voyage, Estonia's Tommy Cash with Italian parody Espresso Macchiato, and Malta's Miriana Conte, who changed her song's title, Kant, due to a complaint about its similarity to an English language swearword, to Serving.
The winner will be determined by a combination of points from national juries and viewer votes in the participating 26 countries, along with a separate rest of the world poll.
Miriana Conte from Malta. Photo: Martin Meissner/AP
Ireland
Fans 'heartbroken' as Emmy Kristiansen fails to ma...
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The grand final will also see previous Eurovision runners-up Croatia's Baby Lasagna and Finland's Kaarija perform, as well as singer Nemo with their new song Unexplainable.
The Basel government said more than half a million people have visited the city so far this week after the competition came home to Switzerland, which first hosted it in 1956 in Lugano.
TV coverage for the final will be provided by Marty Whelan on RTÉ One and by Graham Norton on BBC One at 8pm on Saturday.
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EXCLUSIVE The telling signs behind Christine McGuinness and Dan Osborne's snap amid claims the pair 'exchanged flirty texts' amid their marriage woes
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Dan, however, has continued to work through his marriage breakdown with wife Jacqueline after they were thought to have called it quits in March after eight years of marriage. She said: 'A seasoned reality star like Dan who has always seemed to be a magnet for relationship rumours and who has allegedly admitted to making some 'mistakes' in the past should know all about the optics when it comes to paparazzi poses. 'With his hands stuffed into his pockets here though he walks along alone wearing a smug-looking rictus smile that bares his upper teeth and creates a 'crescent' eye shape to signal excitement and some sense of delight. 'His chin is raised in a gesture of happy confidence and his ego looks puffed at the camera attention. 'There will always be a tendency for the paparazzi to love to get another celeb in the same frame during event exits or entrances like this, giving the impression that they have left an event together but suspiciously walked apart in a bid to imply they have never even met. 'Christine's smile seems to mirror Dan's here though and both seem equally delighted at the press interest. 'Whether a relationship is platonic or not, male celebs wanting to discuss their marital 'woes' would always be wise to book sessions with a therapist or a counselor rather than a stunning fellow celebrity. 'They should also steer clear of any risk of pics like this with women who look as gorgeous as Christine McGuiness. 'And if they do seem to get close enough to ''accidentally'' share the same frame in a pic, at least adopt a neutral facial expression or chat to some male friend you've actually been at the event with in an authentic-looking act of ignore or unawareness. 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A source close to Christine alleged that Dan 'mainly led the way with texts', which often involved 'platonic stuff about their kids'. The publication also reported that Dan is 'devoted to Jacqueline and would hate for any suggestion of impropriety'. Dan and Jacqueline's relationship has been plagued by accusations of infidelity and in 2018 Dan was linked to Love Island's Gabby Allen after they were spotted getting close on a yacht in Marbella. Previously, The Sun claimed that Dan sent 'flirty messages' to his former Celebrity Big Brother co-star Gabby - months after the pair vehemently denied claims that they'd had an illicit tryst. In March 2019 rumours began to circulate that he had kissed Love Island's Alexandra Cane in a nightclub, which they both denied. That December he was rocked by cheating claims after it was alleged he engaged in a threesome with his Celebrity Big Brother co-stars Natalie Nunn and Chloe Ayling last year - which he strongly denied - while Jacqueline was in the I'm A Celebrity jungle. After endless denials, Dan finally admitted he had been unfaithful and then referenced his misgivings in a post. Dan publicly apologised to Jac a week after she was crowned queen of the jungle on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! He confessed to making 'mistakes' and said 'I've done things I shouldn't have done' as he finally took responsibility for his actions. Dan even admitted that if Jacqueline had behaved the same way he did, he would have walked out on their relationship, saying, 'If it was the other way around I'd be gone.' He put out a statement, which read: 'So after weeks, months and years of constant articles and rumours, some true, some very untrue I want to publicly say I know I have made mistakes. 'We all do as humans, but I've made some that have almost cost me my family. 'I am the luckiest man in the world to have what I have with Jacqueline and my three incredible children and I will spend the rest of my life being the best husband and dad that I can be. 'Jac, myself and our families are excited for the future, one filled with love and happiness together. 'We truly appreciate everyone that has supported us as a couple, we are ending this year stronger than ever.' The post was uploaded just hours after Jacqueline addressed how things were on Lorraine, saying her husband has 'done wrong' but that she wants to 'restart their relationship'. Not holding back, she said: 'The thing is, it's really funny because we've been going through it for two years - this isn't new for me. 'I want to hit the restart button, it's been two years of me giving him hell, he knows he's done wrong, there's lots of stuff that's not true that I can't talk about for legal reasons, but we're OK.' Dan and Jacqueline put on a united front in new loved-up social media messages amid their marital woes. But it seems the pair could be working things out, as Dan made his feelings clear by publicly commenting on Jacqueline's latest sizzling Instagram snap. The star looked incredible in a strapless black gown which featured a sequinned top half and a high split which allowed her to showcase plenty of leg, as she head off to the British Soap Awards on Saturday. Commenting underneath the snap, Dan penned: 'Beautiful,' to which Jacqueline replied: 'Thankyou my love x' It comes just days after the pair looked close as they cosied up to one another at a friends' wedding. In a snap shared by a friend over the weekend, it looks as thought the couple are back on as Jacqueline wrapped her arm around her husband's arm. The pair were seen sharing a carriage as they rode a roller coaster in wedding attire with a number of other guests. Both Jacqueline and Dan had cheesy grins on their faces for the snap ahead of the ride, as they enjoyed their friends' big day. Meanwhile, Christine recently opened up about her sexuality and her divorce from Paddy, as she revealed she has dated women since she was a teenager. The TV personality explained to Elizabeth Day on her How To Fail podcast, that her ex-husband and family have known about her sexuality since she was little and it was 'never a secret'. And now she has opened up about how she was dating women, including one two-year 'situationship', before she met Paddy, and admits she wants a connection for herself and not a step-parent for her children. She told the broadcaster: 'It shouldn't matter somebody's gender. It never mattered to me, which was why once me and my ex-husband were separated and I met people, I didn't properly date. 'It was more like blurred the lines of friendships for me, that was normal. It felt comfortable because I'd done that as a teenager and I, as a teenager, I dated both men and women. My ex-husband knew. My family knew. It was never a secret for me.' When asked if she has a label for her sexuality, Christine said she has thought about it but would consider herself more of a 'free spirit'. When asked about labels, Christine explained: 'No and again, I've thought about it. A lot of people always ask me, are you a lesbian? Are you bisexual? Are you what? Is this a phase? 'I've always been quite a free spirit. I think that's the only word I would put on it. When I was a teenager, I'd dated boys and girls. 14/15 was probably when I had my first kisses with, with both, and I never felt it was anything different or a big deal. 'Then I think where I grew up, everyone was kind of just there for a good time.' Christine explained that before Paddy she did date women and her longest relationship latest around two years. 'My longest was two years before I met my ex-husband and then I've had really, really lovely long situation shifts where we purposely haven't put a label on anything', she added. 'But my experiences with women have been lovely and It's not like women are better or worse. It's simply that the connection for me is different. I need a connection now. I need something different. 'I really, really, honestly, I love my family and Patrick is part of my family and he always, always will be. But now for my next relationship, I know what I want and I want someone for me. 'I want someone that I like spending time with, we can do stuff together that we both enjoy. I want that emotional connection where I can be open and I can talk and I can be vulnerable and I can ask for help, but I can also have a laugh and just have a good time. 'It's not like I'm trying to find a new family unit or someone to come in and be a stepparent. I want my next relationship to be for me.'
