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Irish Times
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Eurovision 2025: Ireland's entry Emmy fails to make it to Saturday's grand final
Ireland's Eurovision 2025 entry has failed to make it into Saturday's grand final in Basle, Switzerland. It was a nail biting finish for Emmy, the 24-year-old Norway-born singer, who performed the song Laika Party for Ireland in the second semi-final of the competition on Thursday night. The three-minute song, a manifestation of wishful thinking, was written by Emmy Kristine Guttulsrud Kristiansen (aka Emmy), her brother Erlend Guttulsrud Kristiansen, Henrik Østlund, Larissa Tormey and Truls Marius Aarra. It is about a Soviet dog who was sent into space and became the first living being to orbit the Earth back in 1957. Although Laika's voyage ended tragically, when she succumbed to overheating and stress after 10 days, Emmy and her writing team decided to spin a tail with a happier twist. READ MORE 'I hope Laika never died and that she spins around us still / And that she has a party in the air and always will / I hope that she is dancing every night among the stars / I hope Laika is alive.' She performed dressed in space armour and a silver skater skirt in front of a fetching pink and turquoise colour scheme topped off with cosmic graphics. Emmy representing Ireland with the song Laika Party during the second semi-final of the Eurovision 2025. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images Emmy had hoped to replicate Bambie Thug, who last year in Sweden became the first Irish entrant to make the final since Ryan O'Shaughnessy in Lisbon seven years ago. However, matters took a downward turn when the results of the public vote were announced, with Ireland one of six entries that failed to make it to the next stage, with Australia, Montenegro, Georgia, Czechia and Bosnia also missing out. Emmy representing Ireland during Eurovision Song 2025 in Basle, Swtzerland. Photograph: Andres Poveda Since the semi-final format was introduced Ireland has failed to qualify for the final 12 times and got through on seven occasions. Twenty songs, 10 from Tuesday night's first semi-final and 10 from Thursday's second, have been chosen to join the 'big five' countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK – as well as reigning champion Switzerland, in Saturday's final. The countries that qualified from Thursday's show, replete with bright lights and eye-popping costumes, were Lithuania, Israel, Armenia, Denmark, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Latvia, Malta and Greece.
The Irish Sun
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Heartbreak as Emmy's Eurovision dreams crushed after Ireland failing to qualify in intense final
HEARTBREAK struck for Ireland tonight as Emmy missed out on a spot in the Eurovision grand final. The Norwegian beauty delivered a knockout performance of her song Laika Party but sadly it wasn't enough. Advertisement 5 Norwegian singer Emmy Kristine, known as Emmy represented Ireland with the song Laika Party Credit: AFP or licensors 5 5 16 countries put up a fight for a place in the final on Saturday, May 17, but only 10 were lucky enough to nab a spot. Tonight competed against Australia, Montenegro, Latvia, Armenia, Austria, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, Georgia, Denmark, Czechia, Luxembourg, Israel, Serbia and Finland. The 10 countries to qualify were Lithuania, Israel, Armenia, Denmark, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Latvia, Malta and Greece. Emmy and the viewers at home waited with bated breath as each country was called out but 'Ireland' was sadly never heard. Advertisement read more on eurovision The singer donned a silver metallic look with a dramatic hood and matching thigh high shiny boots. Emmy rose above the stage on an impressive LED platform while she belted out the tune. Dancers dressed in similar metallic trousers busted a move to the music, while Emmy's older brother, Erlend stood playing the piano at the front. RTE presenter Marty Whelan commented on the "disappointing" result saying "Poor Emmy hasn't made it through. I'm just astounded by that tonight, I really am. Advertisement Most read in News TV "Between the performance and the reaction and how well received it was - I just assumed. "That's so, so disappointing but particularly based on the fact that we were very, very sure in ourselves this year. Not cocky but just sure and hopeful and feeling we were okay. "But proving once again, that you just never know. You kind of get to the stage where you think, 'What do we need to do?'. Bouncing on a ball, that's what we need to do or getting up on top of a microphone." Last year was the first year since 2018 that Ireland went through to the finals after Bambie Thug wowed viewers with her song Doomsday Blue. Advertisement Ireland's last Eurovision win was 29 years ago when talented Eimear Quinn triumphed with her song The Voice. 5 5 EMMY from Ireland performs the song "Laika Party" during the second semi-final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Credit: AP:Associated Press
Irish Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Eurovision Song Contest: How are organisers reacting to criticisms of Israel?
It's Eurovision season but the event is mired in controversy over Israel. What's going on? The 69th annual Eurovision Song Contest takes place next week in Basle, Switzerland , beginning on Tuesday, with the first semi-final, before the Saturday grand finale. With a TV audience in the hundreds of millions, the event is one of the biggest in showbiz. Ireland 's entrant is Norwegian singer Emmy Kristine Guttulsrud Kristiansen , stage name Emmy, who will appear in the second semi-final on Thursday. Not for the first time, war in Gaza has prompted criticism of Israel 's participation. What's the background? Yuval Raphael is due to sing a ballad, New Day Will Rise, for Israel. She is also scheduled to appear in the second semi-final. The 24-year-old survived the Hamas attack on Israel of October 23rd, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. She was at the Nova music festival near Gaza, where 360 young people were killed; she hid for hours under dead bodies in a bomb shelter and received a shrapnel wound. Israel's war on Gaza soon followed; more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed. Israel plans a big escalation of its military campaign in the Palestinian territory. What are critics saying? A group called Artists for Palestine wants the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), organiser of the Eurovision, to expel Israeli public broadcaster Kan because of the war. 'By continuing to platform the representation of the Israeli state, the EBU is normalising and whitewashing its crimes,' said a letter signed by 70 former contestants. 'The EBU has already demonstrated that it is capable of taking measures, as in 2022, when it expelled Russia from the competition. We don't accept this double standard regarding Israel.' Signatories include Charlie McGettigan , winner for Ireland of the 1994 contest with Paul Harrington. (They sang Rock 'n' Roll Kids). READ MORE Is there more? RTÉ journalists voted to ask the national broadcaster to oppose Israel's participation, citing moves against Israel by broadcasters in Iceland, Slovenia and Spain. RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst later called for EBU discussions : 'I am appalled by the ongoing events in the Middle East and by the horrific impact on civilians in Gaza, and the fate of Israeli hostages.' What did Eurovision chiefs say? They pushed back, claiming no national broadcaster 'publicly opposed' Israeli participation. Eurovision director Martin Green said the EBU was maintaining an 'inclusive stance' towards Israel. 'The broadcasters mentioned in the [NUJ] letter, RTVE in Spain and RTVSLO in Slovenia, requested a discussion and RÚV in Iceland has informed us of their foreign minister's comments on Kan's participation.' Is that the end of it? Unlikely. Israel's 2024 entrant Eden Golan was booed at the dress rehearsal in Malmo, Sweden, and confined to her hotel room when not performing because of threats. She finished fifth.
