News - The Eurovision back-up jury choice | Eurovision Song Contest News - 2008 Belgrade, Serbia 

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Written by

Barry Viniker

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21/May at 04:17

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esctoday.com

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Eurovision Song Contest 2008
 - © RTS
© RTS

Who got the tenth ticket?

The Eurovision back-up jury choice

The excitement of the ten qualifying countries from the first Eurovision Song Contest first semi final tonight was intense. Already speculation as to which countries qualified from televoting and which country was lucky enough to pass to the final by way of the back-up jury has begun.

Many suspect that Norway was the jury's choice to qualify. The theory is based on the fact that no other country from Western Europe qualified from tonight's final. The final positions will not be revealed until after the Eurovision Song Contest final on Saturday. The theory goes back to the 2007 semi final where none of the ten qualifying countries came from what is seen as 'Western Europe'.

Others speculate that Israel may have been the country to benefit from the jury vote. This is based on the fact that the majority of countries that qualified came from the latter half of the running order. They argue that Israel was at such a disadvantage from singing in second place that only the jury could allow the song to pass to the final.

Others argue that Azerbaijan or Poland, who were seen as outsiders by bookmakers, may have been the lucky choice of the back-up juries.

The two countries that qualify for Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest final by way of the jury vote will not be known until after the final on Saturday. Only then will the speculation end and we will know which countries passed through via the new selection method.


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Easily Nor [12447]
Thu 22 May 2008 15:42:36

Don't think this topic does matter anymore, as long as the ten televoted countries were the same as the jury chosen ones.


Neal Harris [21189]
Thu 22 May 2008 13:13:28

It says on eurovision.tv that the top 10 of the televoting and the top 10 of the juries were the same.


Stockholm calling [44413]
Thu 22 May 2008 12:25:36

Murat Noyan:

I've liked Moldova's song from the first time I heard it, it was one of my favourites actually, but Geta's performance was confusing. She should have stuck to the old concept.


Morgan S. Trouillet [10463]
Thu 22 May 2008 11:19:28

im pretty sure Israel is the lucky one.. who cares about western or not, in the new system with only the countries taking part in the semi finals being able to vote, it's really up to the countries in.. i find strange also thef act that both Norway and Poland being both so similarly the americanized ballads got through but it's far from impossible based on the little number of countries participating and the low level of the competition.. on the other hand, the israeli ballad really was different.. great song but poor live, horrible shirt, it strikes me as something televotes wouldn't go for but juries yes.. anyway it's one of these three ballads for sure that got saved..


Norina Donaris [51400]
Thu 22 May 2008 10:54:15

Romania won the first semifinal!


leni tao [33902]
Thu 22 May 2008 09:50:29

i think it was Norway as well...

and i really hope that people or at least the jury give a chance to poor ICELAND, performing 1st, with no neighboor voting, but just with an outstanding song!! : )




richard prins [11697]
Thu 22 May 2008 09:24:52

of course i am very disappointed that the Netherlands didn't make i to the final. I also think Norway is the jury's choice.
I glad she made it she was one of the artists tha sung very well.
Greece and Armenia were very unstable Russia; his english is as bad as mine :-). for this night i hope some western european countires will qualify. if its an east party ai agin i think the ned of eurovision comes closer and closer. as long the t elevote is ther it won't change.


L. S. [31401]
Thu 22 May 2008 08:44:54

I think Maria's performance was flawless enough to earn her way to the final without a back-up jury's vote!

I think it was either Bosnia, Israel, Poland or Romania. Or even Armenia, because she was horrible live and the performance was overall bad. And Azerbaijan...


Scott T [24673]
Thu 22 May 2008 06:21:32

who really cares??
i really hope sweden, iceland AND denmark get through!!
SCANDINAVIA YEHHH!!!!

armenia and russia were the biggest anticlimaxes ever.
greece was typical.
FINLAND ROCKED.

can we focus on some western european songs this year please?? theyre good and none of you bother to listen to them i swear!


Allan A. [45777]
Thu 22 May 2008 03:01:59

There`s a new video on youtube from eurovision.tv showing a press conference that tells that the televoting and the jury decision where the same :)

http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=2J3sVgZlEN4


Khalid GR [24641]
Thu 22 May 2008 02:15:10

Svante said that the jury's choice was actually the song that was 10th in televoting, so the outcome would be the same even if there wasn't a jury!

This is Svante's press conference: (he says it at about 08:00)

http://www.youtube.c(...)EN4&feature=user


Allan A. [45777]
Thu 22 May 2008 02:01:20

Check out this video here if u`re fan of Sirusho`s famous tit trick:

http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=8toHY-IuihM

and don`t forget 2 vote 4 her, she rocks :)


Pau PV [37672]
Thu 22 May 2008 01:13:58

Moldova's singer was unstable and even out of tune in some parts. I liked the song a lot but the performance was not good,a nd that's objective.

About the song chosen by jury, I'm affraid (because it deserved to pass through televote) it's Norway, since Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and even the UK were not there to vote for it.


Constantinos Christoforou [49553]
Thu 22 May 2008 00:22:35

it could have been greece coz it was the last song.......nd every1 thought the break b4 kalomoira must have signified the end........well done to kalomoira.......such a confident performance! even paparizou was extremely nervous during her song


DannyT [43795]
Wed 21 May 2008 23:47:39

I think Norway was probably the jury choice - I love their song but I didn't like the performance so maybe a jury voted on song quality that night rather than presentation


Murat Noyan [19745]
Wed 21 May 2008 23:33:41

It's so sad that Moldova did not qualify.
Simply the song and the performance was over qualified for Eurovision, and it did not match with poor music taste of average "middle aged" European household.

It's easy, just watch some German (ZDF/ARD)or French public tv on Sunday afternoon. This will give an idea how poor is the music taste of an average "middle aged" Western European.

Grüsse aus Istanbul


Melina ~ [35728]
Wed 21 May 2008 22:31:01

No, Finland was too good to be true!! :)

Can't you people believe that no one actually got the "jury vote", as explained below? Ok, I give up... ;)


In my oppinion Finalnd!Its just too bad to be true!


neo nikolais [46251]
Wed 21 May 2008 22:10:38

Israel or Norway!!!i think and Finland


Van T [33371]
Wed 21 May 2008 22:06:57

My instict was imediately that it is Norway. Cause there is no way it would go through otherwise!


Mar4e M [41740]
Wed 21 May 2008 22:06:17

Bosnia-no way it's been chosen by the jury
Laka is one of the favourites for winning :) so it can't be him!!!
I think it was Isrrael... That song was a total dizaster!!!
only an Idiots in the jury can fote for that thing...
2 bad Slovenia didn't qualify, I simply loved her song


Paulo Corte Real [32131]
Wed 21 May 2008 22:03:27

I agree that Israel has the best song and had the best performance last night. My top 5 are as follows:

1. Portugal
2. Israel
3. Switzerland
4. Serbia
5. Ukraine


Jota Perez [47059]
Wed 21 May 2008 22:02:03

The qualification of some of the songs is simply ridiculous (Russia with the most embarrasing show of the night or Bosnia are clear examples); obviously the new voting system hasn't helped much. I'm an anti-fan of the Spanish entry, but given the situation I will vote for Spain on Saturday, hoping that the fact that an absurd song winning an absurd contest will trigger some reflection on what Eurovision has become. Go Rodolfo!


Michalis M [44522]
Wed 21 May 2008 22:01:52

i believe it was either Norway or Romania. I found Romania's song utterly boring and totally old fashioned despite their good performance (by the way i vote for SONGS, not acts). On the other hand Polland and Israel were outstanding, i think they are my favourites for winning. I'd gladly trade in Norway and Romania for Moldova and San Marino..


Melina ~ [35728]
Wed 21 May 2008 22:01:20

@ D K, Finland was the top of the semi, just admit it :)
Andorra? LOL... It sucked big time, one has to be deaf and blind not to notice that! ;)

One entry that should not have passed in Russia - that pathetic writhing on the floor and face contorting, uhh... (Or was it Dima doing his gymnastics? ;))

@ Neal Harris: :)


t y [27953]
Wed 21 May 2008 21:59:18

Poland or Norway!


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