The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has become one of the world’s most watched non-sporting events, with audience figures now into the hundreds of millions. An event of this scale takes months and months of planning. That being said– sometimes things are not always going to go to plan. Live television always has an element of uncertainty to it and nothing is ever guaranteed. The same elements apply for the ESC, and it is no surprise that it has gained its fair share of bloopers, technical mishaps and memorable moments over the years.
The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has become one of the world’s most watched non-sporting events, with audience figures now into the hundreds of millions. An event of this scale takes months and months of planning. That being said– sometimes things are not always going to go to plan. Live television always has an element of uncertainty to it and nothing is ever guaranteed. The same elements apply for the ESC, and it is no surprise that it has gained its fair share of bloopers, technical mishaps and memorable moments over the years.
One of the more memorable technical mishaps occurred in 1990 when the backing track for Spain’s Azucar Moreno failed to start correctly. The two lead singers walked out on stage before realising the music was out of synch and walking back off again. Luckily for them, they were allowed to perform again and actually finished in fifth place at the end of the night. During the opening of the 2009 Contest, Dima Bilan had a technical mishap when his jacket got caught and twisted in cabling he was attached to. Spain was also the victim of a more recent mishap, when in 2010 their performance was interrupted by a stage invader. Jaume Marquet Cot, affectionately known as Jimmy Jump climbed up onto the stage and joined Daniel Diges and his dancers for a brief period. He was taken off stage and handed over to the police by venue security, but the whole event didn’t seem to faze Daniel who carried on and didn’t miss a beat or word of the song.
But it’s not just the performers who can fall victim to live television mishaps– the presenting gig of the Eurovision Song Contest can be fraught with danger also. In 1999 while presenting the winner’s trophy, Dana International toppled over on stage in front of the millions of viewers watching on television screens around the world. A similar fate awaited Sertab Erener in 2004, when her high heeled shoe got stuck in one of the speaker grilles on stage, and she had to be freed by stagehands. And who could forget the big controversy in 1985 when host Lill Lindfors suffered a major wardrobe malfunction, resulting in her skirt being ripped off. Leaving her in just a top and her underwear! She quickly recovered however, and it was later revealed this was actually part of an act that was kept under wraps from everyone. Certain members of the European Broadcasting Union were reported to have not been too impressed with the stunt, but it forever remains an iconic moment in the history of the event.
While the voting procedure of the contest can look like a very drawn out and possibly dull affair on paper, it usually provides some of the most interesting mishaps and amusing moments of the contest. In 1981, when hostess Doireann Ní Bhríain asked Yugoslavia for their votes, the snappy voiced spokesperson, Helga Vlahovic, simply replied “I don’t have it!” In 2006, while reading the votes for the Netherlands, spokesperson Paul de Leeuw slowed down proceedings by attempting to make a number of jokes, and giving out a fake mobile number to host Sakis Rouvas. And with advances in technology, it isn’t surprising to note that the scoreboard has, on numerous occasions, not cooperated in the way it was designed to.
There are many special moments that have occurred over the Eurovision Song Contest’s extensive history– so many that listing them all would simply take ages. So when you sit down to watch the show this year, remember to keep your eyes peeled, as any potential mishaps and unexpected moments could happen within the blink of an eye. Chances are they’re bound to happen and make their way into the history books and onto blooper reels around the world. Who knows– maybe Bonnie Tyler will have a wardrobe malfunction of some kind?
Footnote: material gathered in this article is sourced from ‘The Eurovision Song Contest: The Official History’ by John Kennedy O’Connor. Published by Carlton Books, and the SBS website.
One of the more memorable technical mishaps occurred in 1990 when the backing track for Spain’s Azucar Moreno failed to start correctly. The two lead singers walked out on stage before realising the music was out of synch and walking back off again. Luckily for them, they were allowed to perform again and actually finished in fifth place at the end of the night. During the opening of the 2009 Contest, Dima Bilan had a technical mishap when his jacket got caught and twisted in cabling he was attached to. Spain was also the victim of a more recent mishap, when in 2010 their performance was interrupted by a stage invader. Jaume Marquet Cot, affectionately known as Jimmy Jump climbed up onto the stage and joined Daniel Diges and his dancers for a brief period. He was taken off stage and handed over to the police by venue security, but the whole event didn’t seem to faze Daniel who carried on and didn’t miss a beat or word of the song.
But it’s not just the performers who can fall victim to live television mishaps– the presenting gig of the Eurovision Song Contest can be fraught with danger also. In 1999 while presenting the winner’s trophy, Dana International toppled over on stage in front of the millions of viewers watching on television screens around the world. A similar fate awaited Sertab Erener in 2004, when her high heeled shoe got stuck in one of the speaker grilles on stage, and she had to be freed by stagehands. And who could forget the big controversy in 1985 when host Lill Lindfors suffered a major wardrobe malfunction, resulting in her skirt being ripped off. Leaving her in just a top and her underwear! She quickly recovered however, and it was later revealed this was actually part of an act that was kept under wraps from everyone. Certain members of the European Broadcasting Union were reported to have not been too impressed with the stunt, but it forever remains an iconic moment in the history of the event.
While the voting procedure of the contest can look like a very drawn out and possibly dull affair on paper, it usually provides some of the most interesting mishaps and amusing moments of the contest. In 1981, when hostess Doireann Ní Bhríain asked Yugoslavia for their votes, the snappy voiced spokesperson, Helga Vlahovic, simply replied “I don’t have it!” In 2006, while reading the votes for the Netherlands, spokesperson Paul de Leeuw slowed down proceedings by attempting to make a number of jokes, and giving out a fake mobile number to host Sakis Rouvas. And with advances in technology, it isn’t surprising to note that the scoreboard has, on numerous occasions, not cooperated in the way it was designed to.
There are many special moments that have occurred over the Eurovision Song Contest’s extensive history– so many that listing them all would simply take ages. So when you sit down to watch the show this year, remember to keep your eyes peeled, as any potential mishaps and unexpected moments could happen within the blink of an eye. Chances are they’re bound to happen and make their way into the history books and onto blooper reels around the world. Who knows– maybe Bonnie Tyler will have a wardrobe malfunction of some kind?
Footnote: material gathered in this article is sourced from ‘The Eurovision Song Contest: The Official History’ by John Kennedy O’Connor. Published by Carlton Books, and the SBS website.
