#HALL OF FAME: Our fifth and sixth inductees

Here at Eurovision Ireland, we want to celebrate those most illustrious people who have made our favourite TV show the thing that it is today.

In each edition, we’ll induct two performer or personalities from somewhere in Eurovision land. These two inductees won their respective countries’ Best of… votes.

So who’s first this time?

France have a long history at Eurovision, with five wins under their belt. They’re eager for a sixth, and in 2009 they thought they might be into something. Take a French star who’s popular worldwide, especially in the host country, and they could do well. Patricia Kaas is from northern France, and has Germanic ancestry. When France Télévisions selected Patricia, she put out a survey to choose a Eurovision song from her album Kabaret. The clear winner was the masterpiece Et s’il fallait la faire. She took it to Moscow and was drawn third in the Grand Final. She finished a creditable eighth. Who knows, a later draw and she could/should have finished even higher.

Our next inductee hails from the United Kingdom. Or rather Australia. It’s a fact that Australia only started participating in 2015, but people from the country have been sneaking under the radar and singing for – get this – other countries for years. In 1996, the UK had a national final and the winner was a certain Gina Gardner. She went as a hot tip to win in Oslo, after she breezed through the audio pre-selection. Drawn second might not have gone down too well given its reputation, she managed to finish eighth. Here is the Australian songstress with Ooh aah, just a little bit.

Stay tuned for more inductees into the Eurovision Ireland Hall of Fame.

Author: John Stanton

Source: Eurovision Ireland