"When you host the finale of the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna on 16 May, nearly 170 million people worldwide will be watching - are you nervous? Not at all. Right now I'm still very relaxed and simply really looking forward to the evening. I can't see those 170 million people from the stage, so it doesn't feel that tangible to me. I think I'll be more nervous in front of the 10,000 people in the Stadthalle. The atmosphere will be very special, and so will the immediate feedback you get and feel as a presenter."
"When did you find out you would be hosting the Eurovision Song Contest? In Austria, the newspapers were already speculating right after the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel: "Will it be Victoria Swarovski?" People called me and congratulated me, and I often had to say that I didn't know anything. And I really didn't. Until August, when I received a call from ORF's program director, Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz, asking me for a meeting in her office. There, she then asked me directly."
"What did you reply? Without hesitation: "Of course, I'll do it!" For me, it's an Olympus. Anyone who hosts the Eurovision Song Contest represents the host country. Being able to do that in and for Austria, where I grew up, is a huge honour for me."
"Vienna is often listed in international rankings as an unfriendly city. Is there any truth to that? You have to take the famous Viennese "g rant" (grumpiness) with humour."
Victoria Swarovski is preparing for Eurovision rehearsals in Vienna while commuting between Vienna and Cologne for her weekly live hosting role on “Let’s Dance.” She feels relaxed about hosting Eurovision because the global audience is not directly visible from the stage, though she expects more nerves in front of the 10,000 people in the Stadthalle. She learned she would host after Austrian media speculation and a direct call from ORF’s program director, to which she agreed immediately. Hosting Eurovision represents Austria, and doing so in the country where she grew up is a major honour. She addresses Vienna’s reputation for grumpiness with humour, referencing the Viennese “g rant.”
Read at CN Traveller
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