There may still be over four weeks to go until the 58th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, but according to the bookmakers, there is already one overwhelming favourite: Denmark!
This country’s entry, Emmelie de Forest, 20, who was chosen in a national song contest back in January, is 13/8 favourite (Bet 365), a clear front-runner ahead of Norway (5/1) and the Netherlands (8/1).
The young De Forest, who claims blue blood courtesy of being Queen Victoria’s great-great granddaughter, couldn’t be more different than the last home-grown winners of the competition, the Olsen Brothers, whose 2000 triumph, incidentally, also took place in Sweden.
The Olsens, who won with the song ‘Fly on the Wings of Love’, were the oldest ever winners of the competition – or at least Jørgen, then 50, was. His brother, Noller, was 46.
The barefoot, blue-blooded De Forest, who will perform the song ‘Only Teardrops’, an emotionally strong pop song with clear folk elements, was just seven years old when the Olsens flew on the wings of victory.
But before we can start rooting for a win, there is first the matter of the semi-finals to navigate. De Forest takes the stage in Malmö on May 14 as the only Scandinavian representative in the first semi-final, which due to the geopolitical nature of the competition could present a bit of an obstacle.
Should she advance, the final is on May 18, where she will be seeking just three words: “Danemark douze points”. As things stand, the bookies are expecting her dreams to come true.
