‘Guy will smash it,’ says Eurovision judge
Music fans the world over are waiting with bated breath for Saturday’s Eurovision finale.
Australian radio personality Ash London is one of the privileged few to have already seen most of the performances.
And, in her eyes, Australian wildcard entry Guy Sebastian has got it in the bag.
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“So far I’ve seen half the performances,” London tells The New Daily after an early-morning voting session with fellow judges Richard Wilkins, Danielle Spencer, Jake Stone and Amanda Pelman on Tuesday.
“I can happily say I know Guy is going to be a favourite. His song has a really positive, unifying message and I know he’s going to smash it.”
As a wildcard, Sebastian will proceed straight to this weekend’s grand final. He will perform Tonight Again, an upbeat pop song he wrote in just one week.
The former Australian Idol winner was a contentious choice to represent Australia, with many fearing he would be unable to muster the kitsch required to stand out in a sea of outrageousness.
Eurovision judge Ash London.
But Take 40’s London says the opposite is true.
“I heard today that he’s brought the performance down a bit,” London says.
“It was all a bit too much so he scaled it back!”
Still, the judge reveals Sebastian’s performance has retained an element of sophistication.
“He’s a cool dude, he’s not going to have girls in spandex. They’ve gone for a story arc so there will be some props and lighting but not as hardcore and full on as he first had it.”
London was asked to be a part of the Australian judging panel, which includes a mix of television hosts (Wilkins) and musicians (Stone, Spencer).
As the youngest member of the panel, London gets veto power if voting comes down to a dead heat.
Unfortunately, as an Aussie, she can’t vote for Sebastian.
In terms of the other acts generating buzz on the streets of Vienna, London says Serbia is a “fun” act getting some attention.
“Sweden has this hot DJ who I’m really into but I haven’t seen him perform so he could be terrible!” she says.
“I can tell you there are half-naked policewomen with their midriffs out, lots of 80s Eurotrash, some very big gowns and a few period costumes with a bit of a Game of Thrones vibe.”
Sebastian’s main competition, however, is himself.
“He’s infamous for always being late,” London laughs.
“So as long as they get him there on time he’ll be fine.”
The Eurovision Grand Final will screen on SBS from 5am AEST on Sunday May 24.