Eurovision host’s hilarious joke about contest’s gay fans leaves viewers in stitches
Eurovision Song Contest host Petra Mede jokes about Eurovision fans being gay. (Getty)
Eurovision Song Contest co-host Petra Mede knows exactly what you are: during last night’s semi-final (9 May), she joked that all Eurovision superfans are gay.
At this point, it’s a universally acknowledged fact that the Eurovision Song Contest is one of the gayest events of the year. Yet the 2024 contest is arguably embracing that fact more than any other year.
For starters, there’s the slew of LGBTQ+ entrants in this year’s contest, including Ireland’s non-binary witch Bambie Thug, the UK’s Olly Alexander, and Lithuania’s Silvester Belt.
Then there’s the campy antics of the co-hosts: in the first semi-final earlier this week (7 May), co-host Petra Mede grabbed an audience member’s phone, only for the phone to continuously bleep with the sound of the Grindr notification.
While the moment was evidently a planned skit, it was a cheeky nod to the large proportion of gay men watching at home.
Last night, during the second semi-final (9 May) in Malmö, Mede continued her commitment to ensuring Eurovision’s gay fans feel seen.
She paid tribute to the late Jahn Teigen, who represented Norway at the contest three times before his death in 2020; the first time, in 1978, he received nil points.
A montage of other songs that received nil points then played, with Mede planting her tongue firmly in her cheek as she referenced those who might have heard of all the songs before.
“Here’s a tribute to some of the magical songs that were too easily dismissed,” she said. “And if you at home can sing along to all these songs, then you know you’re a true homose… sorry, Eurovision fan.”
The crowd at Sweden’s Malmö Arena then erupted into laughter and cheers, while online, gay fans reacted with joy at finally getting the recognition they deserve.
Last night’s semi-final saw heartbreak for queer entrants including Belgium’s Mustii and Denmark’s SABA as they failed to qualify for the final, though non-binary Switzerland entrant Nemo – who is hotly tipped to win the entire contest – breezed through.
The Eurovision Song Contest grand final is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday 11 May at 8pm BST in the UK.
