We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Greece.
Victor Vernicos
Victor Vernicos was chosen internally to represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest. Victor wrote
and composed the song himself.
Victor Vernicos Jørgensen, born in Athens, is a Greek singer/songwriter of Danish descent. He started making music at a very young age. When he was 8 years old, he sang his own version of the Eurovision song “Heroes”. His first single “Hope it’s heaven” was released in 2021. A year later, the song was followed by the song “Mean“. On 30 January 2023, it was announced that Victor Vernicos was going to be the Greek representant in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Legal action
The internal selection in Greece was quite complicated. Out of 7 shortlisted songs, 3 were chosen for the final selection: the female duo Antonia Kaouri and Maria Maragkou, Melissa Mantzoukis and of course Victor Vernicos. However, Antonia and Maria withdrew. Still, all three acts were awarded points. Melissa Mantzoukis took legal action to this and the way the winner was chosen. The voting system made Victor win, while with a voting system were every jury member would award 1, 2 and 3 points, Melissa would have won. A temporary injunction halting the Greek participation was denied by Greek courts on 6 March, citing the short time period between then and the EBU’s 13 March deadline for entry submissions. Mantzoukis’ lawsuit to be declared the winner and awarded damages is anticipated to be heard in mid-May following the contest.
Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest
Greece first took part in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1974. Marinella‘s “Krassi, thalassa ke t’agori mou” didn’t gain many points, but is still a classic in Greece. The first top-5 score for Greece came in 1977, when Pascalis, Marianna, Robert and Bessy sang “Mathema solfège”. The first time Greece entered the top-3 was in 2001, thanks to the duo Antique and the song “Die for you”. Helena Paparizou, half of the duo Antique, brought the trophy to Greece in 2005 with “My number one”, but also Sakis Rouvas (“Shake it” in 2004) and Kalomira (“Secret combination” in 2008) reached the top-3.
Bookmakers
The bookmakers currently give Greece a 28th place in the betting odds. However, the specified semi final betting odds give a 9th place, which means Greece will head to the final in Liverpool. Let’s hope for the sympathatic singer that this will happen.
The song
And of course, this is the song:
