Hey everyone! I’d like to introduce myself as the most recent addition to the TES team! I’m an avid Eurofan/University student in the UK looking forward to the upcoming 2023 National Final season.
Name: Ben Wolverson
Age: 18
Pronouns: He/Him
Ben’s socials:
- Twitter: @FuegoReplay_ESC
- Instagram: ben.w_x
My First Eurovision Discovery
I first started to hear about Eurovision back in 2014 while I was on a holiday abroad and watched the local news, which spoke about Conchita Wurst winning the contest. The year after in 2015, I remember watching “Golden Boy” by Nadav Guedj and enjoyed how cool the contest was. I also remember attempting to watch the 2017 contest, especially for “Requiem” by Alma. However, it was the following year I changed my attitude towards the contest.
When I became a Eurofan
From 2018 I became a fully invested Eurofan who was dedicated to watch all three shows in May. I was a big fan of “Fuego” by Eleni Foureira when it was first released. She was my favourite to win the contest while at the time, most didn’t see her in the contention to win. That was until her rehearsals and that’s when I really fell in love with the contest. Yes, I may have been a little upset that Eleni didn’t win but I was now obsessed with Eurovision and began to follow as many National Finals that I could and follow the contest all year round.
How did Eurovision change my life?
I never really had many interests when I was younger until I found Eurovision. Since 2018, Eurovision has become a tradition each year for me, my family and now my friends. I now look forward to every May along with the National Final season. I’m always excited to see what each country will send to the contest every year. I’ve recently been able to get my friends interested in the contest and people can see how happy the contest makes me feel. Many songs that have come from either Eurovision or National Finals have helped me a lot as music helps me cope with many stressors in my life.
Favourite Eurovision songs and countries
Well, have a guess which is my favourite Eurovision country from my Twitter username… Yes! That’s right, it’s Cyprus. Especially during 2018 & 2019! I’m also a fan of Greece too! Even though I’m quite young, I love a lot of the classic Eurovision entries as well. One of my favourite older entries which isn’t on my list is France 1977 “L’oiseau et L’enfant” by Marie Myriam. However, here are my other favourite entries of all time (other than Fuego):
- 🇪🇸 Spain (2022) Chanel “SloMo”
- 🇷🇸 Serbia (2021) Hurricane “Loco Loco”
- 🇨🇾 Cyprus (2019) Tamta “Replay”
- 🇬🇷 Greece (2001) Antique “Die For You”
- 🇭🇷 Croatia (1999) Doris Dragovic “Marija Magdalena”
Favourite National Final songs
I’ve been following national finals since the 2018 season, starting off with Eurovision: You Decide. I now follow as many national finals as I can with some of my favourites being; Benidorm Fest, Festivali I Këngës, Melodi Grand Prix (Norway) and Melodifestivalen! Here are a few of my favourite national final songs! – wish I could post more, I just have so many favourites:
- 🇮🇸 Söngvakeppnin (2022) – Reykjavíkurdætur “Tökum af stað”
- 🇮🇹 Sanremo (2021) & (2022) – La Rappresentante Di Lista “Amare” & “Ciao ciao“
- 🇫🇮 Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (2022) – BESS “Ram pam pam”
- 🇮🇹 Sanremo (2020) – Elodie “Andromeda”
- 🇦🇱 Festivali I Këngës (2020) – Elvana Gjata “Me Tana”
What are you looking forward to in the next Eurovision season?
Oh! I can’t wait to have new songs blasting on repeat in my room. Eurovision consistently introduces me to new music styles and that’s one thing that excites me the most. I’m also hoping we’ll be able to see more songs in native languages rather than English! Overall, I’m really excited to go into the Eurovision season with the TES team and be able to enjoy another year of this amazing contest!
What do you think of Ben’s opinions? Want to learn more about our team? Let us know in the comments below or on social media. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter , and Tiktok as we look ahead to Eurovision 2023!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: That Eurovision Site
