As countries reel from the spectacle of Eurovision 2023, Spain’s national broadcaster RTVE has announced that Ana María Bordás will return to her position as the Head of Delegation for RTVE.
Who is Ana María?
Ana María Bordás already has previous Eurovision experience under her belt. Previously, she had served as the Spanish Head of Delegation from 2017 to 2021. During this time, Spain’s results were mixed, ranging from last place in 2017 to 22nd in 2019.
For 2022, RTVE appointed Eva Mora as the Head of Delegation. She changed the national selection process, reintroducing Benidorm Fest to a wider audience in the 21st century. Under her two years as Head of Delegation, Eva Mora produced mixed results – 3rd in 2022 and 17th in 2023. Following this, Spanish website Infobae.com announced that Eva had been replaced by Ana María ahead of the Contest in 2024. RTVE themselves later confirmed the change on social media.
The person behind the move is Director-General of RTVE, José Pablo López. López, according to Infobae, personally dismissed Eva and reinstated Ana María. He also announced he will chair the committee which will select the next competing artists for Benidorm Fest 2024. This is due to an internal restructure within RTVE. However, speculation revealed that a tense working relationship between the two might have motivated the change.
As well as this, María Eizaguirre – Director of Entertainment at RTVE – has been confirmed to be the organiser for events that surround Benidorm Fest. However, due to the restructure, she will no longer direct the show itself. Instead, María will form part of the selection committee for the songs competing in the selection, along with other well-known delegation members including Alicia León and Irene Mahía.
Spain’s Eurovision journey
Spain debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961 with Conchita Bautista’s “Estando Contigo”. The country earned its first win in 1968 with Massiel’s “La La La”, and won again in 1969 with Salome’s “Vivo Cantando” in an infamous four-way tie. Although they have yet to win again, Spain earned several 2nd place finishes, most famously with Mocedades’ “Eres tu” in 1973 and Anabel Conde’s “Vuelve conmigo” in 1996.
In 2023, Spain selected Blanca Paloma to carry on the success of Chanel in 2022. As part of the Big 5, Blanca Paloma did not need to qualify to the Grand Final from the semi-finals. At the close of voting, her song “EAEA” finished 17th, with a total of 100 points. Of these, 95 points came from the jury, whilst 5 came from the televote.
What do you think of the change in delegations in Spain? Do you think Ana María can carry on the success of Benidorm Fest? As always, let us know what you think by commenting down below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as we start preparing for Eurovision 2024!
News Source: Infobae.com
Photo Credit: Josep Echaburu / TVE
