With our neighbors from Poland, it’s pure ESC-Chaos!
It starts on Saturday Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool (UK), but the gossip about the singer Blanka (23) and her song “Solo” just won’t shut up. Was it even installed by the Polish government? to represent the country at the ESC? Not a few fans of the annual music festival suspect that.
An eye-catcher in bright green: Blanka on the turquoise carpet in Liverpool on Sunday
What happened?
When the Polish state broadcaster TVP invited to the Polish ESC preliminary round on February 26, there was actually only one big favourite: Jann (24) with his song “Gladiator”. Even before the show, his song was so popular that he was on the music streaming service „Spotify“ Made viral top 50 in 18 countries.
Even more: Jann even made it to number 17 in this viral chart list worldwide! At that point, NOBODY was talking about Blanka and “Solo” anymore. There could only be one clear winner: Jann!
So how could it happen that Blanka is now driving for Poland to the ESC and not Jann? Here it is now extremely mysterious…
Fans are up in arms against Poland’s ESC contribution!
Shortly before the preliminary decision in February, the state broadcaster TVP, which is heavily influenced by the government, unexpectedly changed the voting. The audience votes were massively devalued, while the jury votes were greatly upgraded. Viewer and jury votes were now rated 50:50 instead of as a percentage, as has been the case in recent years. The jury was suddenly much more powerful!
And so it comes to a scandal for many fans on the evening of the preliminary decision: While Jann wins the audience vote as expected (12 points), the jury only puts him in 4th place (7 points)! Blanka, for her part second in the spectators (10 points), ends up on jury place 1 (12 points). Final result: Blanka 22 points, Jann 19 points!
The fans in the TV studio are shocked and accompany Blanka’s victory announcement with loud boos. Blanka is then insulted en masse on Instagram, Twitter and Co. Even the bookmakers, who were sure of Jann’s victory, punished Poland immediately. In the betting odds, our neighbors plummeted from 6th place to 17th place the night after the show! In the meantime, Poland is only given a completely hopeless 24th place.
Since the preliminary decision scandal, rumors have been circulating in fan circles as to how this result could have come about. There are enough clues: Blanka is accused of having a close connection to the Polish state broadcaster TVP. So she was extremely pushed by TVP on TV and radio before the preliminary decision, the other participants, however, little or not at all.
Blanka’s dancers also have a connection to one of the judges (he is their choreographer). In addition, Blanka is close friends with the son of the head judge. A clear conflict of interest for the fans! Blanka (161.000 Follower) but defends himself on Instagram, speaks of “disgusting lies” about the voting result and that all participants had the same chances.
Poland’s ESC contribution 2023: It remains a mud fight that the country SO has probably never experienced. After all: The second-placed Jann showed greatness shortly after his defeat, publicly called on the fans to support Blanka unreservedly.
But none of this changes the fact that with this decision, Poland has made itself from a co-favourite for the ESC victory to a co-favourite for the last place. If Blanka even qualifies for the final in the second semi-final on Thursday (9 p.m., ONE)…
