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Greta Thunberg has surprising link to Eurovision - and you won't believe it

Environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg has a surprising link to Eurovision royalty

Greta Thunberg in red jumper
Matthew Moore
Online News Writer & Diversity and Inclusion Lead
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We can't wait for the Eurovision Grand Final which promises to be another iconic night of Europop.  Now, you might not know that there is a huge link to the biggest TV event of the year and environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg. 

The 20-year-old's mum is Swedish singer Malena Ernman, who represented Sweden in 2009 with the song "La Voix". The song was popular in her home country, however, it appeared to not resonate with the audience, and it ended up finishing in 21st place out of 25th. The song was notable for Sweden's entries for being the only song to contain non-English lyrics and for being the country's lowest-placed entry since 1992.

For her performance, which you can see below, the star donned a gorgeous white figure-hugging gown, compelted with feathers, as she belted out the performance while surrounded by female dancers in black suits.

WATCH: Greta Thunberg's mum performs at Eurovision

Her stunning gown reportedly cost around £37,000 and was designed by Camilla Thulin. The dress itself appeared to be made of silk material with a stunning bodice.

The 2009 contest was won by Alexander Rybak with "Fairytale", which collected a total of 387 points, while the United Kingdom entered Jade Ewen with "It's My Time" and ultimately finished in fifth place.

READ:  Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in the US: How to watch, when will it air, who are the favorites, and more

Malena is a huge star in her home country, being one of their most well-known opera songs, appearing in classic shows such as The Barber of Seville, Agrippina and Die Fledermaus.

She studied at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm and has performed in major cities like Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam and Barcelona.

Malena Ernman singing in a white dress with four dancers© Oleg Nikishin
Malena performed for Sweden in 2009

This year, Sweden is being represented by their 2012 champion, Loreen, who will be performing "Tattoo", which is currently the favourite to win. Loreen captured the hearts of Eurovision fans back when she originally competed, with her hit "Euphoria" still getting played in clubs to this day.

Music runs through Greta's family as not only is her mum a famous star, but her father, Svante was a credited lyricist on Ex Animo's album, which was released in 2020. Malena and Svante first met in 2002 when they both appeared in a docu-series about composer Joseph Martin Kraus with Svante playing the title role. The couple married in 2004, one year after welcoming Greta.

DISCOVER: Who is Mae Muller? Meet the UK's Eurovision entry

MORE: Can the UK vote in the Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals and grand final?

In 2020, Greta's sister Beata launched her own musical career, appearing alongside her mum in Forever Piaf, where she played a young version of iconic singer Edith Piaf.

Speaking to gpa, a German news site, Beata explained: "As long as I can remember, I have danced and sung. To be able to perform her [Edith's] immortal music is a dream come true."

Loreen performing in Eurovision semi-final© Anthony Devlin
Loreen will represent Sweden this year

This year's Eurovision is being hosted in Liverpool at the M&S Bank Arena, although there's a rather poignant reason for that. Last year's winner, Ukraine, conceded that it would be unable to host the contest due to security concerns stemming from the Russian invasion.

There are some big names lending their hand to Eurovision this year. Fans can look forward to seeing Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham take to the stage as host as well as Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina and Britain's Got Talent star Alesha Dixon.

It wouldn't be Eurovision without Graham Norton. The legendary chat show host will offer his brilliantly scathing and hilarious commentary throughout the finale alongside Mel Giedroyc. Meanwhile, Rylan Clark and Scott Mills will also be on hand to offer their commentary and presenting skills on the night. 

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