During Saturday’s Eurovision final, it was Eurovision legend Carola Häggkvist (54) who presented the votes from Sweden’s professional jury.
As the camera lands on her, a male arm is visible across her chest.
– Now it’s time. No, now, says Carola as she waves away the sound engineer’s arm.
The mistake was reported by several media outlets. On Sunday night, the artist takes a hard line against SVT’s handling of the broadcast. SVT is similar to NRK in Sweden.
The criticism comes in three posts on Instagram.
– It should not happen. It is completely incomprehensible. I was not even angry afterwards. Just surprised that it could happen at all. You never cease to be surprised, she writes.
The images that shock Europe
– Oh dear
She claims on Instagram that the technique was not well enough controlled, and that no one counted down until she was live on TV.
– I said carefully that “now it’s broadcast” and just thought that this is absolutely incredible and just does not happen. I could just stand in the middle of the storm and try to gather myself.
She also comments an article published on SVT’s website, which shows a clip of the mistake with a description that “she was not quite ready”.
This makes the popular artist react strongly.
– I was READY. Dear vein, what’s the matter with SVT putting the technology fade on me ?! With SVT News as the sender to protect themselves. I’m genuinely sick of this.
Expressen, who has mentioned the case, has tried to get a comment from SVT, without success.
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– My only mistake
– That I stumbled upon the word «contenstants» is my only mistake and I did the best I could with it. It showed that I was actually nervous. “Human and charming,” they said in the control room afterwards.
Now Carola believes that SVT is using this against her.
– You will not take more assignments when it is used against you. Too much price to pay mentally and emotionally. It is a difficult balancing act as Eurovision has really meant so much in my life.
Carola has also been criticized for spending a lot of time on screen talking about herself.
Revealed by the jury
On Instagram, she explains that she was there because it has been 30 years since she won with “Caught by a storm”, and that the agreement was that the presenters should mention this – something they did not do.
She says that she initially wanted to cut down her “speech” for fear that it would seem too self-absorbed, but that she was encouraged to keep going. The text was written in collaboration with SVT’s producers, she claims.
She now apologizes if the speech was “too much”, and emphasizes that it was not her intention.
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