Australia FAILS to qualify for the Eurovision Grand Final for the first time since being granted entry – as a major handicap hurts Down Under representative Montaigne’s chances
Australia’s Eurovision Song Contest entry Montaigne has missed out on qualifying for the final of the competition.
The singer-songwriter, whose real name is Jessica Cerro, was forced to perform her song Technicolour remotely, sending a prerecorded ‘live’ entry which was broadcast at Wednesday’s semi-final.
Travel restrictions and the coronavirus pandemic prevented Montaigne from travelling to the Netherlands city of Rotterdam as the competition returned following last year’s cancellation, potentially handicapping Australia’s chances.
Fail! Australia’s Eurovision Song Contest entry Montaigne has missed out on qualifying for the Grand Final of the competition – the first time Australia has failed to gain entry since being granted entry in 2015
In missing the event, Montaigne made history as the first person to ever compete in the contest without setting foot on stage.
All fifteen other countries had a representative perform live at the event.
This is the first time Australia has failed to qualify for the Grand Final since being granted entry into the competition in 2015.
Montaigne’s performance was unable to feature all the bells and whistles of her opponents and stuck out like a sore thumb.
No-show: In missing the event, Montaigne made history as the first person to ever compete in the contest without setting foot on stage, potentially hurting Australia’s chances. By contrast, all fifteen other countries had a representative perform live at the event
Norway, Israel, Russia, Azerbaijan, Malta, Lithuania, Cyprus, Sweden, Belgium and Ukraine made it through to Saturday’s final.
Five of the other sixteen competing countries failed to make the Grand Final in addition to Australia: Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania and Slovenia.
In a post on Instagram in April, Montaigne, 25, announced she was unable to travel to the Netherlands.
‘I regret to inform you all that I will not be travelling to Rotterdam for Eurovision this year. I WILL still be participating remotely. We will send my performance of Technicolour from Australia,’ she wrote.
‘I am sad to not have gotten the opportunity to perform on the big stage but grateful that I got to wear two years of Eurovision in a row, during a pandemic nonetheless, which is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Giving it a miss: In a post on Instagram in April, Montaigne, 25, announced she was unable to travel to the Netherlands .Pictured performing at Summer Salt 2021 in Perth last month
‘Thank you all for your support, and please, if you love Technicolour, send your douze points in for Australia!!! Love you all x’.
‘Douze,’ means twelve in French and is the maximum amount of points one country can award another for a performance.
Montaigne also shared a video she recorded for SBS, where she spoke to Eurovision organisers about not being able to attend.
‘I actually am still competing at Eurovision this year. I will just be doing it here in Australia instead of at Rotterdam, ’cause you know…’ she explained.
Montaigne was supposed to perform at last year’s Eurovision, but the event was cancelled amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Alternate plans: ‘I regret to inform you all that I will not be travelling to Rotterdam for Eurovision this year. I WILL still be participating remotely,’ she wrote