In our 21st episode we go deep with S10 from the Netherlands, celebrate Slovenia’s groundbreaking drag queens Sestre, and get our episode title from Italy’s Francesca Michelin. We also go on a journey with Nicki French as she plays that song again, bemoan the fact that Halo didn’t make it through for Austria, and are certain that we don’t want Albania’s Fifi to Stop. So if you’ve got an hour to spare, let us play those songs again, reminding you of how it used to be. Playing those songs again, w...
Jul 16, 2023•1 hr 8 min
In our 20th regular episode we zig-zag across time and space TARDIS-style with songs from seven different countries and four different decades. First up is Ireland's Lesley Roy who ended up devoting 2 years of her life to Eurovision. Then we have one of Armenia's strongest performing entries which is all about a humble apricot stone, followed by the floaty dressed Christine Gulbrandsen from Norway who sings about an elf dance. Our UK entry is Pop Idol alumni Jessica Garlick, while the non-qualif...
Jul 02, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Another 7 songs from Eurovision's past including: fourth-placed Luca Hanni from Switzerland who arguably could have put more effort into his dance routine; the mighty Carl Epsen from Norway whose building ballad blew Andy away back in 2014; and the much less impressive lingerie-clad Sanda who is admitting stuff all over the place. There's vintage Eurovision too thanks to Clodagh Rogers who actually received death threats when she participated in the 1971 contest in Dublin. We also have a semi-fi...
Jun 18, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Now that Eurovision 2023 is over we’re returning to our usual format: 7 different songs in 7 different categories from contests past. In this episode we feature Russian woman Manizha (who is opposed to the war with Ukraine); Finnish pocket rocket Sara Aalto; Cheryl Baker’s first Eurovision group, Co-Co; and no less than 2 winners, from Serbia and Portugal respectively. We also keep it a bit 2023 by celebrating Australia’s Voyager some more and select a Semi-Final non-qualifier from Croatia sugge...
Jun 04, 2023•59 min
In their final Eurovision 2023 episode, Andy & Ryan review all the performances at the grand final and the all important results. Along the way they discuss the hosts, the unfortunate non-qualifiers, the running order, the jury vs televote debate, and what they think about Loreen’s win. Next time: we return to our fortnightly episodes in which we play 7 Eurovision songs from 7 different periods of the contest’s history. We just want to thank each and every listener who has joined us on this ...
May 21, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Here it is… our last show before the Eurovision final! This time around we review the Big 5 and Ukraine. And what a group it is. We are both wowed by France’s La Zarra, captivated by the new flamenco sound of Spain’s Blanca Paloma, and incredibly proud of the ebullient UK entry Mae Muller - our best song in forever. We will be back with a review episode when it’s all over but at this point it’s only just getting started. It’s time to spend a small fortune on snacks, pour that punch, settle down ...
May 07, 2023•44 min
In the fourth of our special Eurovision 2023 episodes we review the songs and artists competing in the second half of Semi-Final 2 in Liverpool. Along the way they talk ‘Beybah’ as they explore the Blanka controversy, look back through all the years to broken dreams disguising fear with Lithuania’s Monika, and call Universal cause Teya and Salena are about to be stars. Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe… Next time: Ukraine and the Big 5! Socials: Twitter: @EuroQueensPod Instagram: EurovisionQueens Email: E...
Apr 30, 2023•58 min
As we reach the third of several special weekly episodes leading up to the grand final, Andy declares it to be #Gadvent - gay advent (let’s get that trending people). Elsewhere in this episode, your Queens review the songs and artists competing in the first half of Semi-Final 2 in Liverpool. This means they’re not scared to love Denmark’s Reiley but they’re scared of breaking their hearts; that they spend 3 minutes making impossible plans and 7 minutes having unnecessary panic attacks over Armen...
Apr 23, 2023•45 min
In the second of several special weekly episodes leading up to the grand final, Andy & Ryan review the songs and artists competing in Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool. This time they focus on the second half of Semi-Final 1. As well as re-living the glory of seeing Loreen win Melodifestivalen, Andy thanks Pasha Parfeny, while Ryan has the power of a unicorn (don't you ever learn?) Socials: Twitter: @EuroQueensPod Instagram: EurovisionQueens Email: EurovisionQueens@gmail.com Spotify playlist: sho...
Apr 16, 2023•44 min
In the first of several special weekly episodes leading up to the grand final, Andy & Ryan review the songs and artists competing in Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool. This time they focus on the first half of Semi-Final 1 and while Ryan is traumatised by the Croatian entry, Andy wonders why is everyone sleeping on Malta… Socials: Twitter: @EuroQueensPod Instagram: EurovisionQueens Email: EurovisionQueens@gmail.com Spotify playlist: shorturl.at/egvEP ESC 2023 Semi-Final One, Part 01 Norway | Ales...
Apr 09, 2023•43 min
Its time for another bonus episode of Eurovision Queens. This time we are joined by a very special guest who is not only a massive fellow Eurovision fan, but the current reigning Mr Gay Great Britain – David Allwood. David takes us through his top 5 Eurovision songs, taking us on a queer journey through music and time, and we talk about some big issues along the way, including everything David has been working on within the LGBTQ+ community. Charities / Causes talked mentioned in the episode: - ...
Apr 02, 2023•57 min
As this episode goes out Andy & Ryan are recovering from three frenetic weekends in Stockholm. After 2 Melfest specials, this is a return to our regular episode format with 7 songs in 7 different categories. First up is Portugal’s sublime Saudade Saudade (a sad state of intense longing for someone or something that is absent) which is essentially group therapy in song form, for which the lead singer, MARO, is in a purple judo outfit. Then we have the irrepressible Krista Siegfrids singing th...
Mar 19, 2023•1 hr 7 min
In which your Eurovision Queens review all things Melfest… Andy & Ryan have had quite a week here in Stockholm and decided to release another bonus episode as aresult. They share their experiences of the Melfest Weekend parties with guests like 2023 entrants Alessandre, Reiley, Blanka, and past year favourites such as Senhit, Anna Bergendahl and Klara Hammaström. They also cover their unforgettable experience of the final in the Friends Area, in which they bagged seats right next to the Gree...
Mar 13, 2023•44 min
Ahead of this year’s final of Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s national final, Andy & Ryan give their take on this year’s finalists. They’re paying extra special attention as this year they’re actually going to be in the audience in Stockholm cheering and whooping from the tenth row. Until Heat 4 it was perhaps fair to say that this year’s Melfest might not be as strong as the last 2 years, but the long-awaited return of Loreen seems to have turned everything around. Either that or it’s just the f...
Mar 05, 2023•47 min
Dearest wonderful listeners, from this episode we're changing things up a bit, not to mess with your minds but simply because we wanted to play more songs from recent Eurovision history. We hope you don't mind too much and we promise we'll still play some golden oldies. In this, our sixteenth episode, we debut our 'Last 5 years' category with the brilliant Mata Hari by Efendi, one of the songs that formed our soundtrack to living in Stockholm in 2021. We follow this with our previous 10 years ca...
Feb 19, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Every now and then a national final comes along that ticks all the boxes, offering multiple songs that you just know are going to end up as some of your most played on Spotify. We quickly realised that this year’s Melodi Grand Prix was going to be just such an event, with its wonderfully diverse range of talent bidding to win the right to represent Norway at this year’s Eurovision. We had the modern pop sensibility of underdog Eline Thorp, the quirky beauty of Elsie Bay, the cheeky camp of drag ...
Feb 12, 2023•45 min
In this episode, Andy and Ryan curate a typically eclectic collection of Eurovision classics, many of which, despite their brilliance, only made the middle of the results table. There’s country-inspired Stefan from Estonia with a guitar slung on his back, the UK’s own Samantha Janus who has a sincere message to your heart despite singing in her underwear, and the wondrous Zoë who takes us far away from here with uplifting flower-filled entry for Austria. Elsewhere Ryan seeks retribution for the ...
Feb 05, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Andy & Ryan are back with another heady mix of Eurovision goodness in which pianos duel and it all gets a bit angst-ridden up in here. We start with Romanian-Norwegian Ovi who managed to reach the contest twice with Paula Seling. Their pop duet 'Playing with Fire' features a giant perspex double piano, a leather catsuit, and, naturally, lots of flames. It's a certified banger which ultimately placed third. Elsewhere Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran also have a 'piano-off' with the catchy 'Rock ...
Jan 22, 2023•1 hr 12 min
It’s a new regular episode of Eurovision Queens featuring 7 more classic songs from contests past with your ESC-obsessed hosts Andy & Ryan. This time we unveil a brand new category as we ditch 2nd placed songs (we’ve done all the good ones!) for semi-final entries that didn’t make it through to the final. It’s a rich vein and we start strong with Kate Ryan’s seminal Je t’adore from 2006. Two of the songs are performed by ‘fun aunties’: Maltese powerhouse Claudette Pace with Desire (which sho...
Jan 08, 2023•1 hr 5 min
How about a bonus festive episode of Eurovision Queens? In a slight break from regular programming, we have gathered together 7 festive tracks from some of our favourite Eurovision artists that have featured on the podcast so far - get ready to discover some new christmassy tunes. A message from Andy & Ryan: Please review us on Apple Podcasts and like and share our content wherever you can - it will help others find us and makes us happy. Thank you! Socials: Twitter: @EuroQueensPod Instagram...
Dec 24, 2022•43 min
Andy & Ryan are in New Zealand and take the opportunity to interview podcaster (and Andy's sister) Alex Harper about her Eurovision memories. She chooses 7 songs that mean something to her and somehow manages to select entries not previously covered on the show. Strap in for some Eurovision classics from Malta, Norway, Romania and Israel... A message from Andy & Ryan: Please review us on Apple Podcasts and like and share our content wherever you can - it will help others find us and make...
Dec 18, 2022•1 hr 21 min
Episode 12 - Numbers, Perms and Silver Men by Eurovision Queens
Dec 04, 2022•1 hr 17 min
All Eurovision fans know that these days singing early in the show has a detrimental effect on your final placing and in this episode we celebrate some of those ‘early doors’ contestants. Cheeky Teo of Belarus kicks things off with the quirky Cheesecake, singing in the accursed second spot back in 2014. We are pleased to report that his spaghetti legs are still a marvel to behold. We concur that the next artist Birgitta Haukdal, who sang first in 2003, should have employed more gimmicks during t...
Nov 20, 2022•1 hr 7 min
What?!? Another episode almost entirely filled with female soloists belting out power ballads and pop hits. Who could ever have predicted that? First up we have the barnstorming Hera Bjork from Iceland who should have done so much better with the soaring Je Ne Sais Quoi back in 2010. Skamp’s You Got Style is effectively another solo effort fronted by Irish-Lithuanian Erica Jennings, with cool Deee-Lite vibes, but, like everything else in 2001, feels lost on that giant stadium stage in Copenhagen...
Nov 06, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Poor unsuspecting Ryan. He’s already tired because it’s a late recording session and then Andy subjects him to a range of Eurovision songs that are not exactly his bag. Understatement. To be fair things start off well with Ben and Tan singing Yes in emphatic style for Denmark in Eurovision’s lost year and Andy reveals the song’s special heart-warming significance, but then - Wham! - its Andy track after Andy track. First there’s Celtic overload from Ireland’s Dervish whose lead singer Mary perfo...
Oct 23, 2022•1 hr
It’s all happening in Episode 8: a cosmic princess on a bendy stilt, men wearing grandpa knickers, and incredibly well-rehearsed barstool choreography. What more could you want? Kate Miller-Heidke starts things off in style with a perfect mix of pop, opera and madness, before Armenia’s Sirusho delivers a dance-floor filler. We are also enchanted by the folky vibes of groundbreaking Åsa Kleveland performing in Eurovision’s first ever trouser-suit and fondly discuss the legendary Carrie Grant, jud...
Oct 09, 2022•1 hr 9 min
In our latest episode we have a typically eclectic mix of Eurovision songs and no less than three of the artists featured have performed at Eurovision several times including one of the most successful of all time: the irrepressible Carola from Sweden. Here we focus on her very first contest and the song Framling as well as the album of the same name which is still the best-selling Swedish album of all time. We also enjoy Helena Paparizou's debut performance as part of the Greek-Swedish group An...
Sep 25, 2022•1 hr 12 min
Episode 6 is very educational. It's all about learning new things. Like the fact that Estonia's Sahlene actually tied third place with Jessica Garlick back in 2002, that Lena's Taken by a Stranger performance was much less sexy than we remembered, and, most surprisingly of all, the discovery that Polina Gagarina is a terrible Putin-supporting nightmare person. Eep! Elsewhere we enjoy Lindsay Dracass hitting that final note back in 2001 and Teach Inn's classic winner from 1975, while the Randomis...
Sep 11, 2022•54 min
It's already episode 5 and this time around the theme is confidence as every single performer here presents their song with complete confidence. A lot of them are achingly cool too but not all of them (!) so we just stuck with confidence in the end. Obvious highlights include the catchy 1985 winner, the seminal Calm After the Storm that charted all over the world, and the last UK song to place second in the contest before Sam Ryder restored us to glory this year. We also have the nicest Swede yo...
Aug 28, 2022•1 hr
We've titled our fourth episode '7 Wonders' as it offers a typically broad selection of wonderful Eurovision songs including, of course, Ira Losco's 2nd place song 7th Wonder. We also have two golden oldies from the 1970s, a toe-tapper from the early 2000s, and the modern day is represented by everyone's favourite backpack guy Mikolas Josef. Elsewhere the Randomiser dials up a Croatian pop princess, while for the Deuce Award we choose a bona fide queen from Australia playing into our love of Ru ...
Aug 14, 2022•57 min
