I love the UK so much I’m moving here, says Eurovision winner Loreen as she admits almost flashing crowds
SWEDISH Eurovision sensation Loreen is hoping next year’s contest will take place in the capital Stockholm — as she is convinced it will persuade locals ABBA to reunite.
In her first newspaper interview following her record-breaking second win, with Tattoo, Loreen said she believes the chances are high of Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog, Benny Andersson and Frida Lyngstad being at the event, 50 years after her fellow Swedes won Eurovision with Waterloo.
She said: “If it’s Stockholm the chances are big, honestly.
“After 50 years, I think so.
“I’ve met three of them and I’m pretty sure they’re gonna come.”
It would also be the biggest Eurovision ever, as Friends Arena, where Beyonce kicked off her world tour last week, has a capacity of 50,000 — almost five times bigger than Saturday’s venue the Liverpool Arena.
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Loreen said: “I’m putting some pressure.
“They have to do Stockholm this time, especially because it’s 50 years since ABBA won.
“We’re starting a campaign here.”
Loreen became the first woman to win twice, following her 2012 victory with Euphoria, when she beat competition from Finland’s Kaarija and his catchy track Cha Cha Cha.
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But things almost went very wrong on the night as she narrowly avoided flashing the crowd, explaining that her skin-tight trousers tore minutes after her performance.
She explained: “My pants ripped but it was after I came off stage.
“It was all the way up.
“I think it must have been the glute exercises I was doing.
“I was so high on adrenaline that I walked the corridors after and I was like, ‘It feels so cool’, then I saw my pants.
“Thankfully my stylist had another pair.”
She didn’t get back to her hotel room until 4.30am on Sunday and has barely had time to properly celebrate.
Loreen explained: “Straight after I won there was a press conference and it was a long one.
“When I came to the hotel it was friends and family and everyone was celebrating.
“I went in like, ‘I love you, I love you, I love you. Ta ta, I’m going to sleep now’. That was my celebration.”
She has spent the past fortnight in Liverpool in the run-up to the contest and as she spoke to Bizarre in London yesterday, she revealed she is now eyeing up a move to the UK.
The Swede mused: “I love this place.
“You can feel the creativity.
“In 2012 when I won in Azerbaijan, with all due respect, the energy was pretty tense there.
“And this experience in the UK, it’s a vibe. The audience was amazing.
“You guys are trendsetters.
“I’m like, ‘My God, I need to get the f*** out of Sweden’.”
Pushed on whether she will move here, she continued: “I would... I could... It’s something I’ve considered after these trips.
“I’ve talked about it like.
“I’ve been to the UK so many times but this time, I really like it.”
As for what the UK could do to improve its success rate following Mae Muller’s penultimate place on the leaderboard, she reckons it’s all about authenticity.
She said: “I love what Mae Muller did and she’s speaking to a younger generation, which is important.
“I guess the only thing for me which really hits when I look at an artist is if an artist is authentic.
“That’s the truth about Kaarija, when he’s on stage, there is no fear, and what you see is what you get.”
Looking forward to what’s next, she added: “We are creating music as we speak, so there’s going to be a lot of creating.
“There’s going to be a bit more of my heritage in it which is exciting, but still pop and dance.
“I’m going to Iceland and then I’m going to create a lot of music here in London.
“Then there’s going to be a European tour - I’m so excited. F***ing finally.”
MADONNA feared having kids would stop her being a superstar.
In a post on Instagram for Mother’s Day in the US, she wrote: “I rejected the idea of being a mother well into my 30s because I associated motherhood with sacrifice, suffering and, ultimately, death, and I wanted none of that.
“I decided to rip the asshole out of life and take the road less travelled, with no preconceived notion of what was expected of me as a woman.
When I finally did become a mother I was astonished at how grounded I felt but also dazed and confused as to how I would figure out the balancing act between being a good mother and an uncompromising artist.”
The singer, who has six kids aged ten to 26, continued: “I have experienced my highest highs and my lowest lows as a mother. No one could have prepared me.”
Vern has family in tears
VERNON KAY launched his stint on Radio 2 yesterday by revealing the new job had left his relatives in tears.
He took over from Ken Bruce in the mid-morning weekday slot and chose U2’s Beautiful Day as his first song.
Vernon had a good luck card in the studio with him from relatives, who he said are “massive Radio 2 fans”, and he explained: “This is from my cousin Carol and Paul and the family.
“When I told Paul, my cousin, that I’d got this job he started crying. Then he said, ‘You’ve got to phone Carol’.
“So I phoned Carol at work and I told her and then she started crying.
“So it’s had a massive knock-on effect, me getting this gig, throughout the whole of our family. And I just hope that you enjoy this journey as much as I will.”
He promised the programme would not be “London-centric” and told listeners: “It’s about what’s going on in your world.”
Despite receiving a massive payday for the job, he said he is keeping down to earth.
Vernon added: “I commuted this morning.
“I got public transport, which I will be doing every day to get to BBC Radio 2 HQ.”
Surprise Bill-ing
GREEN DAY’s Billie Joe Armstrong shocked a fan by jumping up on stage with her as she covered one of their songs.
A band called Borderline Toxic were performing at Slim Jim’s Liquor Store in Islington, North London, on Saturday when they covered the US group’s hit Basket Case.
And singer Kerry Glass was left speechless when the Californian frontman, who happened to be at the bar, joined her on stage to sing it.
She told the BBC: “Eleven-year-old me panicked.
“I think I did three circles just running around the stage until he was like, ‘Come on, sing with me’.”
“It took a minute to settle. And then I was like, ‘You know I’m going to enjoy every single second of this’.”
Ed one to catch again
ED SHEERAN is standing firm at No1 after his album Subtract became the fastest-selling record of the year.
It is on course to stay at the top for a second week, according to mid-week data from Official Charts.
He is ahead of indie pop band Lovejoy with Wake Up &; It’s Over.
Alison Goldfrapp’s first solo album out of electronic duo Goldfrapp, The Love Invention, is on course to go to No3.
The Jonas Brothers are at No4 with The Album and Potter Payper’s debut Real Back In Style is at No6.
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There is good news for Beyonce, too.
As she prepares to kick off the UK leg of her tour tomorrow, her album Renaissance is back in the top 20 at No18.