9 March – Like a burning fever, like a piece of happiness

There is an elite bunch of people out there who have taken part more than once. It’s as if they can’t get enough of the Eurovision drug. And I don’t mean Ibuprofen. But that elite club has advanced membership for the three-times-or-more posse.

One of that select club is today’s birthday girl Katja Ebstein (née Karin Witkiewicz). Her time came in 1970, 1971 and 1980. She’s probably the most unlucky of the three-times-or-more, as she would have got three medals – had Eurovision been an Olympic event. Those medals were bronze, bronze and silver. No gold. And two of those appearances were behind Irish wins. Good news for the Emerald Isle, but not so for our Katja. If I were RTÉ, I’d be petitioning to get Katja in for a fourth time.

Katja is 79 today.

Frohe Geburtstag, Katja!