Do you like it when we see people from outside Europe (or, since 2015, Australia), taking part in our favourite TV show? Do you want to see the best singers, wherever they’re from? Or should they just be European?
Of course, non-Europeans have won the big prize before, probably most famously a certain Canadian in 1988. In a part-homage to this Swiss-Canadian collaboration, today’s birthday girl Rykka (née Christina Maria Rieder) is also a Canadian, and also represented the Confederation. She didn’t quite have the same success, but the contest is a different thing to 1988. To be fair, Rykka is probably more Swiss than Ms Dion, so she at least had that on her side. Most of Rykka’s points came from the televote in the second semi-final. She only received televoting points from one country. But bearing in mind 2020, it was probably a good idea another non-European (Australian) didn’t have blue hair for her appearance.
Rykka is 37 today.
Happy birthday/Bonne anniversaire/Frohe Geburtstag/Buon compleanno, Rykka!