Junior Eurovision lovers, this one’s for you!
Namely, the first heat of Junior Eurovision Éire 2023 was aired tonight. Longtime presenter Louise Cantillon returned to host the show, joined again by fellow host Darragh Ó Caoimh.
As in previous seasons, it appears that TG4 will continue to follow the same format for the show. Tonight’s results were determined by a panel of judges in the studio, consisting of two regular members and a guest judge. Each judge had the discretion to grant a maximum of ten stars to any contestant. The contestant with the most stars earned a spot in the semi-final, while those who came in second and third place participated in a sing-off, during which the judges chose one to move forward.
The two permanent judges are:
- Niamh Ní Chróinín – Presenter of TG4’s youth programming Cúla4 and manager of the Irish-language youth radio station Raidió Rí-Rá.
- Aindriú de Paor – Known for his roles at RTÉ 2fm, RTÉ Sport, and Spórt TG4.
As previously announced, this week’s guest judge was Brooke Scullion, who represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022.
And finally, the results unfolded as follows:
- Liza O’Neill – “Driver’s License” (27 stars) – Competing in the Sing-Off
- Gillian Brennan – “And I Am Telling You” (29 stars) – Advancing to the Semi-Finals
- Lottie O’Driscoll Murray – “Ghost” (25 stars)
- Sophia Connolly Deane – “When the Party’s Over” (28 stars) – Competing in the Sing-Off
- Alanna Manton – “New York” (24 stars)
- Kiefer Byrne – “Leave a Light On” (22 stars)
Having achieved the top score, Gillian Brennan secured the first semi-final position automatically. Following closely behind with the next highest scores were Sophia Connolly Deane and Liza O’Neill, who engaged in a sing-off, ultimately resulting in Liza O’Neill securing the second semi-final spot.
Across a span of six weeks, gifted young participants hailing from various regions of Ireland will vie for the chance to be the representative of their nation at the upcoming Junior Eurovision Song Contest scheduled for December 2023 in Nice, France.
The next heat of Junior Eurovision Éire is scheduled to air on Sunday, September 10th.
Source: TG4
Are #YOU following Ireland’s Junior Eurovision journey to select their next representative? Let us know on social media @ESCUnited, on our Discord, or on our forum page!
