De Toppers

...We need to decide, find an end to this game.” First they were three, then they were still three, although with a change in line-up, then they were two, then three again and now they are four! The Dutch soap opera called The Toppers have had yet another chapter written to it.

The Dutch soap opera about De Toppers, who represented the Netherlands at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, continues. Gerard Joling left the extravagant trio, got replaced by Jeroen van der Boom and now rumours indicate that he might be coming back – to replace Gordon who was the reason he left in the first place!

Eurovision Song Contest winner Alexander Rybak is popular in both the Netherlands and Belgium. De Toppers is doing well on the Dutch chart and in Belgium Hadise is on both the ones from Flanders and Wallonia, although the two charts are very different.

After Tuesday’s semifinal, this evening, we discovered who would fill the remaining places in the final on Saturday. Nineteen countries, including favourites Norway, competed for the ten available places. The hosts were Andrey Malakhov and Natalia Vodianova, who also hosted the first semifinal.

Today’s rehearsals were the last opportunity for individual rehearsals before attention turns to the first rehearsal of the first semifinal. The countries who automatically qualify for the final were on stage for the second consecutive day.

The Eurovision Party season continued unabated with a party hosted by the Greek and Cypriot delegations and the huge Eurodom.  More than half of this year's contestants performed on the stage to a packed house.

The tradition of Belarussian party continues, as it impresses with its lavishness.  A galaxy of Eurovision stars past and present, including Koldun, Polina Smolova, and Ruslan Alehno entertained thousands of delegates at a party that will be talked about for years to come.