Eurovision.ert.gr 2005
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Akos Kirsch
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Miss KA
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Eurovision.ert.gr 2005
Miss KA Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:39 am
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i copy the info here, quite interesting! like a diary!
From beautiful Kyiv together with Helena Paparizou and the whole Greek team, good afternoon! It may be bitterly cold here, but the Ukrainian capital has opened a warm embrace to welcome the visitors from Greece. Our day started out very early, and already from 7am we were in the studios of Ukrainian music television network M1, where Helena gave an interview on the channel’s morning programme. During the programme, both My Number One and Die for You, with which Helena, singing with Antique at that time, won third place in the Eurovision Contest, were played. After M1, it was time for a radio interview for Gala with Dj Pasha, who will co-present the big night of the final with Ruslana in Kyiv. The Greek singer also spoke on radio station Europa+, on Enter, and on music site [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] The intensive schedule of the Greek team will continue until late this evening. Keep visiting [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] to follow their moves and get the latest news on the last trip on the promo-tour.
7 August The 10th IAAF World Championships opened in Helsinki with Europe’s No 1 song. During the official opening ceremony, the Finnish capital’s Olympic Stadium filled with Greek beat and colour, as Helena Paparizou sang "my Number One". The winning Eurovision song, which is a hit in Finland and the rest of the Scandinavian countries, set the Finish crowd on fire. Helena was amazing, while she performed a different choreography from the one in Kyiv and was fervently applauded by the audience, proving once again that she is the absolute favourite. After the song, Helena wished all the athletes good luck. Apart from the Greek singer, Swedish band Rednex and Finnish band Apocalyptica also performed in the opening ceremony.
June 17 A big and lively party took place on Thursday night at a beachside nightclub for the award ceremony of the platinum album "Priority-Euro edition" and the gold CD single "My Number One" to Helena Paparizou and the people that worked for the great double success. Everyone attended the party. Friends, associates, artists, singers and composers and of course the department of ERT’s International Relations, the Director of which, Foteini Giannoulatou received the platinum record for ERT. The congratulations and bravos received by ERT for the promotion of "My Number One" and Helena Paparizou were many, since it is a given fact that its contribution was determinative for the 1st place of Greece in Eurovision. The smiles and congratulations did not stop all night and everyone had a good word to say about Helena and the contributors of this important success.
June 13 "She is a great Greek woman that speaks from her heart and soul," said Alternate Minister of Culture, Fani Palli-Petralia about Helena Paparizou, after their meeting in the Ministry, on Monday. Mrs Petralia thanked Helena "for the great success she achieved for Greece," and said she was sure that in 2006 "Greece with Helena as hostess will organize a unique event." She also thanked Helena for accepting an invitation to organize a concert on August 13, on the occasion of the first birthday of the Olympic Games. "It is a great honor for me to participate in the concert, in order to remember the commencement of the Olympic Games," said Helena, while answering to the question of if there are "geographical partnerships" in the Eurovision voting, she said "there are no borders to music," while she did not hide her excitement over the 12 points that Turkey gave Greece.
June 2 The President and Managing Director of Public Television, Christos Panagopoulos, hosted a dinner in an Athenian restaurant, in honour of ERT’s delegation to Eurovision. The joyful mood, and of course, the discussions and memories from the course of the Greek triumph in the 50th Eurovision dominated the dinner. About a week after the victory in Kyiv, those who worked hard and incessantly for this success got together to remember the moments of excitement, as well as those of anxiousness, they experienced. All the members of the delegation, from the International and Public Relations, the General Directorate for Information, the General Directorate of Multimedia, as well as the authorised advisor to the ERT President, Giorgos Chouliaras, celebrated the victory of May 21, and promised to do their best for the next target, which is no other but the successful organisation of the 51st Eurovision in 2006, in Athens!
May 27 Just one day after Greece’s victory in the Eurovision Song Contest, British performer Javine Hylton and "Touch My Fire" composer John Themis, of Greek descent, rushed to congratulate Helena Paparizou and the Greek delegation. In a Press release, they noted that the Greek song deserved to win, since it was the best. As a matter of fact, Helena and Constanstinos Christoforou were two of Javine’s favourite participants this year, while she also had a chance to meet them during her brief promo tour in Cyprus and Greece. Furthermore, internationally acclaimed composer John Themis personally congratulated Helena, as well as the song’s creators, Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou. In the Press release they also wished for all of Greece to enjoy the coming "Eurovision Year", while at another point it read, "Football, Olympics, Eurovision. Well done Greece!"
May 25 When Helena embarked on her journey towards the final of the 50 Eurovision Song Contest, EOT (Greek National Tourism Organisation) appointed her ambassador of Greek tourism and stood by her throughout her endeavour. On the other hand, Helena proved worthy of this trust and even managed to conquer the first place in the music contest. Following that success, it is now time for the Greek performer to take her ambassadorship a step further. During her meeting on Thursday with Tourism Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, Helena Paparizou discussed her future mission. The Minister congratulated the winner of the 50th Eurovision and declared that EOT and the Tourism Ministry feel proud for trusting Helena. As he added, the positive impacts are already visible, since Greece was sufficiently promoted throughout the period leading to the final. In the meantime, as soon as Helena returns from Sweden, where she will be heading tomorrow, she will start tapings of TV ads for EOT, under the sounds of "My Number One", which will be broadcast on overseas channels. Just before the end of their meeting, Mr Avramopoulos gave Helena a memorial plaque. After that, the Greek singer signed autographs and posed for photos with fans, who had arrived to meet her in person.
After the successful completion of the Eurovision Song Contest for ERT SA, the public television concludes the financial report of this organisation and television production with a positive sign. ERT SA's revenues from the exploitation of EUROVISION's television programmes rise to 1,330,000 euros (advertisement and sponsorships) and the total expenses of the production (EBU rights, production of shows, promotion of the Greek song abroad, delegation to Kyiv, etc.) do not exceed 900,000 euros. It should be clarified that the total of the above mentioned revenues is estimated to increase further by the total commercial exploitation of the product. The hosting of the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest constitutes a new centre for activities and revenues for ERT SA.
Regarding the city were the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest will be held, ERT clarifies the following:
* The show will be co-produced by EBU and ERT SA.
* ERT is planning to host the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens, taking into consideration EBU's already voiced wish to combine the contest with the Olympic facilities and infrastructure the city of Athens has to offer.
* Talks with EBU regarding the organisation will start a month from now and until then ERT will have formed its final decisions.
* By the end of 2005, all the details of the organisation and the television production will have been finalized and their materialization will gradually start.
May 24 Spyros Fren - Fortis Kontaxis: ERT’s crew which is now also known as the lucky duo, since it is Public TV’s only crew that covered the victory of the Greek National Football team and also travelled with Helena Paparizou to Kyiv, where Greece finished at the top of the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time ever. It was also the same crew that followed Helena to Portugal, Andorra, Cyprus and Bulgaria during her promo-tour. Even back then, both Spyros (camera) and Fotis (sound) kept saying that they were lucky and they would definitely bring the Eurovision trophy to Greece. Today, and having been proven right, we had a chance to chat about their experiences on the flight home.
Spyros and Fotis met Helena during the filming of "My Number One’s" video clip in Thessaloniki. As time went by, a friendship developed and Helena kept calling them "my team".
"As soon as we arrived at the hotel in Kyiv," said Spyros, "I gave Helena a lucky charm I was used to wear around my neck when I was in Portugal for the EURO Cup. It depicted a small Portuguese footballer we named Figo."
Helena immediately put the lucky charm around the neck of a stuffed toy dog she had brought with her from Athens.
"Not for one moment did Helena make us feel that we were just a crew following her around," mentioned Spyros and he continued, "Actually, two days before the final, at a party in Euroclub, she kissed me and told me she was happy to have us along, as we never left her alone, not even for a moment." Fotis shares the same feelings concerning his collaboration with Helena. "Helena was amazing and a true professional. The experience of the promo tour and working with her were unique."
He also noted that the very good relationship and mutual support between the entire Greek delegation greatly contributed to this.
"I dare to say that I enjoyed the Eurovision victory more, since I had a better time," said Fotis, comparing it to the historic moments he lived through in Portugal.
Finally, Spyros revealed to us what he gave Helena as a present on her name day, which coincided with the final, "I gave her a small box that had a picture of a girl wearing a traditional Ukrainian costume painted on it. Inside the box was a green stone, which, as per the locals, brings good luck and is the same colour as the official colours of Eurovision."
Well, guys, may this lucky winning streak continue!
And don’t forget: We hope to see you in Germany next month for the Greece vs Brazil match!
We were literally on seventh heaven along with Helena on Monday afternoon, when the Greek delegation bade farewell to Kyiv and boarded the flight to Athens. Everyone was anxious to return home with the trophy, while all eyes were fixed on the departure board to see when the gate, leading to the symbolic flight 001, would open. Greek flags and four bouquets of flowers had been placed on the seats of the contributors to the great success. Spirits were flying high even before the plane took off, as "My Number One" was being played over the loudspeakers, while the whole delegation started singing along. The laughs and jokes did not stop for one moment throughout the flight home, with Alexandra Paschalidou leading the pack and getting everyone to cheer along.
Festive Flight
As soon as we boarded, the flight attendants offered champagne to everyone and even before the plane took off, everyone was walking around, continuously swapping seats.
The pilot and crew had a lot of trouble getting everyone to sit still and tie their seatbelts for takeoff, but no one remained seated for long, as the strolls continued when the seatbelt sign went off.
The party really fired up when Helena, Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou left their seats and came to the back to celebrate the Greek victory with all the reporters, while things got even wilder when Helena got into the cockpit and started speaking over the loudspeakers, sending her wishes to everyone.
No one could sit tight for long, which made the job of the flight attendants even harder, especially when it was time to serve the meals. They kept telling people to sit down politely, but their efforts were in vain.
The meal was rather festive itself, as is included smoked salmon and stuffed chicken, while as soon as everyone was finished, they all started getting up again to continue celebrating with singing and dancing.
Everyone was joining in, while ERT’s chairman, Christos Panagopoulos, and the State Ministry’s secretary, Panos Livadas, who represented the government, seemed extremely happy with the Greek victory.
After approximately 2.5 hours, the plane landed on Greek soil, prompting a new wave of cheers from its very loud passengers.
As a matter of fact, the surprise in store by the fire engines, which created a watery arch, made the passengers even more ecstatic, as they immediately broke into applause.
Unique and unforgettable moments followed throughout the journey from the airport to ERT’s headquarters, with hundreds of people waiting on the streets waving Greek flags.
In the party that followed at ERT, the people had a chance to watch Helena sing and dance on stage, while quite a few of them were trying to approach her and demonstrate their admiration.
On Tuesday noon, the Prime Minister held a reception at the Maximos Mansion in honour of the Greek delegation that triumphed in the 50th Eurovision Song Contest. A silver plate depicting the Greek flag and bearing his signature was Mr Karamanlis’ gift to Helena Paparizou, while on the occasion of her name day the PM’s wife offered her a silver bracelet with a cross. In statements after the end of the meeting, Helena Paparizou, composer Christos Dantis and song writer Natalia Germanou said the Prime Minister congratulated them stressing he is very pleased with the result. What is more, Mr Dantis underlined that this success will do Greece good and will greatly benefit tourism and Greek music. Answering a question as to whether he considers "manifestations as extreme", he replied that "there was no extremity, Greeks gave their answer. We achieved a distinction for Greek music, which the country has been trying to achieve for 31 years
"We must get rid of the misery climate, first place in Eurovision gave Greece the opportunity to make its presence known once again all over the world in a positive way. And Greece should take advantage of this message to give a boost to the tourist flow," stressed the government spokesperson while welcoming Helena at the airport on Monday afternoon.
Mr Roussopoulos underlined that "first place is an important success that constantly promotes Greece."
In a question regarding the total cost of the Greek participation in the contest, the government spokesperson repeated ERT President's statement that "all expenses were covered, there was a profit of 400,000 euros, but there is also great profit from the country's international promotion."
May 23 The big stars of the 50th Eurovision are in Athens. The special charter flight, with the symbolic number 001, bringing the Greek team back home from Kyiv, arrived in Athens at 17:40. Helena herself was the first to emerge from the plane, to the cheers and clapping of the crowd. Helena and the Greek delegation were welcomed in VIP lounge A30-32 at the airport by Minister of State Thodoros Rousopoulos. Visibly moved and holding on tight to the Greek flag, Helena Paparizou thanked all Greeks, who from the very first moment had been at her side, giving her their love and positive vibes, which was all needed to win in Europe. She even underlined that she always said that her smile was the smile of all Greece. The next stop was the big party in the grounds of ERT’s studios, where a crowd of fans welcomed and cheered Helena and the triumphant performers home from Kyiv. In turn, she kept spirits high, singing My Number One. Thank you Helena!
During the welcoming ceremony, and after congratulating ERT, Mr Rousopoulos stressed, "you believed in what you did and you did it professionally. You promoted our country and proved that when a person wants something, he can achieve it."
Helena Paparizou said that she was excited with the welcome she was given, adding "It hasn’t yet sunk in that Greece is Number 1. Especially in music that unites the world. We did it! I’m so moved! Greece!"
Natalia Germanou said that this was her most important moment professionally. "We’ve brought you the European trophy, we hope you enjoy it. I personally feel prouder and more Greek than at any other time in my artistic career. Thank you for you affection."
Christos Dantis also thanked the people who believed in the song and voted for it. He added: "Having done a rehearsal in case we should win first place, I believed that I would go back and say, never mind, it’s not such a great thing. Today, I feel that it is such a great thing. Thank you to everyone."
ERT’s Chairman Christos Panagopoulos referred to the flawless and professional way in which everyone had worked and stressed "we brought back the prize and we dedicate it to the state, so it can use it in the best possible way."
ERT representative Giorgos Houliaras thanked everyone who had worked behind the scenes to bring about the result. "We did it, we worked methodically. The surprises are now for next year."
The reception of the victorious team at Athens airport was literally spectacular. Along the route from the plane to the carpark, fire engines created fountains to welcome the Eurovision winner.In the meantime, Greece has been dancing to the beat of My Number One since last Saturday and the celebration for the great victory in Eurovision is still going strong. On Monday afternoon, the centre of the party was ERT’s studio in Aghia Paraskevi, where at about 5pm the triumphant stars of the 50th Eurovision Song Contest were welcomed.
Preparations were feverish all morning, so as to have everything ready for the great party.
NET and NET SAT broadcast live to show every minute of the welcome for the winners of Europe’s biggest musical competition.
Until the Greek team arrived, Nikos Touliatos’ percussion band and DJs kept the crowd company with well-known successes by Helena Paparizou, warming up the crowd. The team arrived at the studios at about 7:15pm, over rose petals thrown down by the people along the way. Helena’s appearance from the coach was accompanied by cheering and applause. After greeting the crowd, she disappeared along with the rest of the team for a short time, to reappear a few minutes later, on stage, dressed in the Greek flag and holding the European trophy in her hand. ERT’s Chairman Christos Panagopoulos made no speech, and after thanking the people for waiting patiently for the Greek delegation to arrive, he restricted himself to a slogan reminiscent of Greece’s football victory in 2004. Next to take centre stage was the winning song My Number One by Christos Dantis, with lyrics by Natalias Germanou, with Helena’s voice once again enchanting the people.
Among those present at the party were Minister of State Thodoros Rousopoulos, Minister of Tourism Dimitris Avramopoulos, General Secretary of Information Panos Livadas, alternate Government Spokesman Evangelos Antonaros, the Chairman of the Hellenic Tourist Board Aristeidis Kalogeropoulos, members of ERT’s executive, etc.
Tomorrow at 13:30, the PM will hold a reception in honour of the Greek team at Maximos Mansion.
"The silent effort, the coordination of actions and the professionalism" that led to Greece’s successful result in the Eurovision Contest were today hailed by government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos.
Referring to Greece’s turn to host the Contest in 2006, Mr Rousopoulos stated that ERT will bear responsibility, while answering a question on involving the Minister of Tourism in this event, the government spokesman said: "the contribution of Mr Avramopoulos played a definitive role in promoting Greece abroad, just as ERT did a most professional job, just as the General Secretary of Information and finally, all Greeks around the world appreciated a great effort and of course first and foremost the song, the performer and the producers."
May 23 Today, the Dutch Press dedicated many articles to Greece’s victory in the 50th Eurovision Song Contest. As they noted, the Greek song was by far the best in the contest and it deserved to conquer the top, bringing Greece to the focus of international interest once again. Large photos depicting Helena waving the Greek flag accompany nearly all the articles. In his article in for the Telegraaf entitled "Success Has Smiled upon Greece", Jan-Jaap de Kloet noted, "Over the last few years Greece has found the formula for success." In support of this claim, the newspaper refers to last year’s successful hosting of the Olympic Games and the football victory in EURO 2004, claiming that winning first place in Eurovision, Europe’s major music contest, is a worthy continuation. The journalist also added that from the very first moment it was clear that Helena Paparizou would return victorious to Greece.
According to the newspaper, apart from the song, the great choreography and the significant promotion of the song, amounting to thousands of euros, also contributed to the Greek success.
Finally, it printed statements from Helena, who expressed her certainty that the Greek hosting next year would be crowned with success, as Greece has already shown with the Olympic Games last year that it is in a position to rise to international obligations.
Newspaper Algemeen Dagblad ran an article under the title "Let’s Go for Ouzo and Dancing", stating that the Greek triumph in the song contest gives the best answer to the contest’s critics who expressed the view that the entire event is now a personal affair for Eastern European countries which support each other.
As per the paper, the Greek success showed that a good song and an excellent performance are the best recipe for success, regardless of regional alliances. It is not by chance that countries from all over Europe gave top marks to the Greek song.
As a result, the newspaper does not attribute the Dutch failure in the contest to unholy alliances between various countries, but to the fact that the whole contest is not taken seriously in the Netherlands, which means that they do not put much effort into choosing and promoting their songs.
In an article by Peter van der Lint entitled "Greece Confirms the Title of Favourite", newspaper Trouw speaks of the Greek victory.
In its article it notes that Paparizou had been the favourite for many weeks at the bookmakers. It also underlines the fact that big countries, such as Spain, Great Britain, France and Germany, came last, even though until now they were the ones who always had a place in the final due to their financial contribution to the contest.
Finally, in an article by Kim van Kelen under the title "Eastern Europe Party until the Final Scores", newspaper Volkskrant also refers to the same topic. It stresses that, despite the traditionally non-transparent voting method in Eurovision, Greece deservedly finished on top, for the first time since joining in 1974.
May 22
One day after Helena Paparizou’s historic victory at the 50th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest, Kyiv awarded the Greek singer the greatest honour. The mayor offered her the golden key to the city. The ceremony was held on Sunday afternoon in the heart of the Ukrainian capital, Independence Square. Hundreds of Ukrainians had gathered at the Square early in the afternoon to listen to Helena performing "My Number One". Despite the rain that started falling, nobody left before the end of the ceremony, which concluded with Helena singing and dancing to the beat of My Number One. Shortly beforehand, the Mayor of Kyiv had welcomed Helena to the City Hall, while after this there was a cocktail party at Euroclub, in honour of the Greek performer.
The decades-long impregnable castle has finally fallen like a deck of cards and it couldn’t help it! Last night, the whole of Europe bowed before Greece and Helena Paparizou and the dream came true. Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou’s song gave Greece its first victory ever in the Eurovision Song Contest thereby giving Greece a chance to prove once more what great hosts we are. This was not the only great achievement last night, since NET's broadcast of the show scored the biggest viewing record ever. Each minute that passed by, more and more Greek hearts started beating to the rhythm of "My Number One" and TV ratings exceeded all previous records.
During the three minutes that Helena was performing her song on Palats Sportu's stage, ratings reached 86.5% which means that 3,517,595 viewers were watching NET. When Greece was proclaimed winner, ratings reached 94.1%, which means that 3,742,231 Greeks were sharing Helena's joy through NET channel. The moment when President Yushchenko was giving Helena the special award TV ratings reached the unprecedented percentage of 94.2%.
Apart from AGB TV devices, ERTonline's measurement devices were also set alight. Over 1,000,000 users from 116 countries visited ERT's official Eurovision website, which was by the side of the Greek delegation from the very beginning. In fact, more than half of the visitors were from abroad. What is more, over 10,000 people watched the Eurovision song contest live on the Internet, via ERT's website.
Our next Eurovision date is set for May 18, 2006 and we can only hope to celebrate a respective double victory then as well!
Helena Paparizou and "My Number One" have taken Greece to the top of Europe, getting millions of viewers to sit tight in front of their TVs and making thousands of Greeks in Greece and abroad go wild with enthusiasm celebrating our country’s great victory in the biggest European song contest. Now it is our turn to give Helena Paparizou, Christos Dantis, Natalia Germanou, Fokas Evangelinos and all those who really worked hard to make this happen a huge "Thank You" and show them they are Number One in our hearts. ERT invites you all on Monday after 17:00 to come to ERT’s headquarters (432 Mesogeion Avenue, Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece) and join us in a great welcoming party. However, if you are among those who simply can’t wait that long, then you can always go to Athens Eleftherios Venizelos airport and welcome Helena and the rest of the Greek delegation, who are flying in with Aegean Airlines at 16:00.
May 22 Greece’s victory last night at the 50th Eurovision Song Contest was more than just a victory for our country. It was a victory for Greeks around the world, wherever they are. It was a victory for Expatriate Greeks who supported Helena Paparizou. A child of Greek emigrants herself, born abroad, Helena did not forget the precious support of expatriate Greeks, whom she met at various stops on her European promo-tour. Through ert.gr’s camera, Helena sent her love and said a great "Thank you" to all the Greeks of the Diaspora, who last night proved their close bonds to their homeland, which they always help in any way that they can. "I love you all and I know how you feel" she said deeply moved, while she thanked them again this morning during the Press Conference. In fact, the Greek ambassador to Kyiv, Mr Goumas, offered her flowers and thanked her on behalf of all Greeks living abroad for the great joy she had given them with her victory.
What is more, the results of last night's televoting prove the support of Expatriate Greeks. There are many Greeks in six of the ten countries that gave Greece twelve points (Belgium, Germany, Serbia-Montenegro, Sweden, United Kingdom) as well as in two of the ones that gave us ten points (the Netherlands and Romania).
Helena's European tour played an important role in uniting and motivating the Greeks of the Diaspora, as well as providing them with continuous information through the Internet, where [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] was a reference and meeting point for all Greeks around the world.
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may 22
Following such a great victory and the endless hours of hard work and preparation, it was time to celebrate. A cheerful and vivid party was held at the hotel bar and the entire Greek delegation was there to have fun and celebrate the first Greek Eurovision victory ever. A true feast was held here at Premier Palace and as was expected the sounds of "My Number One" filled the hotel. Friends, relatives and Helena’s associates, who had been experiencing her stress, anxiety and efforts up close all this time, couldn’t stop hugging Helena and giving her their congratulations. Naturally, she didn’t leave them unsatisfied. Shortly before leaving the party in the morning, she sat on the piano with Christos Dantis and performed "My Number One" live, sending spirits sky-high!
The lead singer of Wig Wam, the Norwegian band, also attended the party to congratulate the Greek winner and stated that the final ranking of their song "In My Dreams" is rock and roll's victory.
The great feast came to its end shortly after 6 in the morning and all the members of the Greek delegation finally went up to their rooms to get some rest and recharge their batteries before the Press Conference due for Sunday morning at 11:30.
ERT SA President Christos Panagopoulos opened the Press Conference stressing that victory was the result of good preparation and professionalism by all those who worked for the Eurovision Song Contest and added that the high TV ratings (over 94%) proved that Eurovision is a very important commercial event for ERT.
Following, it was Helena's time to talk. The Greek winner stressed the importance of the fact that the Greek delegation was united when it left Greece and remained united throughout the entire course. "We woke up this morning realising it wasn't just a dream."
"Greeks continue to make history" stressed Helena, while answering ERTonline's question and said that ERT's site showed the whole truth and all the efforts made during the promo-tour.
She also thanked Expatriate Greeks around the world and the Greek embassies for their warm welcome at all the stops of her tour.
In the afternoon, the Mayor of Kyiv will hold a dinner in her honour and give Helena the city's golden key.
May 22 Kyiv, correspondent: Vicky Keleri, Mary Lou Tzempelikou
This day will go down in history for Greece, since it won Europe’s biggest music contest for the first time ever. Helena Paparizou and "My Number One" wowed European audiences, which gave Greece first place in the Eurovision Song Contest with 230 points. Malta and their song "Angel" came second, followed by Romania, Israel and Latvia. The first ten places were filled by Moldova, Serbia-Montenegro, Switzerland, Norway and Denmark. The spirits were running high in Palats Sportu from early on, since many Greeks were clustering together in groups. Every time a host awarded points to Greece, they started waving Greek flags, while, when it became obvious towards the end that the song was going to win, they started shouting "Greece, Greece" and chanting popular mottos from the 2004 EURO football final. The voices of the Greeks were joined by those of the Cypriots, who started celebrating along.
Click here to view the official scoreboard.
"We Took It!"
The atmosphere in Kyiv is amazing. There are many Greeks around, including journalists and tourists, who came to watch Eurovision, as well as many locals, while the Greek words Sycharitiria (Congratulations) and To Pirame (We Took It) are echoing everywhere.
Today’s result was not a great gift just for Greece, but also for all the people who worked hard aiming for the top, as well as for Helena, since May 21 coincides with her name day.
It is also very important that this victory comes at a very significant moment for Eurovision, since it celebrates its 50-year anniversary.
The President of the Ukraine Viktor Yuschenko awarded the golden prize to Helena, while earlier it was Ruslana who welcomed the winner of the 50th Eurovision on stage.
Here in Kyiv, everyone is talking about this being Greece’s year, since after the Olympic Games and the EURO 2004 victory, it was time for the country to win the Eurovision Song Contest. Actually, nearly everyone told us that they really wished for Helena to win so that they could have the chance to visit Greece next year.
Following the end of the Contest, Helena gave a Press conference, while a wild party will be staged later tonight at Euroclub.
Congratulations Helena
Helena Paparizou received congratulations from the President of the Hellenic Republic, the Greek PM, PASOK’s President, the Mayor of Athens, the Tourism Minister and the Alternate Minister for Culture for her international success.
The President of the Hellenic Republic mentioned the following, "The crew that worked in front and behind the cameras did their best so that Greece could win. I hope and wish for the enthusiasm to act as a stimulant for greater and more important successes in the area of culture, which constitutes our country’s most valuable export."
Mr Karamanlis noted in his telegram, "Dear Helena, your great win filled all the Greeks with joy, both in Greece as well as overseas. Warm congratulations are in order to you and the rest of the crew for tonight’s success, as you gave us the "No 1".
George Papandreou noted that a self-made Greek of the Diaspora made as happy by winning first place in the Eurovision Contest, adding, "We congratulate her and wish her success in the future both for herself and for Greece. The song, music and culture can become a powerful force for Greece if we invest on those and develop our potential."
The Alternate Culture Minister Fani Palli-Petralia declared, "With her amazing performance and stage appearance, Helena Paparizou achieved an artistic triumph for Greece. She made us proud. She deserves our warmest congratulations."
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May 21 It was exactly as it name suggests: Number One on stage, enchanting the audiences in Palats Sportu, who could not stop applauding. Helena and Fokas Evaggelinos’ group of four dancers performed the demanding and complicated routine flawlessly. None of the three dress rehearsals that preceded could be compared to tonight’s performance by the Greek entry, since the whole team went over the limit, as they had promised. From now on, the future of "My Number One" is up to the European viewers, while the official results will be announced a little after 1am. You will be able to view the official results in detail on [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] as soon as they are approved by the EBU.
May 21 The Big Final Has Arrived
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21 Μαϊ 2005 00:40:00
Kyiv, correspondent: Vicky Keleri, Mary Lou Tzempelikou
The moment we have all been waiting for has arrived. The 50th Eurovision final commenced a few minutes ago. Last year’s winner Ruslana opened the show with an amazing performance. The two dress rehearsals were successfully held on Friday and as it appeared, everything was set for the broadcast of the greatest music party in Europe, which is being watched by millions of Europeans. After the last rehearsal on Saturday, the artists finally got some rest and recharged their batteries before tonight’s show. Helena and the Greek delegation are more than ready to appear on Palats Sportu’s stage and perform "My Number One" in their own unique way. The results of hard work and intense preparation were evident during rehearsals, which ended with vivid applause for the Greek delegation. See you all again in a few hours with all the latest news from Kyiv.
The participating countries are 24, but there is only place for one at the top. The winning entry will be the one to gather the most points, which will be given by the European audience. Some countries are surely making a difference, however there are no favourites and this is why everyone's vote is of major importance. Don’t forget that even if you are living in a country that failed to qualify, you can still vote.
Remember that each vote is very important, as according to EBU regulations, in case the necessary minimum number of telephone calls and SMS is not reached, then the voting result of a backup committee is counted for, which in many cases significantly differs from the people's choice.
As was announced during an EBU Press Conference, this is what happened on Friday with Andorra, Monaco and Albania. This fact partially explains the unexpected results of Thursday's semifinal.
This is why it is important to support the Greek entry voting as many times as you like during the ten-minute televoting time, which will proclaim the 50th Eurovision winner.
Tickets for tonight's final have been long since sold out and Palats Sportu is expected to be packed with Ukrainians and people from around Europe, who have come to Kyiv to see the Eurovision final. Spirits are running high and the entire city has been dancing to the Eurovision beat for days ,since this is the greatest music event ever held in Kyiv.
See you all again in a few hours with all the latest news from Kyiv.
May 20 Finishing Touches
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20 Μαϊ 2005 16:11:00 (Latest Update: 21 Μαϊ 2005 18:46:05)
Kyiv, correspondent: Vicky Keleri
Just a few hours after the end of yesterday’s semifinal, which was filled with surprises, the 24 finalists are moving to the beat of the much-awaited 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which is just a day away. Two general rehearsals will be taking place today, during which all the artists will appear on stage and perform their songs just as they will on the 21 May final. Helena, Alex Panagis and Fokas Evangelinos’ dancers are fully prepared to face the great challenge, while the two rehearsals will be the big test for tomorrow’s appearance. Today, we will also have a chance for a sneak preview of Helena’s dress, which has been designed by Roberto Cavalli, who was inspired by the colours of the Greek sunset.
The members of the Greek entry are not nervous, however, they are a bit stressed about the creative part of the performance, which will signal whether they will be 100% successful or not. Helena and the rest of the team have worked very hard to offer audiences an unforgettable performance of "My Number One".
Anyhow, tomorrow night, the people are the ones who will be called upon to decide on the winner, by voting for the song they like. We will renew our date with you for later tonight, as we will be bringing you all the latest news and gossip from the general rehearsals, as well as the atmosphere that prevails just a few hours before the most spectacular music party of Europe.
Translated by Vicky Ghionis
May 19 Wishing for the Greek song "My Number One" to win first place in Europe, ERT and TIM are co-hosting a great party at Aigli, Zappeion, on Saturday May 21. Rika Vagianni will be hosting the show and all of you are invited to cheer and clap for Helena with the motto "Go Helena, Go Greece", setting the pace for the Greek entry. After the Greek Cup final between Aris and Olympiacos, football will pass the reins on to singing and at 21:15 Rika Vagianni will present the "Eurovision Pre Show," which will be broadcast live on NET and ERTSAT. With live links from Kyiv, we will all watch the preparations of the Greek delegation, while spirits will be flying high with happenings and surprises. Come to Zappeion on the big night of the Eurovision final so we can all celebrate together and wish for Helena and "My Number One" to conquer the top!
May 19 The party that was given on Wednesday night by the Greek participation with Cyprus and Malta at Euroclub was filled with lots of dancing, singing and surprises. Many Eurovision fans attended and enjoyed themselves until the early morning hours. Helena arrived at the club shortly before 11:00, and her arrival monopolized the journalists, that were at Euroclub to cover the party. Everyone was trying to take a picture of the Greek performer, who wore a white summer dress and looked truly magnificent. During her entrance at the party she met with Martin from FYROM, while a few minutes later she sang with No Name from Serbia. Helena sang the chorus of their song while they sang some lyrics from "My Number One."
A pleasant surprise was when the Polish fans that expressed their love and support to the Greek participation in front of the cameras, while one shouted "I love you Helena!" waving the Greek flag. Another moment was when Helena, Constantinos and Chiara sang together at the stage that had been set up rousing the crowd that excitedly applauded.
The second pleasant surprise was the appearance of the Ukrainian participation, Greenjolly that after teaching Helena the rhythm of their song, following sang together on stage.
The surprises came to an end with the arrival of last year’s Eurovision winner, Ruslana that joined Constantinos in a slow dance, attracting everyone’s attention.
May 18 Omogenia Supports Helena
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18 Μαϊ 2005 21:44:00
Warm applause and great enthusiasm welcomed Helena Paparizou to the reception in her honour in the Greek embassy with omogenia (ethnic Greeks) in the Ukraine. With the arrival of the Greek performer, the sounds of "My Number One" flooded the room, making the spring afternoon in Kyiv even more idyllic. Helena was welcomed by the Greek ambassador, while camera flashes from photographers, many representing Ukrainian Media, continued until the end of the small party. The singer was soon lost amongst the embraces of dozens of omogenia, who wanted to meet her in person and wish her good luck. The love and warm welcome made Helena particularly pleased, and she smiled and was photographed with everyone, while she signed many "My Number One" CDs. Constantinos Christoforou was also there, while a surprise appearance came from Russian singer Philip Kirkorov, who arrived with Ilias Psinakis. Also at the reception were the composer of the Greek song, Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou, who helped write the lyrics.
The entire reception moved to the rhythm of "My Number One," while everyone wished Helena and the song’s creators all the best for the big night of the final.
Of course, we asked the Greek ambassador for his opinion about the Greek entry, and he had the best words to say about Helena and the song, and expressed th opinion that the Ukraine will support Greece.
As he told us, the messages from the Ukrainian public and Press has been positive about the Greek song.
Many of the ethnic Greeks also confirmed this for us. Discussing with them, they all told us that "My Number One" has won the hearts of the people of the Ukraine, as it is frequently played on Kyiv radio stations.
The reception at the embassy ended shortly after 20:00, and everyone is preparing for the big Eurovision party tonight at the Euroclub, hosted by Greece, Cyprus and Malta.
May 18
Surprise Appearance from Helena
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18 Μαϊ 2005 02:47:00
Kyiv, correspondent: Vicky Keleri, Mary Lou Tzempelikou
Well, the party may have been hosted by the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Monaco, however "My Number 1" stole the limelight and Helena Paparizou had all eyes set on her. The Greek singer got on Euroclub Arena’s stage to sing, just like many other Eurovision participants, and roused the crowds, which welcomed her with their warmest applause. In fact, Martin from Sweden invited her on stage, saying she is wonderful and unique. Helena started her performance with "I would die for you," which had won Greece third place in 2001 and the party was set on fire. Everyone was singing and dancing to its beat, while enthusiasm went sky-high a while later, when Helena sang "My Number 1" accompanied by Alex Panagis and the rest of the ballet. People of all ages and from various delegations stood up and started dancing and singing the song, whose lyrics they knew very well, as we saw for ourselves.
Number One Entertainment
Last night had one more surprise for the Greek delegation, as Euroclub's main programme opened with "My Number 1," which once again carried everyone away to its groove.
In fact, while Ortal from France and Son de Sol from Spain were ending their programme, the Dj played the Greek song again and the girls remained on stage to sing and dance to its beat.
The party kept going until the early morning hours with more Eurovision hits.
As for today, Helena will have the chance to relax and recharge her batteries, since no rehearsals have been scheduled for today. However, the Greek embassy will host a reception to her honour, while at night the Greek delegation will throw its own Eurovision party at Euroclub, along with Cyprus and Malta.
See you all in a few-hours time for all the latest news from Helena's course towards the big final.
May 17
Glamorous Appearance on Big Night
Helena's Secrets for Eurovision Final
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17 Μαϊ 2005 19:00:00
Kyiv, correspondent: Vicky Keleri, Mary Lou Tzempelikou
Apart from the sounds of "My Number One," Helena’s appearance on stage at Palats Sportu will also have a hint of Greece for the big final on May 21. Helena will perform "My Number One" dressed in the colours of the sunset, giving everyone a taste of Greece. More specifically, the Greek performer will wear a mini dress and a bodice in the colours of coral, gold and red, decorated with tiny crystals, custom-made by Roberto Cavalli.
After the end of the second rehearsal of "My Number One" on the stage of Palats Sportu, Helena gave a Press conference for the journalists covering the great event. The Greek performer answered a multitude of questions by foreign journalists, who warmly applauded her. Many described her as a favorite for first place but Helena kept a low profile and thanked them by making them dance to the beat of "My Number One," singing the song acapella at the end of the interview.
Tonight, the Greek performer sang, along with other contestants, at the opening of the charity concert of last year’s Eurovision winner, Ruslana.
Stay tuned for more news from Kyiv, here on [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
May 16 Helena and her ballet’s first rehearsals on the admittedly impressive stage of Palats Sportu were completed successfully, while the countdown to the great final has began. Fully coordinated and under the watchful eye of choreographer Fokas Evaggelinos, Helena and her group of four dancers completed their original routine flawlessly, demonstrating that they are fully prepared for 21 May. The choreography included moves from the video clip, but is exceptionally unique on the parts where the lyra is heard. A Press conference followed the rehearsal, while tonight, the Greek delegation will head for Euroclub, where all the participating countries will attend a welcoming party. Helena Paparizou’s first day in Kyiv started with interviews to the Swedish Mass Media. Today, for the first time the Greek performer and Fokas Evaggelinos’ ballet will walk on the Palats Sportu stage to rehearse and in order for everything to be perfect the great night. Following, a Press interview will take place in the presence of all the journalists that will cover the great music event. After the rehearsals, which will continue for the next days, the Greek participation will arrive at the Mariinsky Palace for the welcoming party of all the countries that will participate in the contest. The whole city has been dressed in green, this year’s theme color for Eurovision, while special information kiosks have been set up in every corner for the thousands of visitors and delegation members that have flooded the Ukrainian capital.
Finishing Touches
Τεχνικοί ελέγχουν τις τελευταίες λεπτομέρειες στα χιλιάδες φωτάκια που έχουν τοποθετηθεί στο εξωτερικό του Palats SportuPalats Sportu has been literally dressed in green as well, since a large green cloth has covered the stadium in Kyiv, while thousands of light bulbs placed at equal distance from each other promise a magical result, especially at nighttime.
The preparations in every corner of Kyiv are taking place feverishly, since even at the last minute, workers, in view of the music contest, are setting-up all sorts of constructions in order for everything to be ready for the two great nights of May 19 and 21.
The atmosphere in the Ukrainian capital that is moving to the rhythm of the 50th Eurovision is festive, since the rehearsals and the artists Press interviews taking place in the Palats Sportu are one after the other.
May 15 With Helena in Kyiv
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15 Μαϊ 2005 19:10:00
Η Έλενα λίγα λεπτά μετά την άφιξή της στο αεροδρόμιο του ΚιέβουOn Sunday afternoon, Helena Paparizou and the Greek participation arrived in sunny and vernal Kyiv, the city of Eurovision. Upon its arrival at the airport of the Ukrainian capital, the Greek performer monopolized the interest of Ukrainian and Greek Mass Media that were waiting to photograph her and receive statements. The British also arrived at the same time with the Greek participation, headed by, who else, Javine. Earlier, similar scenes took place at the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport, where many fans of Helena and television crews gathered in the early hours in order to meet her before the departure for Kyiv. The airport personnel stood by the side of the Greek, since on the screens and ticket booths, besides the destination, a waving Greek flag appeared with the message: "Good Luck".
"Good Luck Helena!"
"We are going to Kyiv to fight," Helena said in reference to the final night, stating that no one can talk about a first place yet, and that we have to wait and see the final results.
Helena was greeted by an airport employee that offered her a bouquet of flowers in the colors of the Greek participation, while the upbeat "My Number One" was blasting from the speakers, and gave the rhythm for the Greek participation’s departure.
Jumpstart
Our program in Kyiv makes a powerful premiere with the party hosted by Belarus and the Greek participation as guests. The celebration, that will take place in Euroclub, will give Helena the opportunity to meet Angelica Agurbash for one more time after her performance in the Greek final, while the two performers had also met in Moscow and the Eurovision party that was given last Monday in honor of Helena.
Starting tomorrow, the intensive rehearsals in the Palats Sportu (Sports Palace), will begin, while after the end of the general rehearsal a Press interview will be given to the foreign Mass Media.
Correspondence from Kyiv: Vicky Keleri, Mary Lou Tzempelikou
WILL COPY MORE TOMORROW FROM Bound for the Heart of Eurovision
i copy the info here, quite interesting! like a diary!
From beautiful Kyiv together with Helena Paparizou and the whole Greek team, good afternoon! It may be bitterly cold here, but the Ukrainian capital has opened a warm embrace to welcome the visitors from Greece. Our day started out very early, and already from 7am we were in the studios of Ukrainian music television network M1, where Helena gave an interview on the channel’s morning programme. During the programme, both My Number One and Die for You, with which Helena, singing with Antique at that time, won third place in the Eurovision Contest, were played. After M1, it was time for a radio interview for Gala with Dj Pasha, who will co-present the big night of the final with Ruslana in Kyiv. The Greek singer also spoke on radio station Europa+, on Enter, and on music site [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] The intensive schedule of the Greek team will continue until late this evening. Keep visiting [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] to follow their moves and get the latest news on the last trip on the promo-tour.
7 August The 10th IAAF World Championships opened in Helsinki with Europe’s No 1 song. During the official opening ceremony, the Finnish capital’s Olympic Stadium filled with Greek beat and colour, as Helena Paparizou sang "my Number One". The winning Eurovision song, which is a hit in Finland and the rest of the Scandinavian countries, set the Finish crowd on fire. Helena was amazing, while she performed a different choreography from the one in Kyiv and was fervently applauded by the audience, proving once again that she is the absolute favourite. After the song, Helena wished all the athletes good luck. Apart from the Greek singer, Swedish band Rednex and Finnish band Apocalyptica also performed in the opening ceremony.
June 17 A big and lively party took place on Thursday night at a beachside nightclub for the award ceremony of the platinum album "Priority-Euro edition" and the gold CD single "My Number One" to Helena Paparizou and the people that worked for the great double success. Everyone attended the party. Friends, associates, artists, singers and composers and of course the department of ERT’s International Relations, the Director of which, Foteini Giannoulatou received the platinum record for ERT. The congratulations and bravos received by ERT for the promotion of "My Number One" and Helena Paparizou were many, since it is a given fact that its contribution was determinative for the 1st place of Greece in Eurovision. The smiles and congratulations did not stop all night and everyone had a good word to say about Helena and the contributors of this important success.
June 13 "She is a great Greek woman that speaks from her heart and soul," said Alternate Minister of Culture, Fani Palli-Petralia about Helena Paparizou, after their meeting in the Ministry, on Monday. Mrs Petralia thanked Helena "for the great success she achieved for Greece," and said she was sure that in 2006 "Greece with Helena as hostess will organize a unique event." She also thanked Helena for accepting an invitation to organize a concert on August 13, on the occasion of the first birthday of the Olympic Games. "It is a great honor for me to participate in the concert, in order to remember the commencement of the Olympic Games," said Helena, while answering to the question of if there are "geographical partnerships" in the Eurovision voting, she said "there are no borders to music," while she did not hide her excitement over the 12 points that Turkey gave Greece.
June 2 The President and Managing Director of Public Television, Christos Panagopoulos, hosted a dinner in an Athenian restaurant, in honour of ERT’s delegation to Eurovision. The joyful mood, and of course, the discussions and memories from the course of the Greek triumph in the 50th Eurovision dominated the dinner. About a week after the victory in Kyiv, those who worked hard and incessantly for this success got together to remember the moments of excitement, as well as those of anxiousness, they experienced. All the members of the delegation, from the International and Public Relations, the General Directorate for Information, the General Directorate of Multimedia, as well as the authorised advisor to the ERT President, Giorgos Chouliaras, celebrated the victory of May 21, and promised to do their best for the next target, which is no other but the successful organisation of the 51st Eurovision in 2006, in Athens!
May 27 Just one day after Greece’s victory in the Eurovision Song Contest, British performer Javine Hylton and "Touch My Fire" composer John Themis, of Greek descent, rushed to congratulate Helena Paparizou and the Greek delegation. In a Press release, they noted that the Greek song deserved to win, since it was the best. As a matter of fact, Helena and Constanstinos Christoforou were two of Javine’s favourite participants this year, while she also had a chance to meet them during her brief promo tour in Cyprus and Greece. Furthermore, internationally acclaimed composer John Themis personally congratulated Helena, as well as the song’s creators, Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou. In the Press release they also wished for all of Greece to enjoy the coming "Eurovision Year", while at another point it read, "Football, Olympics, Eurovision. Well done Greece!"
May 25 When Helena embarked on her journey towards the final of the 50 Eurovision Song Contest, EOT (Greek National Tourism Organisation) appointed her ambassador of Greek tourism and stood by her throughout her endeavour. On the other hand, Helena proved worthy of this trust and even managed to conquer the first place in the music contest. Following that success, it is now time for the Greek performer to take her ambassadorship a step further. During her meeting on Thursday with Tourism Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, Helena Paparizou discussed her future mission. The Minister congratulated the winner of the 50th Eurovision and declared that EOT and the Tourism Ministry feel proud for trusting Helena. As he added, the positive impacts are already visible, since Greece was sufficiently promoted throughout the period leading to the final. In the meantime, as soon as Helena returns from Sweden, where she will be heading tomorrow, she will start tapings of TV ads for EOT, under the sounds of "My Number One", which will be broadcast on overseas channels. Just before the end of their meeting, Mr Avramopoulos gave Helena a memorial plaque. After that, the Greek singer signed autographs and posed for photos with fans, who had arrived to meet her in person.
After the successful completion of the Eurovision Song Contest for ERT SA, the public television concludes the financial report of this organisation and television production with a positive sign. ERT SA's revenues from the exploitation of EUROVISION's television programmes rise to 1,330,000 euros (advertisement and sponsorships) and the total expenses of the production (EBU rights, production of shows, promotion of the Greek song abroad, delegation to Kyiv, etc.) do not exceed 900,000 euros. It should be clarified that the total of the above mentioned revenues is estimated to increase further by the total commercial exploitation of the product. The hosting of the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest constitutes a new centre for activities and revenues for ERT SA.
Regarding the city were the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest will be held, ERT clarifies the following:
* The show will be co-produced by EBU and ERT SA.
* ERT is planning to host the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens, taking into consideration EBU's already voiced wish to combine the contest with the Olympic facilities and infrastructure the city of Athens has to offer.
* Talks with EBU regarding the organisation will start a month from now and until then ERT will have formed its final decisions.
* By the end of 2005, all the details of the organisation and the television production will have been finalized and their materialization will gradually start.
May 24 Spyros Fren - Fortis Kontaxis: ERT’s crew which is now also known as the lucky duo, since it is Public TV’s only crew that covered the victory of the Greek National Football team and also travelled with Helena Paparizou to Kyiv, where Greece finished at the top of the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time ever. It was also the same crew that followed Helena to Portugal, Andorra, Cyprus and Bulgaria during her promo-tour. Even back then, both Spyros (camera) and Fotis (sound) kept saying that they were lucky and they would definitely bring the Eurovision trophy to Greece. Today, and having been proven right, we had a chance to chat about their experiences on the flight home.
Spyros and Fotis met Helena during the filming of "My Number One’s" video clip in Thessaloniki. As time went by, a friendship developed and Helena kept calling them "my team".
"As soon as we arrived at the hotel in Kyiv," said Spyros, "I gave Helena a lucky charm I was used to wear around my neck when I was in Portugal for the EURO Cup. It depicted a small Portuguese footballer we named Figo."
Helena immediately put the lucky charm around the neck of a stuffed toy dog she had brought with her from Athens.
"Not for one moment did Helena make us feel that we were just a crew following her around," mentioned Spyros and he continued, "Actually, two days before the final, at a party in Euroclub, she kissed me and told me she was happy to have us along, as we never left her alone, not even for a moment." Fotis shares the same feelings concerning his collaboration with Helena. "Helena was amazing and a true professional. The experience of the promo tour and working with her were unique."
He also noted that the very good relationship and mutual support between the entire Greek delegation greatly contributed to this.
"I dare to say that I enjoyed the Eurovision victory more, since I had a better time," said Fotis, comparing it to the historic moments he lived through in Portugal.
Finally, Spyros revealed to us what he gave Helena as a present on her name day, which coincided with the final, "I gave her a small box that had a picture of a girl wearing a traditional Ukrainian costume painted on it. Inside the box was a green stone, which, as per the locals, brings good luck and is the same colour as the official colours of Eurovision."
Well, guys, may this lucky winning streak continue!
And don’t forget: We hope to see you in Germany next month for the Greece vs Brazil match!
We were literally on seventh heaven along with Helena on Monday afternoon, when the Greek delegation bade farewell to Kyiv and boarded the flight to Athens. Everyone was anxious to return home with the trophy, while all eyes were fixed on the departure board to see when the gate, leading to the symbolic flight 001, would open. Greek flags and four bouquets of flowers had been placed on the seats of the contributors to the great success. Spirits were flying high even before the plane took off, as "My Number One" was being played over the loudspeakers, while the whole delegation started singing along. The laughs and jokes did not stop for one moment throughout the flight home, with Alexandra Paschalidou leading the pack and getting everyone to cheer along.
Festive Flight
As soon as we boarded, the flight attendants offered champagne to everyone and even before the plane took off, everyone was walking around, continuously swapping seats.
The pilot and crew had a lot of trouble getting everyone to sit still and tie their seatbelts for takeoff, but no one remained seated for long, as the strolls continued when the seatbelt sign went off.
The party really fired up when Helena, Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou left their seats and came to the back to celebrate the Greek victory with all the reporters, while things got even wilder when Helena got into the cockpit and started speaking over the loudspeakers, sending her wishes to everyone.
No one could sit tight for long, which made the job of the flight attendants even harder, especially when it was time to serve the meals. They kept telling people to sit down politely, but their efforts were in vain.
The meal was rather festive itself, as is included smoked salmon and stuffed chicken, while as soon as everyone was finished, they all started getting up again to continue celebrating with singing and dancing.
Everyone was joining in, while ERT’s chairman, Christos Panagopoulos, and the State Ministry’s secretary, Panos Livadas, who represented the government, seemed extremely happy with the Greek victory.
After approximately 2.5 hours, the plane landed on Greek soil, prompting a new wave of cheers from its very loud passengers.
As a matter of fact, the surprise in store by the fire engines, which created a watery arch, made the passengers even more ecstatic, as they immediately broke into applause.
Unique and unforgettable moments followed throughout the journey from the airport to ERT’s headquarters, with hundreds of people waiting on the streets waving Greek flags.
In the party that followed at ERT, the people had a chance to watch Helena sing and dance on stage, while quite a few of them were trying to approach her and demonstrate their admiration.
On Tuesday noon, the Prime Minister held a reception at the Maximos Mansion in honour of the Greek delegation that triumphed in the 50th Eurovision Song Contest. A silver plate depicting the Greek flag and bearing his signature was Mr Karamanlis’ gift to Helena Paparizou, while on the occasion of her name day the PM’s wife offered her a silver bracelet with a cross. In statements after the end of the meeting, Helena Paparizou, composer Christos Dantis and song writer Natalia Germanou said the Prime Minister congratulated them stressing he is very pleased with the result. What is more, Mr Dantis underlined that this success will do Greece good and will greatly benefit tourism and Greek music. Answering a question as to whether he considers "manifestations as extreme", he replied that "there was no extremity, Greeks gave their answer. We achieved a distinction for Greek music, which the country has been trying to achieve for 31 years
"We must get rid of the misery climate, first place in Eurovision gave Greece the opportunity to make its presence known once again all over the world in a positive way. And Greece should take advantage of this message to give a boost to the tourist flow," stressed the government spokesperson while welcoming Helena at the airport on Monday afternoon.
Mr Roussopoulos underlined that "first place is an important success that constantly promotes Greece."
In a question regarding the total cost of the Greek participation in the contest, the government spokesperson repeated ERT President's statement that "all expenses were covered, there was a profit of 400,000 euros, but there is also great profit from the country's international promotion."
May 23 The big stars of the 50th Eurovision are in Athens. The special charter flight, with the symbolic number 001, bringing the Greek team back home from Kyiv, arrived in Athens at 17:40. Helena herself was the first to emerge from the plane, to the cheers and clapping of the crowd. Helena and the Greek delegation were welcomed in VIP lounge A30-32 at the airport by Minister of State Thodoros Rousopoulos. Visibly moved and holding on tight to the Greek flag, Helena Paparizou thanked all Greeks, who from the very first moment had been at her side, giving her their love and positive vibes, which was all needed to win in Europe. She even underlined that she always said that her smile was the smile of all Greece. The next stop was the big party in the grounds of ERT’s studios, where a crowd of fans welcomed and cheered Helena and the triumphant performers home from Kyiv. In turn, she kept spirits high, singing My Number One. Thank you Helena!
During the welcoming ceremony, and after congratulating ERT, Mr Rousopoulos stressed, "you believed in what you did and you did it professionally. You promoted our country and proved that when a person wants something, he can achieve it."
Helena Paparizou said that she was excited with the welcome she was given, adding "It hasn’t yet sunk in that Greece is Number 1. Especially in music that unites the world. We did it! I’m so moved! Greece!"
Natalia Germanou said that this was her most important moment professionally. "We’ve brought you the European trophy, we hope you enjoy it. I personally feel prouder and more Greek than at any other time in my artistic career. Thank you for you affection."
Christos Dantis also thanked the people who believed in the song and voted for it. He added: "Having done a rehearsal in case we should win first place, I believed that I would go back and say, never mind, it’s not such a great thing. Today, I feel that it is such a great thing. Thank you to everyone."
ERT’s Chairman Christos Panagopoulos referred to the flawless and professional way in which everyone had worked and stressed "we brought back the prize and we dedicate it to the state, so it can use it in the best possible way."
ERT representative Giorgos Houliaras thanked everyone who had worked behind the scenes to bring about the result. "We did it, we worked methodically. The surprises are now for next year."
The reception of the victorious team at Athens airport was literally spectacular. Along the route from the plane to the carpark, fire engines created fountains to welcome the Eurovision winner.In the meantime, Greece has been dancing to the beat of My Number One since last Saturday and the celebration for the great victory in Eurovision is still going strong. On Monday afternoon, the centre of the party was ERT’s studio in Aghia Paraskevi, where at about 5pm the triumphant stars of the 50th Eurovision Song Contest were welcomed.
Preparations were feverish all morning, so as to have everything ready for the great party.
NET and NET SAT broadcast live to show every minute of the welcome for the winners of Europe’s biggest musical competition.
Until the Greek team arrived, Nikos Touliatos’ percussion band and DJs kept the crowd company with well-known successes by Helena Paparizou, warming up the crowd. The team arrived at the studios at about 7:15pm, over rose petals thrown down by the people along the way. Helena’s appearance from the coach was accompanied by cheering and applause. After greeting the crowd, she disappeared along with the rest of the team for a short time, to reappear a few minutes later, on stage, dressed in the Greek flag and holding the European trophy in her hand. ERT’s Chairman Christos Panagopoulos made no speech, and after thanking the people for waiting patiently for the Greek delegation to arrive, he restricted himself to a slogan reminiscent of Greece’s football victory in 2004. Next to take centre stage was the winning song My Number One by Christos Dantis, with lyrics by Natalias Germanou, with Helena’s voice once again enchanting the people.
Among those present at the party were Minister of State Thodoros Rousopoulos, Minister of Tourism Dimitris Avramopoulos, General Secretary of Information Panos Livadas, alternate Government Spokesman Evangelos Antonaros, the Chairman of the Hellenic Tourist Board Aristeidis Kalogeropoulos, members of ERT’s executive, etc.
Tomorrow at 13:30, the PM will hold a reception in honour of the Greek team at Maximos Mansion.
"The silent effort, the coordination of actions and the professionalism" that led to Greece’s successful result in the Eurovision Contest were today hailed by government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos.
Referring to Greece’s turn to host the Contest in 2006, Mr Rousopoulos stated that ERT will bear responsibility, while answering a question on involving the Minister of Tourism in this event, the government spokesman said: "the contribution of Mr Avramopoulos played a definitive role in promoting Greece abroad, just as ERT did a most professional job, just as the General Secretary of Information and finally, all Greeks around the world appreciated a great effort and of course first and foremost the song, the performer and the producers."
May 23 Today, the Dutch Press dedicated many articles to Greece’s victory in the 50th Eurovision Song Contest. As they noted, the Greek song was by far the best in the contest and it deserved to conquer the top, bringing Greece to the focus of international interest once again. Large photos depicting Helena waving the Greek flag accompany nearly all the articles. In his article in for the Telegraaf entitled "Success Has Smiled upon Greece", Jan-Jaap de Kloet noted, "Over the last few years Greece has found the formula for success." In support of this claim, the newspaper refers to last year’s successful hosting of the Olympic Games and the football victory in EURO 2004, claiming that winning first place in Eurovision, Europe’s major music contest, is a worthy continuation. The journalist also added that from the very first moment it was clear that Helena Paparizou would return victorious to Greece.
According to the newspaper, apart from the song, the great choreography and the significant promotion of the song, amounting to thousands of euros, also contributed to the Greek success.
Finally, it printed statements from Helena, who expressed her certainty that the Greek hosting next year would be crowned with success, as Greece has already shown with the Olympic Games last year that it is in a position to rise to international obligations.
Newspaper Algemeen Dagblad ran an article under the title "Let’s Go for Ouzo and Dancing", stating that the Greek triumph in the song contest gives the best answer to the contest’s critics who expressed the view that the entire event is now a personal affair for Eastern European countries which support each other.
As per the paper, the Greek success showed that a good song and an excellent performance are the best recipe for success, regardless of regional alliances. It is not by chance that countries from all over Europe gave top marks to the Greek song.
As a result, the newspaper does not attribute the Dutch failure in the contest to unholy alliances between various countries, but to the fact that the whole contest is not taken seriously in the Netherlands, which means that they do not put much effort into choosing and promoting their songs.
In an article by Peter van der Lint entitled "Greece Confirms the Title of Favourite", newspaper Trouw speaks of the Greek victory.
In its article it notes that Paparizou had been the favourite for many weeks at the bookmakers. It also underlines the fact that big countries, such as Spain, Great Britain, France and Germany, came last, even though until now they were the ones who always had a place in the final due to their financial contribution to the contest.
Finally, in an article by Kim van Kelen under the title "Eastern Europe Party until the Final Scores", newspaper Volkskrant also refers to the same topic. It stresses that, despite the traditionally non-transparent voting method in Eurovision, Greece deservedly finished on top, for the first time since joining in 1974.
May 22
One day after Helena Paparizou’s historic victory at the 50th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest, Kyiv awarded the Greek singer the greatest honour. The mayor offered her the golden key to the city. The ceremony was held on Sunday afternoon in the heart of the Ukrainian capital, Independence Square. Hundreds of Ukrainians had gathered at the Square early in the afternoon to listen to Helena performing "My Number One". Despite the rain that started falling, nobody left before the end of the ceremony, which concluded with Helena singing and dancing to the beat of My Number One. Shortly beforehand, the Mayor of Kyiv had welcomed Helena to the City Hall, while after this there was a cocktail party at Euroclub, in honour of the Greek performer.
The decades-long impregnable castle has finally fallen like a deck of cards and it couldn’t help it! Last night, the whole of Europe bowed before Greece and Helena Paparizou and the dream came true. Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou’s song gave Greece its first victory ever in the Eurovision Song Contest thereby giving Greece a chance to prove once more what great hosts we are. This was not the only great achievement last night, since NET's broadcast of the show scored the biggest viewing record ever. Each minute that passed by, more and more Greek hearts started beating to the rhythm of "My Number One" and TV ratings exceeded all previous records.
During the three minutes that Helena was performing her song on Palats Sportu's stage, ratings reached 86.5% which means that 3,517,595 viewers were watching NET. When Greece was proclaimed winner, ratings reached 94.1%, which means that 3,742,231 Greeks were sharing Helena's joy through NET channel. The moment when President Yushchenko was giving Helena the special award TV ratings reached the unprecedented percentage of 94.2%.
Apart from AGB TV devices, ERTonline's measurement devices were also set alight. Over 1,000,000 users from 116 countries visited ERT's official Eurovision website, which was by the side of the Greek delegation from the very beginning. In fact, more than half of the visitors were from abroad. What is more, over 10,000 people watched the Eurovision song contest live on the Internet, via ERT's website.
Our next Eurovision date is set for May 18, 2006 and we can only hope to celebrate a respective double victory then as well!
Helena Paparizou and "My Number One" have taken Greece to the top of Europe, getting millions of viewers to sit tight in front of their TVs and making thousands of Greeks in Greece and abroad go wild with enthusiasm celebrating our country’s great victory in the biggest European song contest. Now it is our turn to give Helena Paparizou, Christos Dantis, Natalia Germanou, Fokas Evangelinos and all those who really worked hard to make this happen a huge "Thank You" and show them they are Number One in our hearts. ERT invites you all on Monday after 17:00 to come to ERT’s headquarters (432 Mesogeion Avenue, Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece) and join us in a great welcoming party. However, if you are among those who simply can’t wait that long, then you can always go to Athens Eleftherios Venizelos airport and welcome Helena and the rest of the Greek delegation, who are flying in with Aegean Airlines at 16:00.
May 22 Greece’s victory last night at the 50th Eurovision Song Contest was more than just a victory for our country. It was a victory for Greeks around the world, wherever they are. It was a victory for Expatriate Greeks who supported Helena Paparizou. A child of Greek emigrants herself, born abroad, Helena did not forget the precious support of expatriate Greeks, whom she met at various stops on her European promo-tour. Through ert.gr’s camera, Helena sent her love and said a great "Thank you" to all the Greeks of the Diaspora, who last night proved their close bonds to their homeland, which they always help in any way that they can. "I love you all and I know how you feel" she said deeply moved, while she thanked them again this morning during the Press Conference. In fact, the Greek ambassador to Kyiv, Mr Goumas, offered her flowers and thanked her on behalf of all Greeks living abroad for the great joy she had given them with her victory.
What is more, the results of last night's televoting prove the support of Expatriate Greeks. There are many Greeks in six of the ten countries that gave Greece twelve points (Belgium, Germany, Serbia-Montenegro, Sweden, United Kingdom) as well as in two of the ones that gave us ten points (the Netherlands and Romania).
Helena's European tour played an important role in uniting and motivating the Greeks of the Diaspora, as well as providing them with continuous information through the Internet, where [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] was a reference and meeting point for all Greeks around the world.
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may 22
Following such a great victory and the endless hours of hard work and preparation, it was time to celebrate. A cheerful and vivid party was held at the hotel bar and the entire Greek delegation was there to have fun and celebrate the first Greek Eurovision victory ever. A true feast was held here at Premier Palace and as was expected the sounds of "My Number One" filled the hotel. Friends, relatives and Helena’s associates, who had been experiencing her stress, anxiety and efforts up close all this time, couldn’t stop hugging Helena and giving her their congratulations. Naturally, she didn’t leave them unsatisfied. Shortly before leaving the party in the morning, she sat on the piano with Christos Dantis and performed "My Number One" live, sending spirits sky-high!
The lead singer of Wig Wam, the Norwegian band, also attended the party to congratulate the Greek winner and stated that the final ranking of their song "In My Dreams" is rock and roll's victory.
The great feast came to its end shortly after 6 in the morning and all the members of the Greek delegation finally went up to their rooms to get some rest and recharge their batteries before the Press Conference due for Sunday morning at 11:30.
ERT SA President Christos Panagopoulos opened the Press Conference stressing that victory was the result of good preparation and professionalism by all those who worked for the Eurovision Song Contest and added that the high TV ratings (over 94%) proved that Eurovision is a very important commercial event for ERT.
Following, it was Helena's time to talk. The Greek winner stressed the importance of the fact that the Greek delegation was united when it left Greece and remained united throughout the entire course. "We woke up this morning realising it wasn't just a dream."
"Greeks continue to make history" stressed Helena, while answering ERTonline's question and said that ERT's site showed the whole truth and all the efforts made during the promo-tour.
She also thanked Expatriate Greeks around the world and the Greek embassies for their warm welcome at all the stops of her tour.
In the afternoon, the Mayor of Kyiv will hold a dinner in her honour and give Helena the city's golden key.
May 22 Kyiv, correspondent: Vicky Keleri, Mary Lou Tzempelikou
This day will go down in history for Greece, since it won Europe’s biggest music contest for the first time ever. Helena Paparizou and "My Number One" wowed European audiences, which gave Greece first place in the Eurovision Song Contest with 230 points. Malta and their song "Angel" came second, followed by Romania, Israel and Latvia. The first ten places were filled by Moldova, Serbia-Montenegro, Switzerland, Norway and Denmark. The spirits were running high in Palats Sportu from early on, since many Greeks were clustering together in groups. Every time a host awarded points to Greece, they started waving Greek flags, while, when it became obvious towards the end that the song was going to win, they started shouting "Greece, Greece" and chanting popular mottos from the 2004 EURO football final. The voices of the Greeks were joined by those of the Cypriots, who started celebrating along.
Click here to view the official scoreboard.
"We Took It!"
The atmosphere in Kyiv is amazing. There are many Greeks around, including journalists and tourists, who came to watch Eurovision, as well as many locals, while the Greek words Sycharitiria (Congratulations) and To Pirame (We Took It) are echoing everywhere.
Today’s result was not a great gift just for Greece, but also for all the people who worked hard aiming for the top, as well as for Helena, since May 21 coincides with her name day.
It is also very important that this victory comes at a very significant moment for Eurovision, since it celebrates its 50-year anniversary.
The President of the Ukraine Viktor Yuschenko awarded the golden prize to Helena, while earlier it was Ruslana who welcomed the winner of the 50th Eurovision on stage.
Here in Kyiv, everyone is talking about this being Greece’s year, since after the Olympic Games and the EURO 2004 victory, it was time for the country to win the Eurovision Song Contest. Actually, nearly everyone told us that they really wished for Helena to win so that they could have the chance to visit Greece next year.
Following the end of the Contest, Helena gave a Press conference, while a wild party will be staged later tonight at Euroclub.
Congratulations Helena
Helena Paparizou received congratulations from the President of the Hellenic Republic, the Greek PM, PASOK’s President, the Mayor of Athens, the Tourism Minister and the Alternate Minister for Culture for her international success.
The President of the Hellenic Republic mentioned the following, "The crew that worked in front and behind the cameras did their best so that Greece could win. I hope and wish for the enthusiasm to act as a stimulant for greater and more important successes in the area of culture, which constitutes our country’s most valuable export."
Mr Karamanlis noted in his telegram, "Dear Helena, your great win filled all the Greeks with joy, both in Greece as well as overseas. Warm congratulations are in order to you and the rest of the crew for tonight’s success, as you gave us the "No 1".
George Papandreou noted that a self-made Greek of the Diaspora made as happy by winning first place in the Eurovision Contest, adding, "We congratulate her and wish her success in the future both for herself and for Greece. The song, music and culture can become a powerful force for Greece if we invest on those and develop our potential."
The Alternate Culture Minister Fani Palli-Petralia declared, "With her amazing performance and stage appearance, Helena Paparizou achieved an artistic triumph for Greece. She made us proud. She deserves our warmest congratulations."
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May 21 It was exactly as it name suggests: Number One on stage, enchanting the audiences in Palats Sportu, who could not stop applauding. Helena and Fokas Evaggelinos’ group of four dancers performed the demanding and complicated routine flawlessly. None of the three dress rehearsals that preceded could be compared to tonight’s performance by the Greek entry, since the whole team went over the limit, as they had promised. From now on, the future of "My Number One" is up to the European viewers, while the official results will be announced a little after 1am. You will be able to view the official results in detail on [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] as soon as they are approved by the EBU.
May 21 The Big Final Has Arrived
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21 Μαϊ 2005 00:40:00
Kyiv, correspondent: Vicky Keleri, Mary Lou Tzempelikou
The moment we have all been waiting for has arrived. The 50th Eurovision final commenced a few minutes ago. Last year’s winner Ruslana opened the show with an amazing performance. The two dress rehearsals were successfully held on Friday and as it appeared, everything was set for the broadcast of the greatest music party in Europe, which is being watched by millions of Europeans. After the last rehearsal on Saturday, the artists finally got some rest and recharged their batteries before tonight’s show. Helena and the Greek delegation are more than ready to appear on Palats Sportu’s stage and perform "My Number One" in their own unique way. The results of hard work and intense preparation were evident during rehearsals, which ended with vivid applause for the Greek delegation. See you all again in a few hours with all the latest news from Kyiv.
The participating countries are 24, but there is only place for one at the top. The winning entry will be the one to gather the most points, which will be given by the European audience. Some countries are surely making a difference, however there are no favourites and this is why everyone's vote is of major importance. Don’t forget that even if you are living in a country that failed to qualify, you can still vote.
Remember that each vote is very important, as according to EBU regulations, in case the necessary minimum number of telephone calls and SMS is not reached, then the voting result of a backup committee is counted for, which in many cases significantly differs from the people's choice.
As was announced during an EBU Press Conference, this is what happened on Friday with Andorra, Monaco and Albania. This fact partially explains the unexpected results of Thursday's semifinal.
This is why it is important to support the Greek entry voting as many times as you like during the ten-minute televoting time, which will proclaim the 50th Eurovision winner.
Tickets for tonight's final have been long since sold out and Palats Sportu is expected to be packed with Ukrainians and people from around Europe, who have come to Kyiv to see the Eurovision final. Spirits are running high and the entire city has been dancing to the Eurovision beat for days ,since this is the greatest music event ever held in Kyiv.
See you all again in a few hours with all the latest news from Kyiv.
May 20 Finishing Touches
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20 Μαϊ 2005 16:11:00 (Latest Update: 21 Μαϊ 2005 18:46:05)
Kyiv, correspondent: Vicky Keleri
Just a few hours after the end of yesterday’s semifinal, which was filled with surprises, the 24 finalists are moving to the beat of the much-awaited 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which is just a day away. Two general rehearsals will be taking place today, during which all the artists will appear on stage and perform their songs just as they will on the 21 May final. Helena, Alex Panagis and Fokas Evangelinos’ dancers are fully prepared to face the great challenge, while the two rehearsals will be the big test for tomorrow’s appearance. Today, we will also have a chance for a sneak preview of Helena’s dress, which has been designed by Roberto Cavalli, who was inspired by the colours of the Greek sunset.
The members of the Greek entry are not nervous, however, they are a bit stressed about the creative part of the performance, which will signal whether they will be 100% successful or not. Helena and the rest of the team have worked very hard to offer audiences an unforgettable performance of "My Number One".
Anyhow, tomorrow night, the people are the ones who will be called upon to decide on the winner, by voting for the song they like. We will renew our date with you for later tonight, as we will be bringing you all the latest news and gossip from the general rehearsals, as well as the atmosphere that prevails just a few hours before the most spectacular music party of Europe.
Translated by Vicky Ghionis
May 19 Wishing for the Greek song "My Number One" to win first place in Europe, ERT and TIM are co-hosting a great party at Aigli, Zappeion, on Saturday May 21. Rika Vagianni will be hosting the show and all of you are invited to cheer and clap for Helena with the motto "Go Helena, Go Greece", setting the pace for the Greek entry. After the Greek Cup final between Aris and Olympiacos, football will pass the reins on to singing and at 21:15 Rika Vagianni will present the "Eurovision Pre Show," which will be broadcast live on NET and ERTSAT. With live links from Kyiv, we will all watch the preparations of the Greek delegation, while spirits will be flying high with happenings and surprises. Come to Zappeion on the big night of the Eurovision final so we can all celebrate together and wish for Helena and "My Number One" to conquer the top!
May 19 The party that was given on Wednesday night by the Greek participation with Cyprus and Malta at Euroclub was filled with lots of dancing, singing and surprises. Many Eurovision fans attended and enjoyed themselves until the early morning hours. Helena arrived at the club shortly before 11:00, and her arrival monopolized the journalists, that were at Euroclub to cover the party. Everyone was trying to take a picture of the Greek performer, who wore a white summer dress and looked truly magnificent. During her entrance at the party she met with Martin from FYROM, while a few minutes later she sang with No Name from Serbia. Helena sang the chorus of their song while they sang some lyrics from "My Number One."
A pleasant surprise was when the Polish fans that expressed their love and support to the Greek participation in front of the cameras, while one shouted "I love you Helena!" waving the Greek flag. Another moment was when Helena, Constantinos and Chiara sang together at the stage that had been set up rousing the crowd that excitedly applauded.
The second pleasant surprise was the appearance of the Ukrainian participation, Greenjolly that after teaching Helena the rhythm of their song, following sang together on stage.
The surprises came to an end with the arrival of last year’s Eurovision winner, Ruslana that joined Constantinos in a slow dance, attracting everyone’s attention.
May 18 Omogenia Supports Helena
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18 Μαϊ 2005 21:44:00
Warm applause and great enthusiasm welcomed Helena Paparizou to the reception in her honour in the Greek embassy with omogenia (ethnic Greeks) in the Ukraine. With the arrival of the Greek performer, the sounds of "My Number One" flooded the room, making the spring afternoon in Kyiv even more idyllic. Helena was welcomed by the Greek ambassador, while camera flashes from photographers, many representing Ukrainian Media, continued until the end of the small party. The singer was soon lost amongst the embraces of dozens of omogenia, who wanted to meet her in person and wish her good luck. The love and warm welcome made Helena particularly pleased, and she smiled and was photographed with everyone, while she signed many "My Number One" CDs. Constantinos Christoforou was also there, while a surprise appearance came from Russian singer Philip Kirkorov, who arrived with Ilias Psinakis. Also at the reception were the composer of the Greek song, Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou, who helped write the lyrics.
The entire reception moved to the rhythm of "My Number One," while everyone wished Helena and the song’s creators all the best for the big night of the final.
Of course, we asked the Greek ambassador for his opinion about the Greek entry, and he had the best words to say about Helena and the song, and expressed th opinion that the Ukraine will support Greece.
As he told us, the messages from the Ukrainian public and Press has been positive about the Greek song.
Many of the ethnic Greeks also confirmed this for us. Discussing with them, they all told us that "My Number One" has won the hearts of the people of the Ukraine, as it is frequently played on Kyiv radio stations.
The reception at the embassy ended shortly after 20:00, and everyone is preparing for the big Eurovision party tonight at the Euroclub, hosted by Greece, Cyprus and Malta.
May 18
Surprise Appearance from Helena
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18 Μαϊ 2005 02:47:00
Kyiv, correspondent: Vicky Keleri, Mary Lou Tzempelikou
Well, the party may have been hosted by the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Monaco, however "My Number 1" stole the limelight and Helena Paparizou had all eyes set on her. The Greek singer got on Euroclub Arena’s stage to sing, just like many other Eurovision participants, and roused the crowds, which welcomed her with their warmest applause. In fact, Martin from Sweden invited her on stage, saying she is wonderful and unique. Helena started her performance with "I would die for you," which had won Greece third place in 2001 and the party was set on fire. Everyone was singing and dancing to its beat, while enthusiasm went sky-high a while later, when Helena sang "My Number 1" accompanied by Alex Panagis and the rest of the ballet. People of all ages and from various delegations stood up and started dancing and singing the song, whose lyrics they knew very well, as we saw for ourselves.
Number One Entertainment
Last night had one more surprise for the Greek delegation, as Euroclub's main programme opened with "My Number 1," which once again carried everyone away to its groove.
In fact, while Ortal from France and Son de Sol from Spain were ending their programme, the Dj played the Greek song again and the girls remained on stage to sing and dance to its beat.
The party kept going until the early morning hours with more Eurovision hits.
As for today, Helena will have the chance to relax and recharge her batteries, since no rehearsals have been scheduled for today. However, the Greek embassy will host a reception to her honour, while at night the Greek delegation will throw its own Eurovision party at Euroclub, along with Cyprus and Malta.
See you all in a few-hours time for all the latest news from Helena's course towards the big final.
May 17
Glamorous Appearance on Big Night
Helena's Secrets for Eurovision Final
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17 Μαϊ 2005 19:00:00
Kyiv, correspondent: Vicky Keleri, Mary Lou Tzempelikou
Apart from the sounds of "My Number One," Helena’s appearance on stage at Palats Sportu will also have a hint of Greece for the big final on May 21. Helena will perform "My Number One" dressed in the colours of the sunset, giving everyone a taste of Greece. More specifically, the Greek performer will wear a mini dress and a bodice in the colours of coral, gold and red, decorated with tiny crystals, custom-made by Roberto Cavalli.
After the end of the second rehearsal of "My Number One" on the stage of Palats Sportu, Helena gave a Press conference for the journalists covering the great event. The Greek performer answered a multitude of questions by foreign journalists, who warmly applauded her. Many described her as a favorite for first place but Helena kept a low profile and thanked them by making them dance to the beat of "My Number One," singing the song acapella at the end of the interview.
Tonight, the Greek performer sang, along with other contestants, at the opening of the charity concert of last year’s Eurovision winner, Ruslana.
Stay tuned for more news from Kyiv, here on [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
May 16 Helena and her ballet’s first rehearsals on the admittedly impressive stage of Palats Sportu were completed successfully, while the countdown to the great final has began. Fully coordinated and under the watchful eye of choreographer Fokas Evaggelinos, Helena and her group of four dancers completed their original routine flawlessly, demonstrating that they are fully prepared for 21 May. The choreography included moves from the video clip, but is exceptionally unique on the parts where the lyra is heard. A Press conference followed the rehearsal, while tonight, the Greek delegation will head for Euroclub, where all the participating countries will attend a welcoming party. Helena Paparizou’s first day in Kyiv started with interviews to the Swedish Mass Media. Today, for the first time the Greek performer and Fokas Evaggelinos’ ballet will walk on the Palats Sportu stage to rehearse and in order for everything to be perfect the great night. Following, a Press interview will take place in the presence of all the journalists that will cover the great music event. After the rehearsals, which will continue for the next days, the Greek participation will arrive at the Mariinsky Palace for the welcoming party of all the countries that will participate in the contest. The whole city has been dressed in green, this year’s theme color for Eurovision, while special information kiosks have been set up in every corner for the thousands of visitors and delegation members that have flooded the Ukrainian capital.
Finishing Touches
Τεχνικοί ελέγχουν τις τελευταίες λεπτομέρειες στα χιλιάδες φωτάκια που έχουν τοποθετηθεί στο εξωτερικό του Palats SportuPalats Sportu has been literally dressed in green as well, since a large green cloth has covered the stadium in Kyiv, while thousands of light bulbs placed at equal distance from each other promise a magical result, especially at nighttime.
The preparations in every corner of Kyiv are taking place feverishly, since even at the last minute, workers, in view of the music contest, are setting-up all sorts of constructions in order for everything to be ready for the two great nights of May 19 and 21.
The atmosphere in the Ukrainian capital that is moving to the rhythm of the 50th Eurovision is festive, since the rehearsals and the artists Press interviews taking place in the Palats Sportu are one after the other.
May 15 With Helena in Kyiv
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15 Μαϊ 2005 19:10:00
Η Έλενα λίγα λεπτά μετά την άφιξή της στο αεροδρόμιο του ΚιέβουOn Sunday afternoon, Helena Paparizou and the Greek participation arrived in sunny and vernal Kyiv, the city of Eurovision. Upon its arrival at the airport of the Ukrainian capital, the Greek performer monopolized the interest of Ukrainian and Greek Mass Media that were waiting to photograph her and receive statements. The British also arrived at the same time with the Greek participation, headed by, who else, Javine. Earlier, similar scenes took place at the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport, where many fans of Helena and television crews gathered in the early hours in order to meet her before the departure for Kyiv. The airport personnel stood by the side of the Greek, since on the screens and ticket booths, besides the destination, a waving Greek flag appeared with the message: "Good Luck".
"Good Luck Helena!"
"We are going to Kyiv to fight," Helena said in reference to the final night, stating that no one can talk about a first place yet, and that we have to wait and see the final results.
Helena was greeted by an airport employee that offered her a bouquet of flowers in the colors of the Greek participation, while the upbeat "My Number One" was blasting from the speakers, and gave the rhythm for the Greek participation’s departure.
Jumpstart
Our program in Kyiv makes a powerful premiere with the party hosted by Belarus and the Greek participation as guests. The celebration, that will take place in Euroclub, will give Helena the opportunity to meet Angelica Agurbash for one more time after her performance in the Greek final, while the two performers had also met in Moscow and the Eurovision party that was given last Monday in honor of Helena.
Starting tomorrow, the intensive rehearsals in the Palats Sportu (Sports Palace), will begin, while after the end of the general rehearsal a Press interview will be given to the foreign Mass Media.
Correspondence from Kyiv: Vicky Keleri, Mary Lou Tzempelikou
WILL COPY MORE TOMORROW FROM Bound for the Heart of Eurovision
Miss KA- Paparicious Hero
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Germany
Re: Eurovision.ert.gr 2005
Tiago Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:25 pm
Thanks Reb 
... I'll read it when I have time
... I'll read it when I have time
Tiago- Moderator
- 5399
Re: Eurovision.ert.gr 2005
Akos Kirsch Tue Jan 12, 2010 10:12 pm
woahh... it was long!!!
Awesome! Thanks a lot Reb!!!!
Awesome! Thanks a lot Reb!!!!
Akos Kirsch- Number One
- 18497 Hungary
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Panagiotis- Moderator
- 10442 Athens,Greece
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ellinoula- Paparizoid
- 2030 Βιέννη
Re: Eurovision.ert.gr 2005
alene Wed Jan 13, 2010 3:47 am
Thank you!
I've read the first 4 paragraphs but I'll keep on reading later. It's too much!!
I've read the first 4 paragraphs but I'll keep on reading later. It's too much!!
alene- Moderator
- 4340 Spain
Re: Eurovision.ert.gr 2005
Labros! Wed Jan 13, 2010 4:42 am
thanks Rebie!I will also read it when I have time!
Labros!- Moderator
- 8062 Greece
Panagiotis- Moderator
- 10442 Athens,Greece
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Re: Eurovision.ert.gr 2005
Miss KA Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:43 pm
Panagiotis wrote:I printed that..
I'm going to copy everything to a word document and save as PDF for everyone to download. but I must wait until I got more time then these days.
Miss KA- Paparicious Hero
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Panagiotis- Moderator
- 10442 Athens,Greece
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Re: Eurovision.ert.gr 2005
J Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:17 pm
Miss KA wrote:Panagiotis wrote:I printed that..
I'm going to copy everything to a word document and save as PDF for everyone to download. but I must wait until I got more time then these days.
have you done it?? because i've saved the file as a PDF for myself and i can upload it somewhere if you hadn't done it and if there's anyone who still wants it?
J- Paparizoid
- 1081
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Similar topics» Eurovision book 2005
» Eurovision 2005:Press Conference
» National Comments at Eurovision 2005 - Post it here
» Eurovision 2005 - News from the Greek TV for the victory of Greece
» Eurovision Song Contest Kiev 2005 - Full show [ERT]
» Eurovision 2005:Press Conference
» National Comments at Eurovision 2005 - Post it here
» Eurovision 2005 - News from the Greek TV for the victory of Greece
» Eurovision Song Contest Kiev 2005 - Full show [ERT]
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