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Eurovision 2022: Gabriele Corsi tested positive in Covid-19!

The spread of the Omicron variant, as expected, could not leave the microcosm of Eurovision unaffected. Posting on Instagram, the presenter of the Eurovision 2022 Allocation Draw, Gabriele Corsi, announced that he tested positive in Covid-19.

As a result, Corsi will not present the Allocation Draw of the 66th Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place at the Palazzo Madama in Turin on January 25.

As expected, Corsi expressed his disappointment with this development:

This was the suit (and the smile) I was supposed to wear at the Allocation Draw, in Turin, on tuesday. Unfortunately, I tested positive for Covid today. Apart from disappointment (which, I believe, is legitimate), I don’t have any symptoms. Compared to what others had to go through, this is nothing. I am really upset, however, I guess I can still use the suit for some other occasion and that I will wear my smile anyway. At this point, we all learned how to dodge both major and minor difficulties. And, in order to do that, we don’t need a nice suit. Just a big smile. The event is just postponed. See you all in Turin in May!

With Corsi’s illness taking place two days before the draw, it remains unknown who will co-host Tuesday’s event with Carolina Di Domenico.

Tuesday’s draw will determine whether the countries will participate in the First Semifinal (Tuesday, May 10) or in the Second Semifinal (Thursday, May 12). Also, again based on the draw it will be determined if they appear in the first or second half of the semifinal. We remind you that the exact order of appearance is announced later by the organizers and after it has first been approved by the EBU.

Source: EurofestivalNews

Eurovision 2022: Pots and Participants of Semifinals Allocation Draw revealed!

The semi-finals draw will take place on Tuesday 25 January at 12:00 CET, from the Palazzo Madama e Casaforte degli Acaja in Turin. At the same time there will be a ceremony of handing over the keys of the contest or as it is widely known, the Host City Insignia from the previous hosts Rotterdam to the Italian organizers.

The allocation draw will determine whether the countries will participate in the First Semifinal (Tuesday, May 10) or the Second Semifinal (Thursday, May 12). Also, again based on the draw it will be determined if they appear in the first or second half of the semifinal. We remind you that the exact order of appearance is announced later by the organizers and after it has first been approved by the EBU.

The draw will be presented by TV presenters Carolina di Domenico and Gabriele Corsi. Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb and Turin Mayor Stefano Lo Russo will be present.

Friends of the contest will be able to watch the draw on Eurovision’s YouTube channel or on Rai’s streaming service.

Semi-final draw: How does it work?

Italy, as the host country, together with the other 4 members of the so-called “Big 5” (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) do not compete in the Semifinals, but vote in one of them… so before the competing countries in Semifinals, it will be determined at random which of the Semifinals the Big 5 will be allowed to vote for.

The next part of the draw will determine in which Semifinal and in which half of the respective Semifinal the remaining 36 participating countries will appear.

The 36 countries of the semifinals are selected from 6 different pots:

Pot 1

  • Albania
  • Croatia
  • Montenegro
  • North Macedonia
  • Serbia
  • Slovenia

Pot 2

  • Denmark
  • Australia
  • Finland
  • Iceland
  • Norway
  • Sweden

Pot 3

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Georgia
  • Israel
  • Russia
  • Ukraine

Pot 4

  • Cyprus
  • Greece
  • Malta
  • Bulgaria
  • Portugal
  • San Marino

Pot 5

  • Estonia
  • Lithuania
  • Latvia
  • Moldova
  • Poland
  • Romania

Pot 6

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Switzerland
  • Czech Republic
  • Ireland
  • Netherlands

Drawing countries from different pots helps to reduce the chance of so-called neighbourly voting and increases suspense in the Semi-Finals.

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the 66th Eurovision Song Contest!