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Sweden’s Eurovision victory has already sparked a conspiracy theory

Sweden’s Eurovision victory has already sparked a conspiracy theory
Eurovision 2023: Sweden's Loreen makes history with second win
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Loreen, the beloved singer who secured a win for Sweden in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest with “Euphoria”, has become the first woman in the history of the competition to win the event twice. But in amongst all the celebrations, some viewers are wondering if the result from Saturday’s grand final in Liverpool was “rigged”.

While Loreen’s “Tattoo” went to the top of the leaderboard with 583 points and won the jury vote, Finland’s entry – “Cha Cha Cha” by Käärija – wasn’t too far behind with 526 points and got the highest score from the public.

The national juries swinging the victory in Loreen’s favour has already sparked criticism against the jury system, with fans calling on organisers to “abolish” it and arguing it “brings the contest itself into disrepute”.

However, a wilder reaction comes in the form of a conspiracy theory which concerns international pop sensation and former Eurovision contestants ABBA, who won the event all the way back in 1974 with the iconic track “Waterloo”.

Given Loreen’s victory this year means the contest will be hosted in Sweden in 2024, which also happens to be the 50th anniversary of their win, some fans are wondering if the country’s success in Liverpool is more than just a coincidence:

And if that wasn’t enough, others believe the opening to “Tattoo” sounds a lot like the melody from another ABBA hit, “The Winner Takes It All”:

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Ahead of the results being announced, ABBA member Björn Ulvaeus appeared with a video message reflecting on the supergroup’s success post-Eurovision, wishing all 26 contestants luck.

“Who knows where this journey will take you,” he said.

Unsurprisingly, this isn’t the first time the result of a Eurovision Song Contest has been met with controversy, as Italian winners Måneskin found themselves embroiled in a false and disproven drugs scandal after lead singer Damiano David was filmed leaning towards the table in front of him.

David referenced the situation at Eurovision a year later, advising contestants after their performance to “have fun and don’t get close to the table”.

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