As the nation wakes to the news that Australia has shifted dramatically from a competition favourite to 20th place in the Eurovision Song Contest grand final, many will claim we were robbed.
It was perhaps the most intensely competitive year in the better part of a decade, and Europe’s voting was unpredictable as traditional voting blocs split apart and scores went in every direction.
But for the 28-year-old woman who represented Australia on stage and said she gave her all, ”robbed” is too harsh a word.
“I don’t feel that at all,” singer Jessica Mauboy said in the aftermath of one of the most dramatic finishes to Eurovision in memory.
Fronting the media after the grand final in Lisbon, Portugal, Mauboy spoke elegantly and with grace, about the disappointing result for Australia and about her pride in Australia’s presence in the iconic competition.
Read the article by Michael Idato in The Age.