Saara Aalto has made it into the final of the Eurovision 2018 Song Contest.
Saara, who was runner up on The X Factor in 2016, was chosen to represent her home country of Finland in this year’s competition after also being in talks to sing for the UK.
She performed live in the first semi-final tonight and was voted through into the final on Saturday night with her song Monsters.
“There have been talks with the BBC, they really want me to do it,” Saara had told The Sun newspaper last year. “I love Eurovision so I have been searching for the right opportunity to be part of it.
“It’s just whether I should do it for the UK or Finland or some other country.”
Saara had tried three times to enter the competition in the past but was always second best.
Confirming she would be competing in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest for Finland, Saara announced previously (via Eurovision.tv): “I know that this journey is going to be fantastic regardless of the results of the actual competition.”
She joked: “I’m of course jumping right in with the attitude that I can win the Eurovision Song Contest – or at least finish in second place! That’s something I’ve been great at, no doubt about it.”
Three song options were put forward for Saara to perform on a TV show in Finland, with viewers in the country deciding the track she should sing at the contest.
Saara said: “There won’t be any of that ‘let’s just throw in something’ vibe. Every detail will be thoroughly thought out and delivered to the maximum.
“This is going to be a superb experience for the whole of Finland! I have a strong Finnish and international team with me, together we’re able to make great things happen.”
The Eurovision 2018 final will air this Saturday night from Lisbon, Portugal.
The UK Eurovision act for 2018 was confirmed last month. SuRie and her song Storm, written by Nicole Blair, Gil Lewis and Sean Hargreaves, will head to Lisbon in May after being chosen in a live show.
SuRie is an actress and singer who is no stranger to the Eurovision Song Contest, appearing as a backing singer for Loïc Nottet in 2015 and Blanche at Eurovision 2017.
SuRie said about her song: “Storm is a smash! It’s a dynamic combination of a more intimate, piano lead, singer songwriter style start, building into this anthemic, soulful pop party!”
