Who is Emmy, the Norwegian TikTok star representing Ireland at Eurovision?
Emmy performing in the semi-final 2 rehersal at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland. Picture Andres Poveda.
Eurovision fans are counting down the hours before Norwegian singer Emmy will take to the stage to represent Ireland at the popular singing event in Basel, Switzerland.
The 24-year-old will perform the song at the second semi-final, which takes place tonight.
Also performing in the second semi-final tonight will be Armenia, Australia, Austria, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Georgia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malta and Serbia.
Flying the flag for Ireland in Basel, Emmy was seen walking the turquoise carpet this week ahead of the singing competition.
She was selected to represent Ireland after battling it out on the back in February.
Six contestants performed on the special Eurosong show to be crowned the winner and go on to represent Ireland at the international song contest.
The panel on the night commended all of the songs and the performers who delivered them, but ultimately it was Emmy who was selected to represent the country with the song after the national jury, international jury, and public votes were counted.
Emmy Kristine Guttulsrud Kristiansen, AKA Emmy, is a 24-year-old singer and graphic designer from the village of Sande, south of the Norwegian capital of Oslo.
She has been writing songs since she was seven, and her career kick-started in 2015 when she, at 15 years old, participated in Melodi Grand Prix Junior - one of the biggest music competitions in her country for children.
Six years later, in 2021, she participated in Melodi Grand Prix, Norway's national selection of a song for the Eurovision Song Contest but she lost out to TIX in the final of the competition.
She went on to post consistently on social media and has since become especially known for singing on TikTok, growing a profile with 1.2 million followers.
She has now been given a second chance at Eurovision as Ireland’s entry, teaming up with Irish songwriter Larissa Tormey, whom she met at a songwriting camp in Norway, to create Laika Party — a song based on a Soviet space dog.
Laika was a stray dog from the streets of Moscow who was the first living creature launched into orbit in 1957. Sadly, she died from overheating hours into the flight.
The second semi-final will take place tonight and will air RTÉ 2 and RTÉ player from 8pm. The grand final of the singing competition will take place on Saturday, May 17.
Viewers can vote over the phone, by text or via the Eurovision app.
