Ireland at Eurovision 2025: Emmy, is at the center of a controversy over submitting the song “Laika Party” to the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix, amid serious accusations about the judges. All the details in the article!
The winner of “Eurosong 2025”, Emmy, did not break any competition rules, stated the Irish national broadcaster, RTÉ, today, following a major media storm claiming that the song “Laika Party” was submitted to the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix before it was revealed in “Eurosong 2025”. This, despite the fact that RTÉ’s rules clearly state that “a song submitted by the performers may not be submitted to any other competition in countries participating in the Eurovision 2025 competition.”
The controversy intensified after it was revealed that the song “Laika Party” was created during a songwriting camp in Norway, which belongs to the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix, and some feared that it might not meet Eurovision requirements, especially since it was sent along with hundreds of other songs. However, as reported by the Norwegian site TV2, Emmy emphasized that all songs created during the songwriting camp were sent “automatically” to the competition, without them doing so intentionally. This submission was not accepted for performance in the Norwegian competition.
The Irish national broadcaster quickly clarified that this was not a violation of the rules. It was stated that “the early submission to the Melodi Grand Prix competition was not an action taken actively by Emmy or her team, and it was indeed not accepted into the competition.” According to the national broadcaster, the rule set for Eurosong 2025 was designed “to prevent a situation where the same song or performer would compete both in Eurovision and in another televised competition like Melodi Grand Prix.”
In addition, RTÉ stated that “in most cases, the Irish national broadcaster reserves the full right to decide who will represent Ireland in Eurovision, and together with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), it retains the final authority to decide on the eligibility of each submission and how the rules should be applied.”
Amidst the controversy surrounding the song, serious accusations have emerged from participants in Eurosong 2025 regarding some of the judges. The main complainer was contestant Samantha Mumba, who accused three judges – the famous chef Donal Skehan, Irish personality Laura Fox, and reality show judge Arthur Gourounlian – of making offensive remarks. She even referred to them as “three boos” and added that they behaved in a “nasty” manner towards the contestants. Samantha posted on Instagram, writing her “farewell gift” to the judges – “a bag full of [emoji] to choke on.” The singer chose an eggplant emoji, which became a symbol of the controversies that developed.
Contestant Reylta also spoke on a local radio program, stating that the judges’ reactions left a bad taste and mentioned there were even tears due to their harsh comments. Donal Skehan, the chef caught in the conflict with Mumba, responded and said: “Other people’s slander doesn’t look good, especially when everyone involved worked to make the process fair and useful.”
Amid the serious accusations, Eurovision 1993 winner Niamh Kavanagh spoke about her mixed feelings regarding the judges. “I understand the need for a committee,” said Kavanagh, adding that she “does not oppose this panel of judges,” but noted that there may be room to reconsider the idea. Regarding the committee’s role in the Eurosong 2025 competition, RTÉ representatives declined to comment on whether there would be any changes to its role following the criticism that has been directed at the judges. This is a difficult decision, considering the judges are given up to 30 minutes of screen time on the show, although they do not directly impact the overall score in the competition.
“Laika Party” is the title of the song to be performed by Emmy, who will represent Ireland at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. The song was co-written by the singer along with Erlend Guttulsrud Kristiansen, Henrik Østlund, Larissa Tormey, and Truls Marius Aarra.
In 2021, Emmy participated in the Norwegian national selection “Melodi Grand Prix,” advancing to the finals after competing in the third semi-final with the song “Witch Woods,” but did not make it to the top four. In 2024, Emmy was involved as a creator in the song “Woman Show” performed by Mathilde SPZ, Chris Archer, and Slam Dunk. This marks the first Eurovision entry for the other songwriters. The song is performed in English.
The song tells the story of Laika, the first dog in space, imagining for her eternal life and a perpetual party in the skies.The song portrays Laika as a heroic figure who made an important contribution to humanity by her journey into space. It expresses appreciation and love for the dog sent on an unknown space mission and never returned.
It conveys a longing and a wish that she is still alive, roaming space, and enjoying eternal positive experiences. In the chorus, there is a feeling of hope and a wish that Laika continues to live a joyful life in space, participating in an endless party among the stars. The song attempts to give a positive image to the character of Laika and invites the listeners to share the sense of wonder and admiration for human achievements in space exploration, while raising questions about the moral cost of such experiments.
Who is EMMY?
Emmy Kristine Guttulsrud Kristiansen, born September 13, 2000, known by the stage name Emmy, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. In her childhood, her mother sang in a choir and EMMY developed an interest in music from a young age. Her older brother, Erlend, participated in the youth music program “MGPjr,” and in 2015, EMMY also participated in the program with the song “Aiaiaiai“.
In 2021, Emmy participated in the Norwegian national selection “Melodi Grand Prix,” advancing to the finals after competing in the third semi-final with the song “Witch Woods,” but did not make it to the top four. In 2024, EMMY was involved as a creator in the song “Woman Show” performed by Mathilde SPZ, Chris Archer, and Slam Dunk. This marks the first Eurovision entry for the other songwriters. The song is performed in English. Beyond her activities in Norway, Emmy has gained an international fan base through her TikTok account, where she has reached over a million followers.
Source: Independent
Eurovision 2025: This will be Ireland’s 58th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Ireland joined the competition in 1965 and has won it seven times over the years, holding the record for most wins alongside Sweden. Ireland’s last victory was in Eurovision 1996 with the song “The Voice” performed by singer Eimear Quinn.
