Switzerland at Eurovision 2025: Veteran commentator Jean-Marc Richard steps down after 33 years! He shares his thoughts on Nemo and France’s chances.
Switzerland’s veteran Eurovision commentator, Jean-Marc Richard, has announced that the Eurovision 2025 will be his final broadcast. Jean-Marc, the competition’s most seasoned commentator, first covered Eurovision for Swiss French-language national broadcaster RTS in 1993 – 32 years ago!
Reflecting on Switzerland’s evolving relationship with the contest, he told Blue News:
“Years ago, no one wanted to broadcast this competition. I offered the role to several colleagues, but no one was interested. Now everyone wants to do it—I think that’s great. It means we’ve succeeded in creating something.”
Jean-Marc was involved in selecting Zoë Më and her entry “Voyage” (in English: “Journey”) for Eurovision 2025. He described the song:
“It’s not an ambitious track. It perfectly suits the artist performing it and stands apart from other entries. Zoë isn’t even trying to win. she just wants to sing, and this isn’t her first performance.”
On Nemo, the 2024 winner, he remarked:
“When Nemo won, they had no idea of the impact it would have. With the right guidance, they could become a major artist. They need time and people who’ll protect them, not dictate their path. If Nemo releases an album, it’ll be exceptional—their talent is extraordinary. Among artists I’ve met over 34 contests, they’re the most unique.”
Will France win Eurovision 2025?
When asked about the winning chances of Louane, France’s representative at Eurovision 2025, he said:
“The French are coming this year with a commercial song. I find it much weaker than Slimane’s song from last year. Louane is doing her best, but I’m slightly disappointed because she’s currently on tour with her electro-keyboards, and I thought she would do something similar. I thought that would be much more original and better than the song that was finally chosen. […] The person directing Louane this year is the same one who directed Nemo last year. He is capable of producing something exceptional, but needs to work hard. It’s interesting because it’s important not to overdo it, and the French always overdid it, but way too much…”
RTS is a French-language national broadcaster, broadcasting the contest in Switzerland alongside German-language SRF and Italian-language RSI. All three are part of the Swiss national broadcaster SRG SSR.
Switzerland will host Eurovision 2025 in Basel after Nemo won Eurovision 2024 with the song “The Code”. The song received an impressive 591 points, with 365 from the juries and 226 from the public, securing Switzerland’s first victory since 1988.
Switzerland’s Future at Eurovision
This year looks challenging for Switzerland, especially after their surprising win in the previous year, which raised high expectations for the country in this year’s contest. Switzerland managed to avoid competing in the semi-finals, and thanks to this opportunity, the country is eager to perform in the final with a strong and impactful song.
Regarding the choice of Zoë Më, the artist representing Switzerland, it is expected that she will bring her unique musical style with the song “Voyage” in the Grand Final. All eyes in the Eurovision world will be on her performance, which is expected to be one of the most captivating of Eurovision 2025.
Switzerland at Eurovision 2025
“Voyage” (translated as: “Journey”) is the title of the song that will be performed by singer Zoë Më, who will represent Switzerland in the grand final of Eurovision 2025 on May 17th in Basel, Switzerland. The song was written by the singer, Emily Middlemas, and Tom Oehler, who previously wrote and produced the German entry for Eurovision 2019. The song will be performed in French. Currently, the singer is ranked 21st in the betting odds tables, with a 1% chance of winning.
Who is Zoë Më?
Zoë Më, stage name for Zoë Alina Kressler is a Swiss singer born in Basel, who typically performs in French and German, blending what she describes as chanson with poetic pop. Although she grew up in Freiburg, Germany, she has always felt a strong connection to the French language and its musicality1.
Zoë Më rose to public prominence in 2024, winning two awards from the Swiss national broadcaster – one from the German-speaking division and another from the French-speaking division. She has performed at several prestigious Swiss festivals, including the Lucerne Festival.
Source: blue News.
Eurovision 2025: The 69th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Basel, Switzerland, on May 13, 15, and 17, 2025. The St. Jakobshalle arena, which will host the competition, is expected to accommodate about 12,000 spectators for each show. The contest will take place in Switzerland following the country’s third historical win with the song “The Code”, performed by singer Nemo. This will be the third time the competition has been hosted in Switzerland, after the contest was held there in 1956 and 1989.
