Jerry Heil, Ukraine’s Eurovision 2024 representative and current “Vidbir” contestant, claims anonymous figures are spreading false rumors about her and attempting to remove her from the competition.
A controversy has erupted in Ukraine surrounding singer Jerry Heil, one of the contestants in “Vidbir 2026”. Heil, who represented Ukraine at Eurovision 2024 and finished in third place, now aims to return to the Eurovision 2026 stage with her new song “Catharticus”. She claims that certain anonymous individuals are working to disqualify her from the competition by spreading false information about her public activities and alleged withdrawal of support for Ukrainian military initiatives.
“My Brother Serves in the Army – I’ll Never Stop Supporting the Fighters”
In an Instagram Story posted over the weekend, Heil addressed the allegations, calling them baseless lies. She urged fans not to believe such reports, stating:
“My brother serves in the army – and that’s a red flag for anyone who thinks I’d stop supporting our soldiers”.
The singer also revealed details about an active fundraising campaign she is promoting, and reminded followers of several previous initiatives she supported — including a major charity collaboration with United24 to rebuild a school, as well as donations for medical evacuations and military units.
As of now, Heil’s claims have not received an official response from Ukraine’s national broadcaster, Suspline, which organizes the national selection. Nevertheless, the public dispute over her continued participation adds more drama to the competition, expected to be particularly intense this year.
Heil is set to perform in the final of Ukraine’s national selection on February 7th with “Catharticus”. She remains one of the strongest contenders to win the competition. Heil represented Ukraine at Eurovision 2024 alongside Alyona Alyona with the song “Teresa & Maria”, where they achieved third place in the final. She also took part in “Vidbir” in 2020 and 2023.
“Vidbir 2026”: Full Line-Up
- Jerry Heil – Catharticus
- KHAYAT – Hertzi
- LAUD – Lightkeeper
- LELÉKA – Ridnim
- MOLODI – The Legends
- Monokate – Ti Tut
- Mr. Vel – Do or Done
- The Elliens – Crawling Whispers
- Valeriya Force – Open Our Hearts
- ShchukaRyba – Moya Zeml
Click on the song title to listen!
Familiar Faces Among the Finalists:
- Jerry Heil – Ukraine’s 2024 Eurovision representative alongside Alyona Alyona with the song “Teresa & Maria”, finishing third in the grand final. Jerry also competed in Vidbir in 2023 and 2020.
- Monokate – Ukraine’s representative at Eurovision 2020 and 2021 as part of the band Go_A, which placed fifth in 2021.
- Olena Usenko – Member of The Elliens, Ukraine’s Junior Eurovision entrant with “Vazhil”, placing sixth.
- LAUD – Competed in the 2018 preselection with “Waiting”, finishing fourth.
- MOLODI – Competed in the 2025 preselection with “My Sea”, finishing second.
Ukraine at Eurovision: Huge Success and an Impressive Record
Ukraine, together with Sweden, is among the two most successful countries in Eurovision in the 21st century. The country has won the competition three times – in 2004 with Ruslana and her song “Wild Dances”, in 2016 with Jamala and her song “1944”, and in 2022 with Kalush Orchestra and their song “Stefania”. In addition, Ukraine has finished twice in second place (2007 & 2008) and twice in third place (2013 & 2024) — and has never missed a Eurovision final, holding this distinction alongside Luxembourg, which returned to the contest in 2024.
Ukraine at Eurovision 2025
“Bird of Pray” is the name of the song that was performed by Ziferblat, representing Ukraine in Eurovision 2025. Ukraine qualified for the final from the first semi-final of the contest and finished 9th overall with 218 points. Ukraine finished 6th in the televoting and 14th in the juries.
The Ukrainian result is their worst one since 2018.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Ukraine’s 21st participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Ukraine joined the competition in 2003 and has won it three times. Ukraine’s last victory was in Eurovision 2022 with the song “Stefania” performed by Kalush Orchestra.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
