HaKokhav HaBa: Noam Bettan, Shira Zloof, Gal De Paz and Alona Erez Are the Final Four Contestants!

HaKokhav HaBa: Noam Bettan, Shira Zloof, Gal De Paz and Alona Erez Are the Final Four Contestants!

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Shaked Solomon is the seventeenth contestant to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. The final 4 contestants are Shira Zloof, Gal De Paz, Alona Erez and Noam Bettan. The grand final set to take place this coming Tuesday, January 20th, 2026. Full recap of Episode 32. In 3 days, the grand final of "HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2026" will take place, featuring four finalists. The winner of the competition will represent Israel in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria, on May 12th. 5 contestants remain in the semi-final, but by the end of tonight’s episode, we will know who will be the final 4! In this episode, each contestant performed a song of their choice. Joining the panel were the Eurovision commentators and representatives of the national broadcaster, Asaf Liberman and Akiva Novick. This time, the judges did not vote "in favor" or "against" during the performances, instead, they awarded scores ranging from 6 to 12 points...
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HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 31: Michael HarPaz Is the Sixteenth Contestant Eliminated From the Show

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 31: Michael HarPaz Is the Sixteenth Contestant Eliminated From the Show

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Michael HarPaz is the sixteenth contestant to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. 5 contestants remain in the race, including Shira Zloof, Gal De Paz, and Noam Bettan. Full recap of Episode 31. In 5 days, the grand finale of "HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2026" will take place, featuring four finalists. The winner of the competition will represent Israel in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria, on May 12th. 6 contestants remain in the competition so far, but by the end of tonight’s episode, only the top 5 will continue to the semi-final. This episode was a Hanan Ben Ari special, with each contestant choosing one of the musician’s songs. Hanan Ben Ari met with the contestants and coached them for their performances. He also performed his song “Lo HaMeshuga HaYekhidi”, joined by the contestants in the final chorus. This time, the judges did not use the "favor" or "against" voting system during the performances. Instead,...
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HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 30: Nave Levi Is the Fifteenth Contestant Eliminated From the Show

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 30: Nave Levi Is the Fifteenth Contestant Eliminated From the Show

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Nave Levi is the fifteenth contestant to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. 6 contestants remain in the race, including Shira Zloof, Gal De Paz, and Michael HarPaz. Full recap of Episode 30. Exactly next week, the grand finale of "HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2026" will take place, featuring four finalists. The winner of the competition will represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria, on May 12th, 14th, and 16th. 7 contestants remain in the competition so far, but by the end of tonight’s episode, only the top 6 will continue. The judges did not vote "in favor" or "against" during the performances this time. Instead, they awarded each contestant a score ranging from 6 to 12 points at the end of their performance. The judges’ scores made up 50% of the total, while the audience’s votes comprised the remaining 50%. The two contestants with the lowest combined scores faced elimination — and the judging panel decided which...
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HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 29: Agam Hazan Is the Fourteenth Contestant Eliminated From the Show

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 29: Agam Hazan Is the Fourteenth Contestant Eliminated From the Show

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Agam Hazan is the fourteenth contestant to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. 7 contestants remain in the race, including Michael HarPaz, Alona Erez, Nave Levi, and Noam Bettan. Full recap of Episode 29. In 9 days, the grand finale of "HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2026" will take place, featuring four finalists. The winner of the competition will represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria, on May 12th, 14th, and 16th. 8 contestants remain in the competition so far, but by the end of tonight’s episode, only the top 7 will continue. The episode aired this evening was the second of two in the Shlomo Artzi special, in which each contestant chose a song by one of Israel’s leading singers, who also represented the country at Eurovision 1975 with his song "At VaAni". During the episode, the show’s judges performed Shlomo Artzi’s song “Lo Ozev Et Ha'Ir”. Toward the end of the episode, singer Amir Benayoun joined the judging panel, replacing Itay...
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Yuval Raphael Reveals: “I Faced Hate from Every Direction”

Yuval Raphael Reveals: “I Faced Hate from Every Direction”

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Yuval Raphael reveals everything: from online hate and death threats to winning the public vote and confronting global controversy face-to-face. Yuval Raphael — Israel’s representative at Eurovision 2025 — finished second with her song "New Day Will Rise". In an interview with "Daily Mail", she laid all her cards on the table - from her take on Nemo’s provocation and the trophy return to death threats and the emotional high of winning the public vote. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Love and Hate: Yuval Raphael’s Rollercoaster Yuval begins the interview with her heroic story from October 7th, describing how she survived in a shelter she calls “the bunker of death”, and how, just 18 months later, she found herself on the world’s biggest stage. She says that even there, pro-Palestinian activism followed her: “The love in my heart guided me, even when I was surrounded by hate from all sides—hate aimed at my people, rooted in a distorted perception...
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HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 28: Tamir Levy Is the Thirteenth Contestant Eliminated From the Show

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 28: Tamir Levy Is the Thirteenth Contestant Eliminated From the Show

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Tamir Levy is the thirteenth contestant to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. 8 contestants remain in the race, including Shira Zloof, Gal De Paz, and Shaked Solomon. Full recap of Episode 28. In 10 days, the grand finale of "HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2026" will take place, featuring four finalists. The winner of the competition will represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria, on May 12th, 14th, and 16th. 9 contestants remain in the competition so far, but by the end of tonight’s episode, only the top 8 will continue. The episode aired this evening was the first of two in the Shlomo Artzi special, in which each contestant chose a song by one of Israel’s leading singers, who also represented the country at Eurovision 1975 with his song "At VaAni". Artzi himself took part in the show for the first time, and the contestants rehearsed before him. Before the elimination announcement, Artzi performed his...
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Graham Norton: “When People Are Booed – It’s Horrible”

Graham Norton: “When People Are Booed – It’s Horrible”

by Neta Geffen Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); British commentator and host Graham Norton addresses the controversy surrounding Eurovision 2026 following Israel’s participation and calls for the contest to return to its original musical spirit. As Eurovision 2026 approaches, set to take place this May in Vienna, the controversy surrounding Israel’s participation continues to resonate across Europe. Now, one of the voices most closely associated with the contest has joined the discussion – British commentator and Eurovision 2023's grand final host Graham Norton, who publicly addressed the storm and the recent withdrawals of several countries. In an interview on the talk show hosted by Lorraine Kelly, Norton was asked about the fact that ahead of Eurovision 2026 “countries are withdrawing for various different reasons”. His response was clear: “That’s what it started as”, he said, referring to the contest’s original idea as a festival of joy, music, and unity, adding that it's “sad that we’re in this situation”. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Criticism...
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Australia: Will Dami Im make a historic comeback in Eurovision 2026?

Australia: Will Dami Im make a historic comeback in Eurovision 2026?

by Maor Heumann Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Australia's national broadcaster SBS considers Dami Im for Eurovision 2026. Ten years after "Sound of Silence", could the star return for victory? Speculation is reaching a fever pitch in Australia, suggesting the nation may play one of its strongest cards for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. According to reports by the Greek website Eurovisionfun, the most prominent name currently under consideration is the woman who nearly secured a historic victory for the country: Dami Im. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Journey to Close the Circle in Vienna Dami Im, one of Australia's most respected vocalists, remains etched in the memory of Eurovision fans for her unforgettable performance in Stockholm 2016 with the song "Sound of Silence". She finished in second place overall – Australia's highest achievement to date. Notably, she won the jury vote by a significant margin, and many enthusiasts still view her as the moral winner of that year. According to the report, the national broadcaster is seeking...
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Italy: Madonna Rumoured to Guest Star at Sanremo 2026!

Italy: Madonna Rumoured to Guest Star at Sanremo 2026!

by Maor Heumann Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Will the Queen of Pop appear at Sanremo 2026? Reports suggest Madonna may guest star at Italy's Eurovision selection following her recent Italian cover In the past 24 hours, extensive speculation has surfaced regarding a possible guest appearance by pop singer Madonna at the Italian Eurovision selection, Sanremo 2026. This event will select the country's representative for Eurovision 2026, held in Vienna, Austria. These rumors emerged after she released a full Italian version of the beloved hit by singer Patty Pravo, "La Bambola". The singer, who is competing in the festival this year for the 11th time, published the cover for a campaign with the Italian fashion brand "Dolce&Gabbana", creating a reimagined interpretation of the famous 1968 song. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); According to the Italian news agency Adnkronos, the national broadcaster RAI is interested in hosting the singer. The proposal is currently on the desk of the festival's artistic director, Carlo Conti,...
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HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 27: Dorin Or Is the Twelfth Contestant Eliminated From the Show

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 27: Dorin Or Is the Twelfth Contestant Eliminated From the Show

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Dorin Or is the twelfth contestant to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. 9 contestants remain in the race, including Shira Zloof, Nave Levi, Agam Hazan, and Shaked Solomon. Full recap of Episode 27. In 13 days, the grand finale of "HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2026" will take place, featuring four finalists. The winner of the competition will represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria, on May 12th, 14th, and 16th. 10 contestants remain in the competition so far, but by the end of tonight’s episode, only the top 9 will continue. The production presents tonight the continuation of a new challenge that has not been done in previous seasons. Each contestant chose a hit song to perform alongside a live band. However, during the song, a signal appeared on the screen - after which they had to continue singing a-cappella, without the band’s backing. Keeping rhythm, staying in tune, and maintaining composure became crucial. The two contestants who received...
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