Vaniko Tarkhnishvili and Ruska Makashvili have been announced as the hosts of Georgian Idol by GPB.
GPB has revealed the two hosts of Georgian Idol, Vaniko Tarkhnishvili and Ruska Makashvili. The announcement comes after it was also revealed that the public will be able to vote for their favourite acts via both telephone voting as well as through the Facebook Messenger app.
Georgian Idol will be used to select the singer that will represent the nation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. Georgia’s Idol already has a connection with Eurovision. Season 4 winner Nodiko Tatishvili and season 5 runner-up Sopho Gelovani represented Georgia in 2013 with “Waterfall”. They finished 15th in the final with 50 points. Georgia is the fourth country that are selecting their Eurovision representative through a televised talent show, after Malta, Israel and Spain. Georgian Idol will be broadcast on GPB from January 1, 2019.
Georgia’s most recent attempt was in 2018 with “For You” by Ethno-Jazz Band Iriao. The song finished in last place in the second semi final in Lisbon.
Source: GPB
Georgia debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007, they were represented by Sopho Khalvashi and the song “Visionary Dream”. Sopho finished 12th in the final scoring 97 points, the song received 12 points from the televoters in Lithuania. Georgia has only ever missed one contest since their debut, this was in 2009 when Georgia had selected Stephane & 3G with “We Don’t Wanna Put In”. The EBU asked for Georgia to rewrite the lyrics of the song or change the song completely.
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