Edward af Sillén, the Swedish commentator for several years shared his experience: "I don’t consider us to be "normal commentators" but co-hosts of the show." He knows it very well, having also written the scripts of the show hosts in 2010 and 2013.
He believes the host and the commentators need to work together, emphasizing that, especially to future script writers. For example, he explained how important it is to keep pauses in the script, so that the commentators would have time to do their work and comment, not to speak over the host’s text.
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Audience is involved more and more
"Nowadays you get feedback very fast through social media," added Andi Knoll, the Austrian commentator and TV host for many years, showing how the work of the commentators had changed.
He also said he had not believed until the very last minute that their entry Rise Like A Phoenix by Conchita Wurst would win in Copenhagen and was preparing himself and the audience for it. Having been doing the Austrian commentary since 1999, he pointed out his belief that being on the spot is crucial for commentators.
It was the second time TV professionals gathered in Berlin to discuss different topics with the goal to improve the Eurovision Song Contest’s as the world’s leading entertainment show. The event was held during the EUROVISION Creative Days, one of Europe’s largest gathering of TV format and programme makers, organised by the EBU.
