According to the Swedish portal Nojesbladet, SVT decided that Gina Dirawi will host Melodifestivalen 2016, but is also in negotiations with Sarah Dawn Finer to be a guest in one of the shows.
2016 will mark the 15th year of Melodifestivalen travelling throughout the country in its current format of four semi finals, a second chance round, and a Grand Final, as well as 60 years since the broadcast of the very first Eurovision Song Contest which took place in Lugano, Switzerland. Gina Dirawi has expressed her wish to host the Eurovision Song Contest, but SVT has decided that she will be hosting Melodifestivalen instead.
According to sources, SVT went for Gina because the show needs a hostess which the viewers will feel and like throughout the whole “Melodifestivalen marathon”. Next year’s Melodifestivalen will have various sidekicks, and SVT plans to lift the already widely popular show to become the leading programme in the entire country.
SVT is also planning to include guest hosts in the next year’s shows, and one of the guest hosts they are negotiating with is Sarah Dawn Finer – it is not clear yet whether Sarah would act as herself, or she will make another come-back as Lynda Woodruff.
Gina Dirawi has already hosted Melodifestivalen in 2012 together with Sarah Dawn Finer and Helena Bergstrom, and in 2013 together with Danny Saucedo. The news is yet to be officially confirmed by SVT.
