ESC 2016 FINLAND: WHAT DO SAARA AALTO AND MIKAEL SAARI THINK NOW?

YLE's morning television had the weird idea of asking the runner ups from UMK2016 to come and comment last night's semifinal the day after with Jorma Hietamäki, YLE's Radio Suomi's commentator last night.He thinks there were the obvious Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and then many that were there 50-50. he's surprised Estonia didn't make it but then again he says their Jury final didn't go that well and may have caused that. Maybe Finland suffering from the same as well. The positive surprise was Czech Republic who's Eurovision journey started from Helsinki 2007 and now finally qualified.

Saara says she was supporting Sandhja and feeling her but of course seeing the stage one starts to think what kind of show she would have made for that stage. It's just so tempting. Mikael says there's been already a few months in between and it's in the past and one needs the right orientation and preparation also mentally for it. But indeed, the thought passed her mind during the show....

What about Sandhja's performance? Jorma says he's disappointed. The Akkabellas as well as Sandhja herself sung out of tune at times. And the show was unprepaired and poor. Why? (Why indeed, YLE?) Not even a little bit of smoke or windmachine, why-ay-ay?

Mikael is also very disappointed she didn't qualify. It's a difficult song to sing but he did like the simple staging but singing first people maybe didn't appreciate it yet. Could have worked better after some complicate stagings to underline the simplicity. And no, he wouldn't have wanted to be the to open the show!

Saara is also disappointed and wonders why they didn't so a bigger show, after all this is Eurovision. She likes the song and if it was only for the song it should have qualified. She understand the point of going song first but once again this is Eurovision, huge stage and all the props, use them! Why??? And she also talks about the out of tune singing.

Jorma's winning favorites are Sweden, Russia and Ukraine in no particular order. Mikael's favourite is Ukraine and Saara's Armenia.

Funny and irritating fact of this programme: they ALL pronounce Sandhja's name wrong. Way to go YLE! Sergey Lazarov? Facts, people facts! Get them right , jesus.

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Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

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