2009
Hosted in: Kyiv, Ukraine Won by: The Netherlands – Click clack by Ralf Mackenbach EBU execs might have been helpless seeing that Junior Eurovision simply refuses to leave the Eastern Bloc. Until one of them said “If you can’t beat them, join them!”, hence the bizarre decision to host the contest in Ukraine. Though with more Western countries sneaking in – albeit one by one with Sweden first in line – this would be the first time in FIVE years that a country outside the former Soviet Union won the contest. I’m an association football fan. When I started writing reviews about Junior Eurovision I’d never thought I would talk about the sport when doing so. Armenia’s Luara Hayrapetyan performed “Barcelona”. No, not the Freddie Mercury song, I meant a pop song about football with performers donning FC Barcelona kits. Coincidentally, the team’s front of shirt sponsor at the time was UNICEF, who is now the JESC’s former partner (maybe). Though because of that and copyright issues, their...