Samantha Mumba’s Eurovision Performance Sparks Controversy
Samantha Mumba criticized the judges after she finished second representing Ireland at Eurovision 2025, describing their comments as “unnecessarily rude.”
The singer secured second place with her song, My Way, and voiced her disappointment with some judges for lacking “powers,” claiming that certain members were “overly rude.”
Emmy Selected to Represent Ireland
Emmy was chosen to represent Ireland in Eurovision 2025 with her track, Laika Party. This song pays tribute to the dog Laika, the first animal to be sent into space by the Soviet Union in 1957.
The selection event for Ireland’s representative was held on February 7, with each judge providing feedback on performances during the show broadcasted on RTé.
One judge, choreographer and Irish dancing star Arthur Gurunlian, commented on Mumba’s performance: “It took a long time to start. It felt like ten different demonstrations merged into one song. The vocals were there, but I couldn’t connect at all.”
2FM broadcaster Laura Fox remarked, “(Mumba) is an icon in her own right; I would play her music anytime. But Eurovision has its own dynamics, and I think my way might be too slow to make an impact.”
Other judges included celebrity chef and TV presenter Donal Skehan and Bambi Tug, who represented Ireland the previous year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5gijjPr7MK
Mumba later took to Instagram to express gratitude to her fans, stating, “Those who understood it received it … and those who didn’t is also fine. This is my art, and I support it.”
She expressed her view that the panel, except for Bambi Thug, lacked the necessary experience and were “too rude” to all the finalists.
Judges Respond to Criticism
Skekhan addressed Mumba’s claims, noting: “It may be easy to dismiss me as just a TV chef, but my career began in music.”
He added: “My comments were never personal. They focused on what would give Ireland the best chance of success at the Eurovision stage.”
In response to Mumba’s comments, RTÉ defended the judges’ professionalism, stating, “We are extremely grateful to the Late EUROSONG panel for their professionalism, understanding, honesty, and good humor.”
“Their role is to provide genuine reactions to performances, giving their insights on the potential success of the entries at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.”
Eurovision 2025 will be held in Basel, Switzerland, following Nemo’s win this year with their song “Code,” marking the country’s first victory since 1988 and the first for a non-binary winner in Eurovision history.
In October, the BBC announced that Sam Ryder’s manager was appointed to find the UK’s representative for Eurovision 2025, following Ryder’s impressive second-place finish in 2022.
Eurovision 2024 broke global viewing records, despite protests surrounding Israel’s participation amid the Gaza conflict. According to EBU statistics, 163 million viewers tuned in for three live events, including the Grand Final.
Olli Alexander performed the song “Dizzy” at the competition, finishing 18th out of 25 countries, receiving only 46 points from the jury and no points from public voting.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/samantha-mumba-hits-out-at-unnecessarily-rude-judges-after-coming-runner-up-to-represent-ireland-at-eurovision-2025-3837206?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=samantha-mumba-hits-out-at-unnecessarily-rude-judges-after-coming-runner-up-to-represent-ireland-at-eurovision-2025
