topic/tv

Will Ferrell and Viveca Paulin were in Malmö to follow Eurovision.

Photo: Andreas Hillergren/TT / Andreas Hillergren / TT NEWS AGENCY

Will Ferrell och Rachel McAdams i ”Eurovision song contest: the story of fire saga”.

Photo: JOHN WILSON / AP TT NEWS AGENCY

In the middle of the final, Ferrell and Paulin could be glimpsed in the audience.

Photo: SVT

Around 160 million people worldwide watched the exciting final of the Eurovision song contest on Saturday night. Malmö Arena was also full of spectators cheering on their favourites.

In the middle of the crowd, a familiar face appeared. It was none other than the actor Will Ferrell who was present in the arena to watch the final. And it was no accident.

“It was us at SVT who contacted Will. As he is a Eurovision fan, he wanted to come and sit in the audience, which we are very happy about,” says Hanna Dowling, head of communications at SVT, in a comment to Expressen.

Summer place in Gnesta

That Will Ferrell is in Sweden, watching Eurovision, is nothing surprising. Ferrell has been married to the Swedish actress Viveca Paulin since 2000 and the couple has a summer residence in Gnesta municipality.

In 2020, the film “Eurovision song contest: The story of fire saga” came on Netflix. In the film, Ferrell and Rachel McAdams play two Icelandic artists who compete in Eurovision and dream of winning the competition. A hit from the film was the song “Husavik”, where Will Ferrell sings together with Molly Sandén, who lent her singing voice to McAdams’ character under the pseudonym My Marianne.

The Herrey brothers on the “Bingolotto” stage on Sunday evening.

Photo: TV4

Here, Lotta and Anders Engberg, who drive behind Herreys, are reunited.

Photo: Johan Carlén / Folkspel

Anders Engberg when he unexpectedly appeared in “Bingolotto” on Sunday evening.

Photo: Johan Carlén / Folkspel

The Herrey brothers were behind Sweden’s second win in Eurovision in 1984.

Photo: ESC/TT Nyhetsbyrån / TT NEWS AGENCY

Here Lotta Engberg is seen driving in the background behind Herreys.

Photo: Kenneth Jonasson/EXP/TT / TT NEWS AGENCY

Lotta Engberg was behind the double surprise in “Bingolotto”.

Photo: KARIN TÖRNBLOM/TT / KARIN TÖRNBLOM TT NEWS AGENCY

Lotta and Anders Engberg 1994.

Photo: Roger Tillberg / Reportage photo

“Diggiloo diggiley” – now the Herreys are back.

“Bingolotto” presenter Lotta Engberg began her career driving behind other artists, such as Kicki Danielsson, with whom she then started the trio Kicki, Bettan and Lotta together.

Engberg also drove behind Herreys when they won the Eurovsion song contest for Sweden with their “Diggiloo Diggiley” on May 5, 1984. That was also how she met her first husband Anders Engberg.

Now, exactly 40 years later, the Herrey brothers are making a comeback on the “Bingolotto” stage. Then a surprise awaited signed Lotta Engberg.

THE ARTICLE IN BRIEF

Lotta Engberg, who drove behind the Herreys during their Eurovision win in 1984 with the song “Diggiloo Diggiley”, arranged a surprise for the brothers during their comeback in “Bingolotto” exactly 40 years later.

Her ex-husband Anders Engberg appeared in the program to Herrey’s shock and they all performed exactly as they did 40 years ago.

The anniversary also coincided with Anders’ 73rd birthday and Lotta had arranged for their common children and grandchildren to be in the audience, which Anders had no idea about.

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– I was also there then, Engberg said in the broadcast and put on a hair band just like she had in 1984.

– But it wasn’t just me who was standing there and driving, but so did he who arranged and produced “Diggiloo Diggiley”. He’s coming here, Engberg said, and Anders Engberg appeared unexpectedly, which made the Herreys brothers drop their jaws.

He and Lotta then once again took the lead behind the brothers on stage as they sang the gold hit “Diggiloo Diggiley”.

– What fun. I’m almost starting to cry here, said Per Herrey about the surprise in the broadcast.

The Herrey brothers’ shock when Anders Engberg unexpectedly appears in the program.

Photo: TV4

Lotta Engberg took her ex-husband by the hand and ran onto the stage to drive behind Herreys once more.

Photo: TV4

Secret planning for the surprise

Engberg tells Expressen about the secrecy behind the surprise.

– When I was told that I would be working on May 5, I thought of this immediately because I remember it so incredibly well. We were down in Luxembourg and the brothers won. Then Anders whispered in my ear “how funny because it’s my birthday today too”, says Engberg.

When Engberg met her ex-husband at a party for one of their joint grandchildren, she therefore asked what he would do on his 73rd birthday. She then told him about her plan to surprise the Herreys at their reunion and Anders was quick to agree.

– It is historic that it is exactly on that day 40 years ago. So we celebrate both 40 and 73 years, says Engberg to Expressen.

Double the birthday surprise

The presenter had also prepared a surprise for the ex-husband. The exparate’s children and grandchildren were sitting in the audience – which Anders had no idea about.

Several of those who were behind the Eurovision success are unfortunately not alive today, says Engberg. But those who do did a repeat of a favorite – exactly as they did 40 years ago.

– We are just a little older, says Engberg and laughs.

Molly Sandén performing during the Abba tribute on SVT.

Photo: Magnus Lejhall/TT / TT NEWS AGENCY

Participants in the ABBA quiz held during the tribute program.

Photo: Magnus Lejhall/TT / TT NEWS AGENCY

Abba when they won the Eurovision song contest in 1974, which was Sweden’s first win in the competition.

Photo: AP / AP TT NEWS AGENCY

This year marks 50 years since Abbas’ iconic win with “Waterloo” in the Eurovision song contest. The 50th anniversary was celebrated with a tribute evening for the band at Cirkus in Stockholm on Saturday evening, which was also broadcast on SVT.

During the evening, artists such as Albin Lee Meldau, Seinabo Sey, Molly Sandén and Christer Sjögren performed various Abba classics. However, Abba themselves were conspicuous by their absence. Björn Ulvaeus was instead in London where the musical “Mamma Mia” celebrated 25 years on stage in the West End, writes TT.

THE ARTICLE IN BRIEF

The tribute evening for Abba that was broadcast on SVT on Saturday night has received criticism from both reviewers and on social media.

The range of artists is called, among other things, “low-profile” and the television production “old-fashioned and long-winded”, while others appreciated the party atmosphere, including the royal couple.

SVT’s now replies that, despite mixed criticism, they are happy about the efforts and had expected both praise and praise.

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“Agnetha, Frida, Björn and Benny have jointly decided to decline all requests in connection with the anniversary”Abbas’s manager Görel Hanser has previously announced to TT.

“Old-fashioned and long-winded”

Several reviewers are now criticizing the tribute, Gothenburg Post’s Johan Lindqvist writes that the range of artists was “strikingly low-profile” and that the television production was “old-fashioned, cumbersome, insensitive and long-winded”. Dagens Nyheter’s Matilda Källén writes that it is like “watching an extra luxurious ‘So much better'” and questions where the fathers are and the “lack of enthusiasm”.

Positive words have also been said about the tribute evening as “the audience was lyrical when Maja Ivarsson kicked off Saturday’s love fest for Abba with ‘Does your mother know’, writes TT. And the King and Queen who were in attendance looked to be enjoying the evening as they smiled and clapped along to the music.

The production behind the tribute evening has previously announced that they have invited several of Sweden’s biggest artists to interpret the band’s music.

The king and queen during the tribute night for Abba.

Photo: Magnus Lejhall/TT / TT NEWS AGENCY

SVT’s response to the criticism

Criticism is also directed at the program on social media, and now SVT is responding.

“SVT is happy for everyone’s efforts. It was a big gala and a lot was going to happen. Also expected to receive both rice and praise for the achievements when expectations were high”writes Camilla Hagert, press manager at SVT in a message to Expressen.