Radio International - The Ultimate Eurovision Experience (2025-04-23): Tributes to Colin Berry, Clodagh Rodgers; Eurovision 2025: Meet the Eurostars: Gabry Ponte (SM), Laura Thorn

Radio International - The Ultimate Eurovision Experience is broadcast from Malta's Radio 105FM on Tuesday evenings from 2100 - 0059 hours CET. The show is broadcast live on Wednesday evenings from 1900 - 2300 hours CET on the Eurovision Radio International Mixcloud Channel as well as on the Facebook Page of Eurovision Radio International with an interactive chatroom.

 

 

 

AT A GLANCE - ON THE SHOW THIS WEEK

• Meet the Eurostars 2025:  Laura Thorn (Luxembourg 2025) done at Eurovision in Concert 2025 in Amsterdam and at the Madrid Pre-Party 
• Meet the Eurostars 2025:  Go-Jo (Australia 2025) done at Eurovision in Concert 2025 - postponed to next week
• Meet the Eurostars 2025:  Gabry Ponte (San Marino 2025) done at London PreParty 2025
• Tribute to Colin Berry (Eurovision Jury Spokesperson for the United Kingdom)
• Tribute to Clodagh Rogers (United Kingdom 1971) by David Mann
• Eurovision Song Contest 2025: The Recaps of Semi Final 1 and 2 and the Grand Final Songs
• Eurovision Spotlight:  Eurovision 2025 in Regions:  The South Eastern Region with Chris Poppe (Last in the current series)
• Eurovision News with Nick van Lith from www.escXtra.com
• Eurovision Birthday File with David Mann
• Eurovision Cover Spot with David Mann
• Eurovision Calendar with Javier Leal
• New Music Releases by Eurovision Artists
• Your music requests

 

Tribute to Colin Berry:  The Eurovision Community received the sad news that on 16 Apr 2025 Colin Berry has passed away. Colin was a very familiar voice on the Eurovision Song Contest from 1977 - 2002 as being the Jury Spokesperson for the United Kingdom Jury. Further, Colin was also a radio presenter and newsreader on BBC Radio 2 and later on BBC Three Counties until 2016. He hosted various radio shows which very often also included songs from the Eurovision Song Contest. A very pleasant voice has been silenced. BBC Three Countries Radio rebroadcast Colin's last show which you will be able to listen to again - click here.  Rest in Peace Colin Berry (29 Jan 1946 - 16 Apr 2025).

 

Colin Berry and David Mann

As a tribute to Colin Berry, Radio International will rebroadcast an interview with Colin Berry which was done by Radio International's David Mann in 2016 as part of Eurovision You Decide 2016 (The UK's National Final of the United Kingdome to the Eurovision Song Contest.

 

Tribute to Clodagh Rodgers (United Kingdom 1971):  The Eurovision Community lost another of its members - Clodagh Rodgers who represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 1971 which was won by Monaco's Severine with "Un banc, un arbre, une rue". The United Kingdom came fourth in that contest with the song "Jack in the Box". Clodagh passed away on 18 Apr 2025 at the age of 78.  On the show this week, Radio International will broadcast a tribute to the singer and look back over her life and career. Rest in Peace Clodagh Rogers (05 Mar 1947 - 18 Apr 2025).

The Eurovision Spotlight - The Eurovision 2025 Land in Regions:  All countries have now selected their entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 and with this marking the end of the National Final Season 2025 and the start of the Pre-Party Season where the artists promote their entries to the fans at e.g. Eurovision in Concert in Amsterdam, Madrid Pre-Party, London's Preview Event, MancHagen, The Nordic Eurovision PreParty and Eurovision Party SKG in Greece.

36 countries are taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 which will be taking place on 13 and 15 May 2024 for the two Semi Finals and the Grand Final on 17 May 2025. Radio International split the Eurovision Land 2025 into geographical regions North, East, South, West, Central, etc and each week the Radio International Eurovision experts are selecting one region playing the 2025 Eurovision entries. Chris Poppe will be closing the series looking at the Eastern Central Countries' entries for this year.

 

Meet the Eurostars 2025:  The 15th edition of Eurovision in Concert took place on 05 Apr 2025 from Amsterdam's AFAS LIVE venue with acts from 30 countries that are competing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 to showcase their entries to the 6000 plus Eurovision Fans that arrived to watch the performances. Before the concert there was a Media Event where national and international representatives of the media could meet the artists and conduct short interviews. Radio International's Salman and JP were on location and conducted interviews with some of the artists you will hear on Radio International over the weeks to come.
Also Radio International's Salman went to MancHagen and the London Eurovision Party 2025 to conduct interviews with Eurovision artists old and new. Listen out the the interviews on the shows in the weeks to come.

 

 

Laura Thorn (Luxembourg 2025) at the Madrid PreParty 2025

Interview with Laura Thorn (Luxembourg 2025):  Luxembourg returned to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2024 with Tali and in the footsteps of Tali is Laura Thorn who will represent Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song "La Poupee monte le son" which will be in Semi Final 2 at Number 13. Radio International met Laura at Eurovision in Concert in Amsterdam but also at the Madrid PreParty 2025. Get to know the young singer in two interview clips on the show this week.

Gabry Ponte (San Marino 2025) at the London Eurovision Party 2025

Interview with Gabry Ponte (San Marino 2025):  Also on the show this week listen to an interview Radio International's Salman did with San Marino's Musical Ambassador to the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 - Gabry Ponte. The interview clip was done at the recent edition of the London Eurovision Party 2025. Gabry is responsible for this huge hit of 1999 by Eiffel 65 called "Blue".  At the Eurovision Song Contest Gabry, being Italian, will represent the tiny state of San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song "Tutta L'Italia" which in fact is the theme tune to Italy's San Remo Song Festival this year.

Also JP will be joined by David Mann for the Eurovision Birthday File and Eurovision Coverspot.  Nick will be presenting the Eurovision News courtesy of escXtra.com. There will be a lot of the great new releases of Eurovision artists on the show as well as great Eurovision Classics. Javier will be updating us on the upcoming Eurovision events in the Eurovision Calendar and and and....

For full details of this week's Show Content and Play List - click here