"Everything too sexy"

Uproar over lewd Finnish ESC entry

(Bild: Jussi Nukari / Lehtikuva / picturedesk.com)

Finland's ESC hopeful Erika Vikman has caused a stir with a revealing stage performance of her song "I'm coming". "It's not just about any one thing, it's about everything: my outfit, the content of the song, how I move on stage," Finnish media quoted the 32-year-old blonde as saying. 

The Eurovision Song Contest in Basel in mid-May is organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). "The EBU says it's all a bit too sexy for them. They want me to cover my ass."

Pole dancing on the mic stand
The Finnish ESC chief organizer Anssi Autio was vague about it. There had been discussions. But no changes were requested.

Erika Vikman won the national competition in February in a fetish look. She showed a lot of skin during her performance to loud electronic music. The 32-year-old wore a shiny black bodice and matching chap pants, and she used the tripod of her microphone like a pole dance pole. The song moves between sultry poetry and salaciousness. The lyrics are in Finnish, the ambiguous chorus refrain "Ich komme" is in German.

Finnish ESC contestant Erika Vikman causes a stir with her daring stage performance.

(Bild: Jussi Nukari / Lehtikuva )

"Decided on a different costume long ago"
 In a statement on Thursday evening, Vikman was a little more diplomatic a little later. It is normal as a Eurovision act to coordinate with the EBU. "We were given to understand that the show was not suitable for the ESC stage and that we should turn down the performance. My costume also came up," reads an official statement on the X platform.

Nothing has been decided yet, they are in talks. "The performance is still being fine-tuned anyway. And I had already decided on a different costume long before I heard anything from the EBU."

At the beginning of March, there was already trouble surrounding Malta's ESC act because the title "Kant" (Maltese for "song") is strongly reminiscent of the English word "cunt", a vulgar term for the female sexual organ and a violent insult. The Eurovision Song Contest takes place this year from May 13 to 17 in Basel, Switzerland.