RTVE has announced that the 2018 Spanish representative for the Eurovision Song Contest will be the winner of Operación Triunfo’s new season. This method was used from 2002 until 2004 and guaranteed Spain a place within the competition’s top 10 three times in a row. Something which hasn’t happened since 2012.
RTVE, the official Spanish broadcaster, certainly doesn’t want to be accused again of lack of transparency or even of being the main reason of bringing bad results to the country in the Eurovision Song Contest. With this being said, the broadcaster has announced that the 2018 Spanish representative will be selected out of an old method which proved to be successful in the early 2000s.
Operación Triunfo, the most successful talent show in the country, will be the platform to select the candidate that will represent Spain in Lisbon. The broadcaster is confident that this choice will bring better results for the country as the talent show provides the contestants with lessons, training and practice in their live performances which will be an added boost and hopefully will improve their abilities on the big stage.
The talent show debuted in 2002 and its winner – Rosa López – was chosen to represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest. Rosa’s Europe’s a Living Celebration finished at number 7 with a total amount of 81 points marking Spain’s best result in the competition since then.
Last year, Spanish Eurovision fans were unhappy with the way RTVE carried the country’s national final and accused the broadcaster of corruption. Manel Navarro was Spain’s 2017 representative and unlike Rosa López, his song Do It For Your Lover failed to surprise the viewers which translated in the country ranking last in the competition. You can remind yourself of his performance below:
