Israel: X-factor to select the country’s Eurovision 2022 act
The X-Factor show will be Israel’s national selection mechanism, in order to select the country’s Eurovision 2022 act.
Israel was the first nation to confirm its participation in Eurovision 2022. Even though the Eurovision 2021 is still ahead of us, KAN, confirmed that next year it will adopt a selection assingned to an external entity, which will select through a competitive procedure – similar to the 2015-2020 representative selection process, during which the representative was selected by Keshet with the “Next Eurovision Star” program. The potential musical program had to be a program that has already been produced and broadcast in the past in Israel or around the world.
Two weeks ago the Israeli broadcaster released the terms of the tender with the main programs in the race being “Next Star” and the “X Factor” . Now it has been confirmed that X-factor will be the show to determine the next Israeli Eurovision hopeful.
The show led by Simon Cowell, will feature as judges Neta Barzilai and Aviv Geffen. According to the local media reports, a significant factor in choosing “The X Factor” and turning its back on “The Next Star” was a much higher financial bid from Reshet, which will be the one to produce the show and air it on their own Channel 13.
Reshet will be covering financially the major part of expenses of the Israeli Eurovision 2022 participation whilst KAN will be the one to select the entry. The song will be selected in a special show which also will be produced and financially covered by Reshet but it remains unknown whether the show will be aired on Channel 11 or Reshet’s own channel.
The Story so far
IBA began collaborating with Keshet in 2015, when Nadav Gueji was chosen to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest as part of the “Next Star” program. The collaboration also continued with the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation after the closure of the the Broadcasting Cooperation and among the selected acts was the ESC 2018 winner, Netta. In December 2019, the corporation decided to end its collaboration with Keshet and hold a pre-Eurovision show on Channel 11 The cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2020 led to the continuation of the collaboration with the singer Eden Alene , who had won “The next star for the Eurovision 2020”.
On the other hand X-factor premiered on Israeli television in 2013 and continued for several seasons up to 2018. Now it will return on screen to select the country’s Eurovision 2022 hopeful, marking the second country that will be using the same show as their national selection method after Malta which selected its ESC acts in 2019 and 2020 through X-factor.
Eurovision 2021
Last year Eden Alene won the talent show “The next Star” and the ticket to Rotterdam where she was going to perform the nationally selected song Feker Libi. Due to the covid-19 pandemic the contest was cancelled interrupting Eden’s Eurovision journey.
However Eden Alene will have the chance to complete this year her Eurovision journey and will be performing “Set Me Free” in the 12 position of the first semi final in Rotterdam on May 18.
News Source: e.walla.co.il/ Eurofansradio.com
