Julia Zemiro has opened up on last year's surprise departure as Eurovision host alongside Sam Pang, saying Australia's eventual inclusion in the annual singing competition in 2015 changed her perspective on the role.
Appearing as the special guest on this week's The Music Podcast With Dave & Neil, the RocKwiz presenter described her and Pang's call-up to the role in 2009 as an "exciting, new adventure", but when Australia began to compete it made their usual slot as external commentators an uncomfortable one.
"To be a regular member, you are taking away some other European country's possibility of being in the final," Zemiro said.
"So now that we're in a semi and we have to qualify to get to a final, you're taking a spot away and I do think that's weird because we aren't a part of Europe.
"Now, that's my opinion. It's not everyone's opinion, I understand that. But for me, it made all of a sudden, as commentators, how is it when you can watch it you can be fairly free... and then all of a sudden you're in it, it's like going to someone's house and going to a dinner party and saying 'I don't really like the food'.
"You're not as free to be able to have fun with what you're watching because you're in it."
Zemiro continued, "I remember Sam and I going 'Well, what are we going to talk about?' And we said 'I suppose we can pay out on ourselves' and we did do that but that can only go so far.
"And it became weird to do. It didn't feel free, it didn't feel open and then it just became about giving information."
Zemiro admits she would return to the SBS broadcast "in a heartbeat" on the condition Australia didn't compete, however she believes the competition has become "a little bit Americanised".
"You know, when Justin Timberlake is the half time interval entertainment at the grand final in Sweden? I'm not saying they're gonna get ABBA, but you know, why not get Roxette?
"There's so many amazing musicians in Sweden and to bring Justin Timberlake in, it just looked like a real move.
"And also, maybe 5% of the songs are sung in the language of the country. Everything else is in English. We're only adding another English song.
"But that's not to say that, having seen [Jessica Mauboy] Guy [Sebastian] and Dami [Im] up close working through that terrifying night of doing your song once — It's Australian Idol times a bazillion — extraordinary performers. I hope they get something out of it.
"My thing is always, if Isaiah [Firebrace] can get something out of it, if Jess can get something out of it, by all means, it's a way into the European market. It's a huge risk."
Despite this, Zemiro said stepping away from the hosting gig allowed her to properly enjoy the 2017 broadcast.
"Last year was the first time in eight years and I turned everything off and I sat down and actually watched it with my partner, nice and calm," Zemiro recalled.
"It was fabulous. It was great to see [current hosts Joel Creasey and Myf Warhurst] doing an amazing job, getting to know the new show, getting to know what it's about... and to go 'I miss it, but where are all the songs in the other languages?!'"
Listen to the full podcast with Zemiro below.
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