Inside Eurovision’s reigning champion Loreen’s life since second win
Sweden's Loreen celebrated her second victory at Eurovision last year with her soundtrack Tattoo. She first won the contest in 2012 with her song, Euphoria.
Sweden's Eurovision entry Loreen performs
The annual Eurovision Song Contest is back this weekend, with numerous winners over the years making history. One global superstar is Sweden's Loreen who became the first woman to win the competition twice last year.
Born as Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui in Stockholm, she first came to prominence in 2004 when she appeared on the talent show Idol In Sweden. After finishing fourth, she left the music scene to focus on television.
She returned in 2011 and attempted to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest, but failed in the selection process. However, a year later she recorded her soundtrack Euphoria, and went on to win the competition.
Her win was so successful that she became the most commercially successful Eurovision winner in 25 years, with her song becoming a club classic and gaining chart success around Europe.
She then returned 11 years later to Eurovision aged 39 years old. She performed her song Tattoo and made history by helping Sweden match Ireland’s record of seven victories at the contest.
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She previously revealed that she didn't think about doing Eurovision ever again. It took her team four weeks to change her mind and convince her to go to Liverpool.
Away from her singing career, Loreen had been in a relationship with fellow Idol competitor Daniel Lindström between 2004 and 2006. She is currently not married and doesn't have any children.
She has also taken a keen interest in political activism over the years. In 2013, she became the ambassador of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan and visited Kabul to oversee the construction of a primary school.
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Due to her political work, she has recieved the World's Children's Prizes Crystal Globe twice (2013 and 2014) and during her second occasion she met Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.
Loreen is confirmed to be performing as a guest act at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final, which takes place on Saturday 11 May. The competition is being held in Malmo, Sweden, with over 160 million viewers expected to watch.
Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals air on Tuesday 7 and Thursday 9 May on BBC One.
