FRANCE – Alexandra Redde-Amiel, director of entertainment of France Télévisions, assesses the circumstances in which Eurovision Junior 2021 will be hosted in Paris a few days before the event.
After Valentina’s triumph last year, France will host the “kids” edition of the competition for the first time on Sunday, December 19. This 19th edition, which is already shaping up to be remarkable, is being arranged at the Seine Musicale and will be televised live on France 2 at 4 p.m.
JESC 2020 was held under unusual circumstances. A year later, it is apparent that the health condition continues to be a source of worry. While France Télévisions and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced last week that the jury show (the dress rehearsal held the day before the live show in which the professional juries are called to vote) would be held without an audience, Alexandra Redde-Amiel, director of entertainment, variety, and games at France Télévisions, provides an update with Télé-Loisirs.
“We want to do all we can to make the concert a success,” Alexandra Redde-Amiel explains. We have discussed this with the administration of France Télévisions and the EBU, and we have decided that we will not be executing the opening ceremony as it is. We don’t want to run the risk of having all of the delegations congregate in one spot on December 13 with a lot of passageways. The draw will be well-organized, sans delegations, and will be aired live on the Eurovision Junior website and YouTube channel. “The first and last positions in the running order, as well as France’s position, are established during this draw,” she said.
“The really good news is that we are not adjusting our gauge capacity – 3,250 people are anticipated in the audience – and the event will continue on as planned. We spent a lot of time researching everything. Our methodology is flawless: we have created a true health bubble. In addition, the artists and delegates will be housed in hygienic bubbles in their hotels. There is no scheduled excursion. Every day, tests are performed. The December 13 opening ceremony was a risk. There are several difficulties. We lobbied for this little adjustment. The ceremony, however, shall take place at Studio Gabriel, and Carla should be there for the draw.”
The attendance of the 19 delegations is currently fully arranged. If there were any concerns about Kazakhstan’s attendance, Alexandra Redde-Amiel clarifies:
“The group has landed in Paris and has begun the quarantine process. The other participants are expected to arrive on Sunday, December 12. While rehearsals begin on Monday the 13th, the stage (the aesthetics of which we have already shared) is almost complete and will be finished tomorrow, Thursday. It took seven to eight days to get there. We couldn’t afford to be late. We also wanted to be able to schedule initial practices with extras just before Monday’s sessions. The postcards, which are themed around heritage, are also nearing completion. This is the beginning of the journey!”, said Alexandra Redde-Amiel.
“There will also be an Icelandic delegation present.” They’d want to participate and observe how things go.”
“We want to rally the French.” Because, in these troubled times, Eurovision brings people from all over the world together. In recent years, France Télévisions has produced an excellent tale centred around Eurovision. It is up to you to organize the Junior competition in France, as well as the national Eurovision France selection… “The France Télévisions group has mobilized to keep the Eurovision brand alive all year!” Alexandra Redde -Amiel concludes.
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