Who is Julia Sanina? Meet the Eurovision 2023 presenter
Here's everything you need to know about the singer and presenter joining Hannah Waddingham and Alesha Dixon on stage for this year's Eurovision.
Fans eagerly tuned in to watch Eurovision 2023 this week, as the first of the semi-finals kicked off on Tuesday, 9th May at the Liverpool Arena.
And while hosts Hannah Waddingham and Alesha Dixon were amazing on the night - with Alesha performing a Eurovision themed rap to a delighted audience - their co-host Julia Sanina wowed viewers with her incredible opening performance.
While Julia may not be a household name here in the UK just yet, we predict we’ll be hearing a lot more of her music in our ears long after the competition draws to a close - with the grand final being this Saturday, 13th May.
But who exactly is Julia Sanina? Read on to find out more about the artist, who is part of the Eurovision 2023 presenting line-up.
Who is Julia Sanina?
Age: 32
Twitter: @Julia_Hardkiss, @THE_HARDKISS
Instagram: @the_hardkiss
Born Yuliia Oleksandrivna Holovan, Julia is best known for being the frontwoman of Ukrainian rock band, The Hardkiss.
She was born in the country’s capital city, Kyiv, and first started performing at the age of three. As well as her musical career, Julia has also enjoyed life in the spotlight as a judge on The X Factor Ukraine and through creating videos for her YouTube channel.
Romantically, The Hardkiss holds a special place in Julia’s heart, as she is married to lead guitarist Valeriy ‘Val’ Bebko! The pair married in 2011 and welcomed their first child, Danylo, four years later.
The couple first worked together on their pop duet project, Val & Sanina, before making their sound heavier and changing their band name to The Hardkiss - and the rest, as they say, is history!
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What has Julia Sanina said about hosting Eurovision?
Julia is - understandably - incredibly proud of her country, and is determined to showcase Ukraine’s incredible talent at this year’s Eurovision.
After meeting the newly crowned King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Liverpool last week, Julia told her fans: “We had a very enjoyable and meaningful conversation with His Majesty King Charles III. I managed to say everything I planned. From all the Ukrainian people, I thanked for the support we receive from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the royal family.
“Emphasised how important and nice it is that the Great Britain on behalf of Ukraine hosts this year's Eurovision contest. We discussed how many talented Ukrainians are participating in the preparation and how many wonderful Ukrainian artists will perform on stage at this year's Eurovision. It seemed to me that the Royals are already set to watch all three of Eurovision 2023.”
The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will continue on the BBC from Thursday 11th May to Saturday 14th May – listen to all of this year's Eurovision songs on TIDAL, while the full album of tracks is also available on CD and vinyl now.
If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Entertainment hub.
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