This was reported by espreso.tv

Jerry Heil and alyona alyona will perform at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 grand final on May 11 under No. 2. This number in the song contest is called the death spot, as it is known that over the past 15 years, artists who have been second on the Eurovision stage have only once made it to the top ten.

However, the Ukrainian representatives assured that No. 2 is not something they are afraid of.

"We're number two in the finals tomorrow. Everyone says that this is a death spot — a deadly position in the context of the performance because according to the regularity of TV shows, the participants who perform later have a better vote conversion. This is the number the show's producers chose for us. Well, that's great! Who better than Ukrainians to know what it's like to go for your goal no matter what", the girls commented in a joint post on social media.

However, this year the voting lines open with the start of the performances, not after the last artist has taken the stage, as it was before. Therefore, the chances of winning for those who come out second increase.

The director of the number, Tania Muinho, believes that this is a conscious decision of the Eurovision producers.

"'Death Place' from the Eurovision team. It's nice", the director left a sarcastic comment.

Photo: screenshot from Taniu Muinho's Instagram

"This is a bold choice worthy of a headline. The stigma that comes with being second in the list at a song contest is enormous. This stigma is justified because this slot has never produced winners and, statistically, negatively affects your performance. Since 2013, the year when the order of performance at the Song Contest was first decided by the producer, no producer has dared to put anyone close to the favorite status that Ukraine is this year in this dreaded slot", he wrote.

The observer explained that there are rational reasons for this decision, as Sweden will be the first to take the stage with the track Unforgettable, and the song Teresa & Maria is a completely different world of sound with a musical style that will take the contest across half a continent in seconds.

"If you are responsible for the order of performances to mix up the tempo and genres, this is a great example of how to do it", Robertson said.

He calls this decision bold, and also clarifies that this is a signal from the organizers that they do not want Ukraine to win because then they will have to decide again where to hold Eurovision 2025.

"Assigning 2nd place on the list is the clearest message a producer can give that winning is not the main goal for this song", the observer emphasized and added: "Winning Eurovision will once again start difficult conversations about where and how Ukraine will host the contest — headaches that could have been avoided with other options".

Robertson recalled that Eurovision producer Christer Berkman wrote in his autobiography that working as a producer of the 2017 contest in Kyiv was "possibly the most unpleasant" period of his career.

Statistics of the place taken by the artists who performed under No. 2 are as follows:

2023 - 23rd place
2022 - 18th place
2021 - 21st place
2019 - 17th place
2018 - 23rd place
2017 - 22nd place
2016 - 25th place
2015 - 25th place
2014 - 16th place
2013 - 22nd place
2012 - 24th place
2011 - 6th place
2010 - 15th place
2009 - 16th place.

Ukrainians alyona alyona and Jerry Heil performed in the first semifinal of Eurovision 2024 on May 7 with the song Teresa & Maria and reached the final. The song hit the charts in 27 countries around the world. The performance of alyona alyona and Jerry Heil was choreographed by two-time Grammy nominee Tania Muinho, who has directed videos for Harry Styles, The Weeknd, Billie Eilish and other stars.

The day before the final, Israeli representative Eden Golan, despite the pro-Palestinian protests in Malmö, rose to 2nd place, while Jerry Heil and alyona alyona dropped to 6th place.