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Eurovision: I was misquoted, Spanish entrant insists
Pastora Soler will be the 19th act to perform during Saturday's final
Spain's Eurovision entrant has denied reports she was asked not to win by her country's public television channel.
Pastora Soler told the BBC she had been misquoted by a "very bad" journalist.
Her comments followed a widely circulated story that quoted her as saying Spain would struggle to host the event if she were to win this weekend.
Speaking on Friday, she insisted that "Spanish public television want to win and me too".
"We want to win this Eurovision," Soler told the BBC World Service. "If we win, Spain will be very happy with us."
It is written in the contest rules that the public broadcaster of the nation that wins must host the following year.
"Spain have a lot of place to have the competition," the singer went on. "It's not a problem for us."
Her remarks followed an earlier interview she gave to ABC Punto Radio in which she said Spain's TVE channel would find it "really difficult" to stage the contest.
"If we were to win, it will be impossible because of the costs," she said, in an interview translated from her native tongue.
During the interview she joked that the broadcaster had asked her not to win, but immediately added that "of course" they had not actually done so.
FavouritePastora Soler will sing her ballad Quedate Conmigo (Stay With Me) at Saturday's final, to be held in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku.
Spain last won the competition in 1969, when it shared a four-way tie with the UK, the Netherlands and France.
Thursday saw 10 more countries named finalists in the second semi-final held ahead of Saturday's main event.
Swedish entrant Loreen, considered by some to be the favourite this year, was among the successful acts to go through.
Lithuania, Malta, Norway and Turkey were among the other nations to join the 26 finalists.
The evening saw eight countries eliminated from the competition, among them Bulgaria, Croatia, Portugal and the Netherlands.
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Comment number 130.
Human25th May 2012 - 14:07
Once upon a time the EUrovision Song Contest was about songs and the Olympics was about sport. Now everything has to be an extravaganza. Let's go back to basics. All you need for Eurovision is a stage. No one needs to put on more than the songs with a LITTLE interval entertainment, then the voting. Simple cheap and fun. We don't need to see the acts backstage or what is goig on outside etc.
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Comment number 128.
redhawk25th May 2012 - 14:02
I don't know why anyone bothers with Eurovision the voting always has been and always will be politically motivated back stabbing and back licking, It wouldn't surprise me we the UK get less than 5 points this year. The music is terrible like something from the 70s it's amateurish and frankly embarrassing to watch. It's about time this silly competition got scrapped for good or we leave it.
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Comment number 123.
Ian P25th May 2012 - 13:31
I never really understand why people moan about TV programme they don't like, just don't watch them, not everything on TV is made for everyone to watch. I don't like sport, I don't moan about it, I just don't watch it. Just change the channel....
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Comment number 46.
Venedig25th May 2012 - 11:14
What about not wanting to host this tack-o-rama jamboree populated by talentless creatures on ground of bad taste, bad music, bad frocks, bad hairdos, bad countries which are not even remotely associated with Europe. Ops, I forgot good taste has left this planet long ago...
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Comment number 43.
daddydaddydaddy25th May 2012 - 11:03
I hope we win-I love Eurovision. Lots of countries take it seriously and we look foolish because we don't.
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Comments 5 of 9