Aussievision's favourite Eurovision hosts of the 2020s

It is not just songs and artists that make the Eurovision Song Contest memorable.

There is another group of people who entertain us during Eurovision week, the hosts of the show.

We have certainly been treated to some outstanding Eurovision hosts over the 2020 decade so far.

Nine members of the Aussievision team ranked their favourites and shared their thoughts.

So who did our team declare as our favourite host of the 2020s thus far?

Continue reading for the answer.

For this set of rankings, a scoring system of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 points was implemented, with five points going to the favourite and so on.

Let's begin! Our top 10 hosts are:

= 9. Graham Norton (2023, Liverpool) - 3 points

= 9. Sandra Studer (2025, Basel) - 3 points

8. Victoria Swarovski (2026, Vienna) - 4 points

7. Malin Åkerman (2024, Malmö) - 5 points

6. Alesha Dixon (2023, Liverpool) - 6 points

Let's take a little deep dive into our top 5 Eurovision hosts of the 2020s.

5. Mika (2022, Turin) - 7 points

Beirut born-British singer Michael Penniman Jr, better known as Mika, is most famous for his 2007 global hit Grace Kelly.

Since then Mika has released nine albums, won numerous music awards, presented many television shows in Continental Europe including being a judge and mentor on both the French and Spanish versions of The Voice, and the Italian version of X Factor.

He has acted in film productions as well as being an accomplished voice actor. Mika has been a spokesperson for many brands such as Belgian retailer JBC, Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch and Spanish beer San Miguel amongst others.

He often collaborates with his sister Yasmine on designs as well as writing songs for other artists.

Mika is also an active philanthropist being involved with many charities involved with children's needs, medical research and earthquake victims.

Comments from the team:

“Mika really tuned into a loveable innocence that was just so endearing to watch. He clearly knew next to nothing about Eurovision but was so excited to be there and be a part of the fun. He was also a great choice to host for Turin since he really represented the non-Italian audiences watching at home: as Laura and Alessandro taught him about Italy they taught the audiences in a way that felt a lot more personal and lighthearted. “ ~ Rebecca

4. Nikkie de Jager (2021, Rotterdam) - 13 points

Dutch make-up artist, model, veteran beauty YouTuber and Uber Eurovision fan, Nikkie de Jager was originally signed to be the online host for the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest before its cancellation.

Her role was subsequently upgraded for the 2021 edition. de Jager is the first transgender person to host the contest. In addition to hosting Eurovision, she has been active on her YouTube channel NikkieTutorials since 2008 and currently boasts 15.3 million subscribers.

She is also a qualified professional makeup artist and was named by Forbes magazine in their top ten beauty "influencers". de Jager was also announced as a goodwill ambassador at the United Nations in 2020.

She has also been a guest judge on Glow Up and Drag Race Holland.

Comments from the team:

“I had heard of Nikkie from her YouTube channel 'Nikkie Tutorials' and she definitely knows how to handle an audience. Her channel is very professional as well so I expected brilliance at Rotterdam and we definitely got it. I am glad that AVROTROS decided to upgrade her role from Green Room Presenter to Presenter. The role is so much more authentic when someone who is a fan of the contest gets to do it.” ~ Fleur

“Underrated hosting queen - Nikkie proved that they were not only a YouTube-personality, but a bonafide hosting superstar that was able to handle all situations with charisma, grace, and integrity. Her interviewing technique with each of the Eurovision contestants that year was a masterclass in effortless charm and research as she was able to bring out and amplify the contestants’ personalities. It was a beautiful thing to watch. If/when the Netherlands win again, Nikkie should be involved in the hosting, whether it was a co-host or host the whole thing on their own! “ ~ Paul

3. Petra Mede (2024, Malmö) - 27 points

Comedian, dancer, actress and tv presenter Petra Mede is well known to Eurovision audiences as a three time host of the beloved contest.

Mede has also hosted the Swedish national final selection Melodifestivalen on a few occasions as she has been involved with broadcaster SVT since 2011.

She is multilingual and can speak Swedish, English, French, Spanish and Italian. Mede originally set out to be a dancer when she decided on a show business career but an injury stopped her and she found her calling as a comedian a few years later.

Comments from the team:

“Petra is simply pure presenter perfection. No one can beat her. She tells hilarious jokes, she sings, she dances, she throws herself in every routine, she speaks multiple languages fluently. She has done it with a man, she has done it with a woman, and she is the only host in the semi-final era to host solo. A big reason I want Sweden to win again soon is to see her one last time and for her to equal Katie Boyle's record. Heja Sverige, Heja Petra!!” ~ Sam

“Petra is the epitome of what you want in a great Eurovision host. She’s tongue-in-cheek funny, she brings the right amount of light and shade, and most importantly she steers the broadcast with an unmatched level of confidence and control. I’m forever hoping for another Swedish victory so that we can be graced with her presence one more time.“ ~ Joel

“You can’t beat a classic - and with her comedic timing (as well as Edward af Sillén’s comedic writing), she is the consummate host that remains charming, entertaining, and ever so professional in those sticky situations. She is our generation’s Katie Boyle, and hopefully Petra is able to match or pass Katie’s hosting record very soon!” ~ Paul

“Petra needs no words. Petra does Petra energy.” ~ Hayley

“If we were counting 2016, Petra would absolutely win this, but 2024 Petra was a lot more subdued IMO. Still great but not a standout.“ ~ Rebecca

“Petra is a great host, one of the greatest. But Malmö 2024 was not her best effort. Maybe it was a sign of the times, maybe it was the chemistry with Malin Åkerman. It just was not the same this time around. The magic was not there” ~ Fleur

2. Hazel Brugger (2025, Basel) - 28 points

American born, Swiss comedian and presenter Hazel Brugger is currently touring Europe with her comedy and cabaret show Good evening Europe.

She also hosts a weekly podcast with her husband, fellow comedian Thomas Spitzer in which they discuss the entertainment industry often with special guests.

Brugger formerly studied literature at university and had a regular newspaper column with a Swiss publication.

She is also known for her poetry slam career in Switzerland.

Brugger and Spitzer also had a YouTube channel and featured a series called Deutschland was geht?

In which they would travel around Germany often with friends and guests to find the most interesting and weird places.

Comments from the team:

“I cannot get enough of this woman - she is so delightfully weird and dead pan and absolutely insane. I love her.” ~ Hayley

“I have had to admit that I had never heard of Hazel Brugger prior to the announcement of her hosting the Basel contest. But my golly, this woman is fantastic. I love her dead pan humour, her comedic timing is perfect and those outfits were simply iconic. Absolute legend and she should go down as one of the modern day Eurovision hosting greats.” ~ Fleur

“Funny as hell and natural, what's not to like?” ~ Srdjan

“Hazel's dead pan humour was amazing! A great comedian and host! “ ~ Kyriakos

“You know what? I took a while to figure Hazel out. Her kookiness - which I initially found jarring - is exactly what ended up endearing her to me. We definitely need to see more of Hazel in future contests.” ~ Joel

1. Hannah Waddingham (2023, Liverpool) - 33 points

Hannah Waddingham is a multi-award winning actress, singer, and television presenter.

She has featured in theatre, television and film and is currently starring in the American comedy Ted Lasso for which she has won a Primetime Emmy award.

She initially was a stage actress and starred in Spamalot and A Little Night Music both of which earned her numerous Laurence Olivier Award nominations.

She also featured in Game of Thrones portraying Septa Unella. Waddingham also resided in Australia in 2012 but returned to the United Kingdom for more job opportunities but briefly returned to Sydney to film The Fall Guy in 2023.

Comments from the team:

“She has the quirkiness, the vibe, and the affinity of French language, exceeding all of her expectations at a time when she was playing on several television shows. No wonder she is perfect for hosting such an event like this.” ~ John Christian

“Hannah was a breath of fresh air in Liverpool. She has great poise and command on the stage. Would love to see her host the Contest again. “ ~ Kyriakos

“Great sense of humour and has charisma for days.” ~ Srdjan

“Hannah Waddingham is perhaps one of my favourite Eurovision hosts of all time, not just the past 5 years. She was perfectly at ease live in front of the whole of Europe, and pretty much all of her jokes landed, even the cheesy ones! Her jury voting sequence with Graham Norton was perhaps the most entertaining voting sequence ever; the two of them together made what is usually a boring (and slightly tense) sequence something so funny it was one of the best parts of the whole year. Hannah is one of the hosts that has set the bar at new heights for modern Eurovision hosts, so everyone else better take notes!” ~ Rebecca

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