Get to know the hosts of Eurovision 2025 in Basel

The 69th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest is about to begin and three very talented and accomplished Swiss women will be our hosts for the week.

Taking centre stage for the Grand Final on Saturday, May 17 at St. Jakobshalle in Basel will be comedian Hazel Brugger, former Swiss Eurovision entrant Sandra Studer and presenter Michelle Hunziker. Brugger and Studer will also guide audiences through the excitement of the First Semi-Final on Tuesday, May 13 and the Second Semi-Final on Thursday, May 15.

The trio were selected by Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR and announced on the official Eurovision social media channels in January of 2025.

Hazel Brugger

Hazel Brugger is a 31-year-old Swiss-American comedian, slam poet and television presenter. Born in the United States and raised near Zurich, she currently resides in Germany’s Darmstadt region. Known for her dry humor and observational comedy, Hazel is also a dedicated Eurovision enthusiast whose accolades include the German Comedy Award, the Salzburg Bull, and the Swiss Comedy Award. Recognized by the German Kleinkunstpreis jury as "the queen of wit," she speaks English, German and Swiss German.

She is married to author, comedian and online producer Thomas Spitzer and the two have a podcast Hazel Thomas Hörerlebnis (Hazel Thomas Listening Experience) about their personal lives and adventures in the entertainment industry. In 2020 she featured in her own Netflix stand-up comedy special Tropical and is about to tour Germany, Austria and Switzerland with her fourth stage show, Immer noch wach (Still Awake).

Asked by Swiss news platform Bluewin her thoughts on her co-hosts she says -

It's crazy how quickly Michelle, Sandra and I have become a unit - without much questioning. It feels a bit like a cool movie, like Ocean's Eleven, where they say: "We need someone else who can do this - and this, and this too." The three of us complement each other perfectly. Of course, that increases the anticipation enormously - it feels like an ideal cast. And I'm not saying that out of politeness.

Sandra Studer

Sandra Studer (Simó), 56, studied ballet and piano as a child and majored in German and musicology at the University of Zurich. Recording her first song in 1987, she was a backing singer on the DJ Bobo single I Love You in 1989.

Her history with Eurovision began in 1990 when she entered the Swiss national selection for Eurovision with Lo so, finishing in 8th place. She returned in 1991 with another Italian entry Canzone Per Te which won the final and went on to finish 5th at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Sandra's long-standing relationship with Eurovision includes roles such as national selection presenter, show spokesperson, and commentator. She hosted the Swiss national final in 1993, presented the Swiss jury votes at the 1994 contest in Dublin and hosted the German national section show Countdown Grand Prix in 1999. She also provided the German commentary on the contest for Switzerland six times between 1996 and 2005.

In 2021, she was the runner-up on the second season of The Masked Singer Switzerland as "Pfau" (Peacock) which incidentally featured Luca Hänni (Switzerland 2019) as one of the judges.

Describing what her and her co-hosts bring to the table, Sandra tells Bluewin -

When you think of big international shows, you think of Michelle Hunziker - she brings glamor and enormous presenting experience. Hazel is responsible for the light-hearted, funny side. And I also have a personal connection to the ESC - I have a long history with this event.

Michelle Hunziker

Michelle Hunziker, 48, hails from Ostermundigen, near Bern, and is one of the most prominent Swiss entertainers on the international stage. Renowned for her work on German and Italian television, she has hosted programs such as Wetten, dass..?, Striscia la Notizia, and the iconic Festival di Sanremo. She speaks German, Italian, French and English and currently lives in Italy.

Her hosting duties will be limited to the Grand Final only due to her daily commitments on Italian tv show Striscia la Notizia, however, she she has posted on social media that she will still be following the entire event closely.

On how the hosts will showcase Switzerland to the world during the contest, Michelle says -

It's wonderful that the ESC is returning to Switzerland. Of course, we will focus on our Swiss traditions - we want to show that we are proud of our country. The presentations will be in English, of course. But in terms of content, we will talk a lot about Swiss history, about what makes Switzerland special. This is a huge opportunity for our country to present itself. Switzerland has always been strong when it comes to sustainability. The ESC in Switzerland: it's going to be a great event!

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