Waffling singers and singing lawmakers: Random facts about Eurovision contestants

Here’s some random facts about a few of tonight’s contestants, courtesy of ToI’s Eurovision correspondent Jessica Steinberg:

Michael Rice from UK owns a waffle and milkshake business

Italy’s Mahmood is singing about his unhappy relationship with his father

Slovenia’s Zala Kralj and Gasper Santl are a real couple

Czech indie band Lake Malawi is singing about friendship, not a relationship gone sour — they’ve got a Marvin Gaye sound

Victor Crone, singing for Estonia, is actually Swedish. He has a Bryan Adams look and sound

Greek singer Katerine Duska is Canadian-Greek, and she does a great cover of the Arctic Monkeys’ “Do I Wanna Know”

Denmark’s Leonora is a former elite ice skater; go figure

Sweden’s John Lundvik also co-wrote UK’s entry, “Bigger Than Us,” and it sounds a lot like his own “Too Late for Love”

Norway’s popular KEiiNO is led by rapper Fred Buljo, who once served as the leader of Norway’s parliament for people of Laplander descent