Samantha Mumba Eurovision: Singer’s message to ‘vile, ride’ Eurosong panellists after missing out on Ireland Eurovision spot

Samantha Mumba is speaking out against the Eurosong panel. 

The Irish singer, who rose to fame in the early 2000s with her hit Gotta Tell You, called the panel members “vile and rude” after she wasn’t selected to represent Ireland at the 2025 Eurovision competition.

Mumba was the runner-up with 26 points for her song My Way, losing to Norwegian star EMMY and her song Laika Party, which received 34. 

Watch the video above.

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Mumba had a strong message for the Eurovision panel while thanking fans for their support. 

“Thank you so so much for all the incredible messages and love!! I’ve tried to respond to them all,” she said on Instagram. 

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“I am beyond proud of myself and the team for all the work and dedication we all put into this performance. I honestly wouldn’t change a thing. Truly. Those that got it, GOT IT…..and those that didn’t, that’s ok too. It’s my art and I stand by it.”

While the Eurovision panel isn’t responsible for selecting a country’s representative, it does share its thoughts before the public votes on its choice. 

The panel included TV star Donal Skehan, radio presenter Laura Fox, Eurovision artist Bambie Thug and dancer Arthur Gourounlian.

Taking aim at them, Mumba said: “Special mention to the ‘panel’ (aside from Bambie, who I stan) who not only didn’t have the credentials, experience or professionalism required and were unnecessarily rude and vile to all the finalists – my parting gift them is a bag of [eggplant emoji] to slowly choke on.

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“Would have said this in person but they all left the green room before I had the opportunity to unsurprisingly.”

Mumba’s scathing post was later addressed by Donal Skehan in an Instagram story, where he addressed the situation. 

“To insult the credentials of myself and my fellow panelists, Laura Fox and Arthur Gourounlian is completely unprofessional,” he began.  

“Each of us was chosen for our experience, insights, and passion for Eurovision.

“Everyone on that panel took their role seriously and approached the night with thoughtfulness, integrity, and respect for the artists. 

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“The reality is that Eurosong is ultimately about the strength of the song. 

“While Samantha delivered a fantastic performance, the song itself simply wasn’t strong enough, a point that was reflected not just by the panel but by the public vote. 

“As for the criticisms about my qualifications, I feel it’s important to address those directly. It might be easy to write me off as ‘just a TV chef,’ but my career began in music. 

“I’ve had two number-one singles in Ireland with my band, Industry, supported acts like JLS and The Pussycat Dolls, and competed in Eurosong myself in 2008.”

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In a separate story, Skehan shared, “I understand that Samantha’s response is personal and comes from a place of deep emotion, something that is entirely understandable in such a high-stakes competition. 

“However, tearing others down is never a good look, especially when everyone involved has worked to make the process as fair and constructive as possible.”

“My comments were never personal, they were about what would give Ireland the best chance of success on the Eurovision stage. 

“For anyone entering this process, I’d encourage them to engage deeply with the competition: study what has worked in recent years, understand the demands of the modern Eurovision platform, and come prepared with a song and vision that can stand out on an international stage.”

Skehan also referenced Mumba’s comment about eggplants, posting a series of his recipes that use the vegetable. 

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