Conchita Wurst, representing Austria performs the song Rise Like a Phoenix in tonight’s semi final (Picture: AP Photo)

It’s unlikely you haven’t heard about this year’s Austrian Eurovision Song Contest entry, Conchita Wurst. Austria return to the Eurovision Song Contest after sitting out the 2013 event (they never seem to qualify from the semi finals).

This time they’ve chosen to return with Conchita Wurst, affectionately dubbed ‘the bearded lady’. To be fair, this doesn’t come close to doing justice to perhaps the most poignant Eurovision entrant of the year.

She performs her entry Rise Like a Phoenix in tonight’s Eurovision Song Contest second semi final (BBC3 8pm).

It is the kind of song that could grace a James Bond movie, and you can easily imagine Shirley Bassey belting this out in the shower if not on stage.




Who is Conchita?

Conchita Wurst, born Tom Neuwirth, unleashed his alter-ego Conchita on the world in 2011.

She competed in the talent show Die Große Chance and took second place, becoming a national icon in Austria as the show progressed.

Prior to the creation of Conchita, Neuwirth had taken part in another talent show, Starmania and is a former member of boyband Jetzt Anders.

Conchita Wurst was created by Tom Neuwirth in 2011 (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

Conchita tried and failed to represent Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012 with the song That’s What I Am.

The song contains the lyrics ‘you will learn to love me but will that ever be?’. The answer is clearly an emphatic yes!

MORE: Eurovision 2014 – The Netherlands emerges as major rival to UK at Eurovision

Supermodel

As well as being a singer and television personality, Conchita Wurst has become a fashion icon. Almost every Facebook photo includes a list of designers responsible for her outfits.

The Eurovision press have the honour of awarding the notorious Barbara Dex award for the worst dressed Eurovision entrant. Conchita is likely to come last in this category.

Conchita – looking flawless (Picture: Getty Images)

Television superstar

Ms Wurst is the kind of personality that never ducks a challenge. After a television talent show and an Austrian Eurovision final, she was invited to participate in a show called The Hardest Jobs in Austria. Conchita spent the episode working in a fish factory.

Her appearance got her noticed in Germany where she was invited to participate in another show called Wild Girls and was promptly packed off to Africa to live in the desert with native tribes. Possibly the only artiste to do so in full drag in the history of television.

MORE: Eurovision 2014 – why audiences could be seeing double on the night thanks to Austria and Ireland

Ambassador for gay rights

One thing you cannot fail to notice about Conchita’s music is that it carries a powerful message. Her Eurovision entry, Rise Like a Phoenix is an anthem for people who are different, struggle with their identity or have suffered through discrimination.

There have been petitions in Russia and Belarus to have the song blocked from the broadcast because it is ‘unnatural’. The view of most European nations however is that freedom of expression and freedom of speech are at the cornerstone of democracy and of the Eurovision Song Contest.



Conchita has risen above the situation and has become the ultimate icon of the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest before performing in tonight’s semi final and she is widely tipped to reach the top 10 in Saturday’s Eurovision final.

The newest Eurovision Song Contest icon

Tonight, Conchita Wurst realises a lifetime dream of participating at the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen. It would be hard to bet against seeing her qualify for the final and it’s not impossible that she might just pick up enough votes from Western Europe to send a clear message to those hampering gay rights in the East.

Could Conchita be the next Eurovision winner? We’ll all know in just a couple of days.