Jedward, as you are undoubtedly aware, were the first Irish act to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest two years running – representing Ireland first in Dusseldorf 2011, singing “Lipstick”, and then Baku 2012, with “Waterline”. They made such an impact with their performances, that this year, when they didn’t appear – instead choosing to stay in Los Angeles where they were recording for their fourth album – one of the worldwide Twitter trending topics was “No Jedward”.

So what is it about John and Edward that for so many they now epitomise the Eurovision?  Is it their fun, their upbeat songs, their costumes?

Many would be surprised to know how much the Twins know about the contest, but really, given they’re from Ireland, the country with the most ESC victories, it shouldn’t come as a shock. They have been watching Eurovision since they were small boys, and have a deep-rooted knowledge of not only the competition itself, but also of the contestants. When they met Leicester’s favourite son Engelbert Humperdinck last year, when he was representing the UK, they astounded him with how much they knew about him and aspects of his career.

In Dusseldorf they charmed everyone so much that even though they didn’t win the competition overall, they received the Marcel Bezençon Award (artistic award category), which is voted for by the commentators.

I think it’s a combination of all these things – their enthusiasm, their energy and excitement – and also their sheer love of performing. They spoke about their ESC experiences in an interview broadcast last night by Oystermouth Radio on their W12P Show:

(recording with thanks to Yowchan)

The Twins will be touring the UK 24-30 September, with dates in Lowestoft, Leicester, Chatham, Selsey, Fareham and Cardiff. Details of tickets are available from their website. In November they will be having their first tour outside of Europe in Australia – a nation which for reasons known only to herself, has taken to the Eurovision with nearly as much passion as John and Edward themselves.  The show is broadcast on TV channel SBS, and it has become a tradition in that country for people to have Eurovision parties! It’s been rumoured if the competition ever extended its remit to include countries outside the European Broadcasting Union, Australia may well be the first invited.  Jedward will be performing in Perth on 23 November, followed by dates in Melbourne (30 November) and Sydney (1 December).  Details of tickets are available from Ticketek (Perth and Sydney) and Ticketmaster (Melbourne).  Don’t miss out!