Eurovision 2025: Go-Jo's Milkshake Man fails to make song contest grand final in Switzerland
In the early hours of Friday morning, Perth time, Manjimup-raised pop star Marty Zambotto, better known as Go-Jo, performed on stage at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland.
The 29-year-old's fun frothy rendition of Milkshake Man, the Australian entry written with Brisbane family band Sheppard, to kickstart the second semi-final was not enough to earn him a place in the grand final on May 17.
Go-Jo was one of six countries to bow out, alongside Montenegro, Ireland, Georgia, Czechia and Serbia.
Eurovision organisers split entrants into two semi-finals, with 10 from each night joining the 'big five' that fund the event — France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK — plus the host nation in the final featuring 26 songs.
Despite fans at St Jakobshalle in Basel screaming 'yum yum' during his song, Go-Jo failed to get enough votes from TV audiences and became the third Australian entrant to stumble at the semi-final stage following Montaigne in 2021 and Electric Fields last year.
Go-Jo, who grew up off-the-grid on his family's farm near Manjimup, put a positive spin on his early exit.
'This experience has been truly amazing, and I feel so lucky to have shared this incredible opportunity with so many talented artists,' he said via Australian broadcaster SBS.
'I've never felt more comfortable to share my art than on the Eurovision stage and with all the wonderful Eurovision fans around the world.
'I've made memories I'll cherish forever, and I want to say a huge thank you to Australia for all the incredible support — I hope I made you proud.'
Comments on Eurovision fan sites have blamed Go-Jo's 'messy' staging, described as having Willy Wonka-meets-Rocky Horror aesthetics with Go-Jo joined on stage by a giant 4m blender and dancers Jenaya Okpalanze and Jeannine Bruderer.
Okpalanza is the star's girlfriend and a member of Sydney indie band Surely Shirley.
Other fans from around the world have claimed Go-Jo was 'robbed'.
Australia's creative director Paul Clarke said missing out was a 'tough result, in a tough semi'.
'Nobody could have worked harder than Go-Jo, going to 15 European (cities) in the lead up to Eurovision and then spreading the milkshake legend,' he said.
'We wish him well, he represented Australia very proudly.'
Go-Jo has been on the go since February when he was unveiled as the 10th artist to represent Australia following the likes of Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy and Kate Miller-Heidke.
Our best result came in 2016 when Dami Im finished runner-up with Sound of Silence.
The non-stop treadmill of publicity and promotion ramped up once Go-Jo flew into Europe to begin a five-week charm offensive.
After touching down in Zurich on March 30, the West Australian travelled to 13 different countries to perform, do press and create social media content with fellow Eurovision entrants, including Finnish pop diva Erika Vikman, Icelandic brothers Vaeb and Estonian rapper Tommy Cash.
Daniel Watson from Go-Jo's management Chugg Music joined him on the road and said the pre-Eurovision campaign was a 'crazy adventure'.
'Official pre-parties, rehearsals, performances, media interviews, content creation with other artists, meeting beautiful people and celebrating everything that makes the Eurovision Song Contest so special to so many,' he wrote on Instagram.
'This is a world like no other.'
Zambotto was the second WA act to represent Australia at Eurovision following Perth progressive metal band Voyager, which topped their public-voted semi-final before finishing ninth at the 2023 event in Liverpool with their song, Promise.
Like Go-Jo, Voyager was internally selected by SBS, which broadcasts Eurovision in Australia.
Voyager frontman Danny Estrin was shocked that Go-Jo did not make it to the final, given he was 'smashing' the pre-event promotional trail.
He told The West Australian that the weeks leading up to the televised performances were like a popularity contest combined with a political campaign.
'You've got to be Miss Congeniality, you've got to do the pre-parties, you've got to do the socials, you've got to really get into the fans' hearts,' Estrin said.
For the 2023 contest, Voyager did more than 600 interviews while Estrin lost count of how many times the band performed Promise.
'It's a marathon and you're basically on the campaign bus for five weeks before Eurovision.'
The Eurovision final is on May 17 in Switzerland, or 3am on May 18 Perth time.
Sauna-loving Finnish trio KAJ representing Sweden and Austrian pop-opera singer JJ are favourites to win and therefore host in 2026.
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