Can Dana International wow Eurovision again?

Dana International caused a massive stir when winning the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest in Birmingham so do not expect her Eurovision 2011 entry to be any less shocking.

The Israeli, who was born into a Yemenite Jewish family, became one of the most famous transsexuals in the world following her success and she will return to Eurovision 13 years later with new self-written track ‘Ding Dong’.

Dana International was chosen by the Israeli public and jury to represent the country once again and fashion designer Jean Paul Gautier is so impressed with her, that he has offered her his brand new collection to wear during the Contest. She will have the opportunity to wear any one of eight of his creations, which will be decided by her fans.

Back in 1998, the decision to allow her to perform for Israel attracted criticism from conservatives in her homeland. However, she took Europe by storm, beating the United Kingdom into second place by six points. Her single ‘Diva’ was incredibly successful, shifting over 400,000 copies worldwide. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number 11 whilst she also enjoyed a top ten hit in Sweden, Belgium, Finland, Ireland and the Netherlands. For this reason alone, the Eurovision betting suggests she could go down well again.