“Australia has proved it belongs in the Eurovision family.”

Outgoing Eurovision Executive Supervisor Jon Ola Sand says one his proudest moments during his past nine years was in cementing Australia as a participating country.

Asked to nominate his proudest achievements he said, “There are many things I’m proud of. We managed to present the voting in a much more exciting way which I think have strengthened the ending of Eurovision Song Contest.

“I’m also really happy that we managed to bring Australia on board. I know that it has been debated, and some of you might not be happy for that, but I think they have proved that they really belong in the Eurovision Song Contest family.”

He also nominated its financial strength, good values through the slogan and noted Eurovision “will come back stronger than ever.”

Ola Sand will return to his native Norway to begin a new role at the head office of public broadcaster NRK.

Martin Österdahl who was Executive Producer for the Eurovision in 2013 in Malmö and Stockholm 2016 will succeed him.