Eurovision star Loreen reveals huge career change after becoming the first woman to win the song contest twice

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Eurovision star Loreen has revealed a major career move after becoming the first woman to win the song contest twice. 

The Swedish star, whose real name is Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui, first in 2012 and again in 2023, cementing her place in the competition’s history.

Her music has racked up more than nine billion streams worldwide, while her hit Tattoo topped radio airplay and singles charts in five countries.

Most recently, she released her new album WILDFIRE, marking her first full studio album in nine years.

But alongside her stellar music career, Loreen, 42, is now setting her sights on the big screen.

She has recently launched her acting career with a film in her native Sweden.

Eurovision winner Loreen has revealed a major career move after becoming the first woman to win the song contest twice

The Swedish star, 42, first in 2012 and again in 2023, cementing her place in the competition’s history (pictured in 2023)

Speaking about her acting debut, she told The Sun: 'What I found is that the brain cannot separate what is real and not real.

'So whatever emotion you're enhancing in yourself, you're actually enhancing in your own body.

'And so if it's a negative one, and there were some really heavy scenes, I had to dig out and even recreate a reality that is not real and it sat in my body.'

Loreen explained that she wants to take on superhero roles with happy endings, adding that the idea of saving the world really appeals to her. 

Loreen shot to fame in Sweden at the age of 20. Driven by her dream of becoming a musician, she took part in Sweden's 'Idol' (equivalent of the X-Factor) in 2004.

She came in fourth place, performing covers of songs by Celine Dion, Pink, Stevie Wonder and The Police - establishing her penchant for anthems.

Originally performing under the name Lorén Talhaoui, she proved popular with the public, and soon after her elimination released her first single in 2005, which reached as high as ninth in the Swedish music charts.

After going on to present the Swedish TV show Lyssna, she took a hiatus from more public-facing roles, and worked as a segment producer for reality TV shows.

Loreen performing at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, which she went on to win

But it was not long before she was thrust back into the limelight again, taking her first run at making it to the Eurovision Song Contest.

In 2011 she took part in Sweden's Melodifestivalen, a song competition that runs from February to March - with the grand prize being getting to represent Sweden at Europe's premier song competition.

While she failed the qualify in 2011, she returned to Melodifestivalen a year later - determined to represent her country on the European stage.

Her determination paid off, and she won the Swedish competition with her breakthrough entry 'Euphoria' - sending her to the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest hosted in Baku, Azerbaijan.

In the early 2000s, Melodifestivalen was consistently Sweden's most-watched TV program, and in 2012, the heats averaged 3.3 million viewers.

Over an estimated four million people in Sweden watched Loreen win in the final, almost half of the Swedish population of around 10 million people.

As with her 2023 appearance, bookies placed her as favourite to win the competition in 2012 - despite drawing the ire of the hosts.

During the contest, Loreen was the only entrant to meet with local human rights activists, later telling reporters that 'human rights are violated in Azerbaijan every day. One should not be silent about such things.'

The government hit back, with a spokesman saying the contest should not 'be politicised'. Baku requested that the European Broadcasting Union prevent such meetings with entrants. Sweden denied any rules were broken.

Despite the verbal tussle, Loreen went on to win over the hearts of the European public in 2012. Euphoria won 372 points from 40 voting countries out of 42, giving the singer her first Eurovision triumph.

The song proved popular abroad, charting at number three on the UK Official Singles Chart, the highest chart position for a non-UK Eurovision entry since Irish singer Johnny Logan's 'Hold Me Now' in 1987. He has also won the contest twice.

Loreen's music career took off from there, making frequent TV appearances and going on tours abroad - while releasing two full albums in 2012 and 2017.

She has also won a number of awards, including MTV Europe Music Awards' Best Swedish Act in 2012 and the Scandipop Awards Best Alternapop Song in 2018.

2017 also saw her make another run at the Eurovision Song Contest by entering Melodifestivalen for a third time in her career with her song 'Statements'.

As with in 2011, she failed to make it past the semi-final and was eliminated from the competition after losing a 'duel' to another singer.

While she performed at Melodifestivalen again in 2020 in celebration of its Hall of Fame, she would not enter as a competitor again until 2023.

She entered with the song 'Tattoo', participating in the competition's fourth heat. However, during her performance, an environmental activist invaded the stage - resulting in her having to restart her performance.

Despite the distraction, she advanced from the heat, and Tattoo was released to the public, becoming her second number one single in Sweden and making it a clear favourite to go on to win the competition - which she did with 177 points.

Thus, she became the country's representative for the 2023 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, and then claimed her second victory in Liverpool.

Sweden's victory is the country's seventh, matching Ireland's record.