Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest - 2003

The Swedish Final was held at the Globe Theatre in Stockholm on March 15th, hosted by Jonas Gardell & Mark Levengood. The winner was chosen by a mixture of regional juries (50%) and televoting (50%) - Fame were the favourite with both.

Before the final there were 5 semi-finals. The winners in the first four semi-finals were chosen in two rounds of televoting - the first round to decide the top 4, and the second round to decide the top 2 songs that would go directly to the final. The 3rd and 4th placed songs got another chance in the 5th semi-final, where there was just one round of televoting.

The winners were Fame consisting of Jessica Andersson and Magnus Bäcklund. Their song, written by Calle Kindbom and Carl Lösnitz, was called Give me your love, and was a typical schlager–disco song.

Results:

Semi-Final 1 - February 15th - Jönköping - hosts: Mark Levengood, Lena Philipsson & Charlotte Nilsson

1. Let Your Spirit Fly - Pernilla Wahlgren & Jan Johansen    
2. Crazy In Love - Jill Johnson
3. Carnaval - Méndez
4. Television - Markus Landgren
5. Stop! Look! Listen! - Da Buzz
6. Stronger - Crosstalk
7. Someone, Somewhere, Someday - DeDe Lopez
8. Ingen annan - Alive featuring Jesse Martin

Semi-Final 2 - February 22nd - Gothenburg - hosts: Mark Levengood & Carola

1. Give Me Your Love - Fame
2. Hela världen för mig - Sanna Nielsen
3. Not a Sinner Nor a Saint - Alcazar
4. 15 minuter - Brandsta City Släckers
5. Just Like A Boomerang - Andrés Esteche
6. Better Believe It - Aleena
7. Let's Go - Kerli featuring Locatellies
8. You - Pandora

Semi-Final 3 - March 1st - Luleå - hosts: Mark Levengood & Lill-Babs

1. Genom eld och vatten - Sarek   
2. Bye, Bye - Barbados
3. Stay The Night - Style
4. Love is all - Liverpool
5. My Love - Sofia Källgren & Robert Wells
6. Mr. Memory - Shirley Clamp
7. Evig kärlek - Nanne Grönvall
8. Tonight's The Night - Shanna smith

Semi-Final 4 - March 8th - Sundsvall - hosts: Mark Levengood & Roger Pontare

1. Maria - Östen med resten    
2. Aqua Playa - Afro-Dite
3. T.K.O. (Knock You Out) - Bubbles
4. Nothing Can Stop Me - Lina Hedlund
5. We're Unbreakable - Sahlene
6. He Is Always On My Mind - Maarja
7. Tills jag mötte dig - Mikael Erlandsson
No dudes en llamarme - Fernando Brito

Semi-Final 5 - March 9th - Stockholm - hosts: Rickard Olsson & Marianne Rundström

1. Not a Sinner Nor a Saint - Alcazar
2. T.K.O. (Knock You Out) - Bubbles
3. 15 Minuter - Brandsta City Släckers
4. Nothing Can Stop Me    - Lina Hedlund
5. Carnaval - Mendez
6. Love Is All - Liverpool
7. Television - Markus Landgren
8. Stay the night - Style

The final - March 15th - Stockholm - hosts: Jonas Gardell & Mark Levengood

01. Give Me Your Love - Fame, 240 points
02. Let Your Spirit Fly - Pernilla Wahlgren & Jan Johansen, 178 points
03. Not a Sinner Nor a Saint - Alcazar, 172 points
04. Crazy in Love - Jill Johnson, 122 points
05. Hela världen för mig - Sanna Nielsen, 93 points
06. Genom eld och vatten - Sarek, 55 points
07. Aqua Playa - Afro-Dite, 48 points
08. Maria - Östen med resten - 21 points
09. T.K.O. (Knock You Out) - Bubbles, 10 points
10. Bye Bye - Barbados, 7 points

Fame were drawn to sing as #25 at the ESC final in Riga. They finished 5th with 107 points.

***

Fame is a Swedish duo consisting of Jessica Andersson (born October 27 1973 in Stockholm) and Magnus Bäcklund (born November 16 1965 in Kristinehamn, Värmland County). They met each other at the televised arts school and contest Fame Factory, which aired in autumn 2002. Bäcklund was the overall winner, while Andersson dropped out to give birth to her son Liam. Bäcklund also has two young twin daughters. Andersson is a former photo model and Bäcklund is a commercial pilot.

In 2003, Fame won the favour of the Swedish public and the jury with the song Give Me Your Love in a landslide victory in Melodifestivalen 2003 at the Stockholm Globe Arena. Fame won with 240 points, overtaking such former Melodifestivalen winners as Jan Johansen, Jill Johnson and Afro-Dite, as well as the famous Swedish pop group Alcazar. They went on to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, eventually garnering 107 points, which put them in fifth place.

In 2004, they participated in Melodifestivalen again and reached sixth place with the song Vindarna vänder oss.

Magnus Bäcklund went on to take part in Melodifestivalen 2006 with the song The Name of Love. He took part in the first semifinal and made it to the Andra Chansen (second chance) round. From there he reached the final, where he finished 5th. Jessica Andersson also entered with the song Kalla Nätter, but came in fifth in her semifinal round, which eliminated her from the competition. She returned one year later to perform in the second semifinal of Melodifestivalen 2007 with the song Kom.

Jessica Andersson won a place in the Andra Chansen (second chance) round in Melodifestivalen 2007 on 10 February. On 3 March 2007, Jessica won in the first round over Elin Lanto but lost the second against Sanna Nielsen for a spot in the Melodifestivalen 2007 Final.

In the Melodifestivalen 2010 season, Jessica reached eighth place in the final of Melodifestival with the song I Did It for Love. The song performed best among the Swedish voters, reaching sixth place.