Swiss-American comedian Hazel Brugger will take centre stage tonight as one of the hosts of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 Grand Final in Basel, Switzerland, alongside Michelle Hunziker and Sandra Studer.
Brugger, who has already impressed viewers whilst co-hosting this week's semi-finals, is a celebrated figure in the German-speaking comedy scene, known for her dry humour and observational skills, with the jury of the German Kleinkunstpreis dubbing her "the queen of wit".
Born in San Diego, California, to a Swiss father and German mother, Brugger grew up near Zurich in Switzerland. She now lives in the Darmstadt region of Germany, near Frankfurt, with her family.
According to Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR, the choice of hosts for this year's Eurovision symbolises the values that define Switzerland: openness, diversity, multilingualism and a sense of togetherness.
Hazel Brugger is one of three Eurovision hosts for the grand finale
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Brugger began her career at just 17 years old, performing slam poetry before quitting university to pursue it professionally. In 2013, she performed in the Poetry Slam Championships in Bern, Switzerland.
Her rise to mainstream prominence came through her work on the German late-night satirical news programme heute-show. She later expanded her repertoire with her first cabaret programme Hazel Brugger Passiert in November 2015.
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Hazel Brugger and Sandra Studer fronted this year's Eurovision semi-finals
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The comedian was named Swiss Columnist of the Year in 2016, further cementing her reputation as a sharp-witted performer in the German-speaking entertainment world.
Now a star of the German-speaking comedy scene, Brugger has toured widely with her stand-up shows. Her second solo programme 'Tropical' toured Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 2019 before premiering on Netflix in December 2020.
The streaming platform describes the special: "In this stand-up special, comedian Hazel Brugger offers her breezy takes on unruly geese, chatty gynaecologists, German bank loans and more."
This year, she is set to tour with her fourth comedy stage show, Still Awake.
Her impressive list of accolades includes a German Comedy Award, the Salzburg Bull prize for cabaret artists and satirists, a Swiss Comedy Award, and, most recently, the German Kleinkunstpreis for Best Stand-Up Comedy last year.
Brugger has also made her mark on popular German television shows. She has frequently appeared on Wetten, dass...?, a German Saturday-night TV programme which inspired the British game show You Bet!.
The show features members of the public attempting unusual challenges, with celebrities betting on their success and performing forfeits if wrong. It has hosted an impressive array of international stars, including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, and Paris Hilton.
She is also known for her work on LOL - Last One Laughing, a German game show where comedians are locked in a room for six hours, attempting to make others laugh whilst remaining serious themselves.
Hazel Brugger is a well-known comedian
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In 2020, Brugger married German author, comedian and content creator Thomas Spitzer. The couple now have two daughters together.
The creative pair have collaborated professionally on several projects, including a podcast about marriage called Just Married and a second weekly podcast discussing their experiences in the entertainment industry and sharing personal anecdotes.
Brugger and Spitzer also frequently create comedy videos together for their YouTube channel Hazel & Thomas. The couple previously hosted the YouTube series Deutschland Was Geht? which later evolved into What's Up, Europe?.
Brugger will be hoping tonight's Grand Final runs more smoothly than Tuesday's first semi-final, which was plagued by technical issues including camera malfunctions during Swiss singer Zoë Më's performance.
Tonight's Eurovision Grand Final will be commentated on by Graham Norton for UK viewers, with Sophie Ellis-Bextor presenting the UK's jury results after Ncuti Gatwa withdrew from the role.
The UK will be represented by band Remember Monday performing their original song What The Hell Just Happened?, hoping to improve on last year's disappointing 18th place finish by Olly Alexander.
