Now that the Eurovision Song Contest is already seven months behind us, Mia Nicolai still seems to be distancing herself from her ‘mentor’ Duncan Laurence. “We would have benefited from additional training.”
It is perhaps one of the biggest mistakes in the Dutch history of the Eurovision Song Contest: the participation of the musically struggling couple Mia & Dion. Expectations were high, because former winner Duncan Laurence was their ‘mentor’. What did that mentorship entail? Even Mia Nicolai doesn’t know.
Mia has no idea what was actually part of Duncan’s duties. He came over every now and then with his friend Jordan and their dog, but that was about it. Het Parool asks her: “And Duncan Laurence? As creative director, he would guide you throughout the entire process. Has he fulfilled his role well in your opinion?”
The troubled singer does not exactly stand up for him: “Ehhh. This would mean that it had been clearly agreed in advance what that role would entail. That there was a list of appointments that we could have ticked off afterwards. But that list was not there.”
So that list was just as absent as Duncan himself. All very professional. Would it have been smart to draw up such an appointment list, Het Parool then asks. Mia: “I don’t think that’s a bad idea at all in any working relationship, indeed.”
The false performance that Mia & Dion gave in Madrid at the time was truly cringeworthy; then things went wrong again in Amsterdam. And Duncan? He was posting selfies of himself on Instagram. How is that possible? “I understand that question, but you really have to ask Duncan.”
Everything breathes that Mia finally dares to admit that Duncan was a mentor from hell. Who did she feel supported by? “By my parents, friends, the people of Avrotros.”
All in all, Mia’s Eurovision experience with mentor Duncan was like a ride without a destination – lots of movement, but nowhere to go. “I do think we would have benefited from extra training in the months before.”
euro-vision.blog 