Both jury members Oliver Norqvist and Anders Bagge have decided that Saga Uvemark, 22, from Malmö has the best chance of winning the competition.
"They gave me some very nice compliments, and it was incredibly nice to hear that. But I haven't really taken it in yet. It will probably be something I carry with me for the rest of my life," she says.
Now "Idol" is entering a new phase, with 16 contestants left. The first eight will face off in duels in the opening week final. The remaining eight will compete next Saturday. Only the winners of the duels will advance directly; one more contestant per show will be voted through by viewers. So the risk of elimination is already high.
A lot is at stake, but Saga Uvemark believes her background as a nurse helps her handle the pressure.
It's a very high-pressure environment. There are many urgent situations where you have to stay calm. So I've had to practise staying calm and being able to breathe even in high-pressure situations.
Another early favourite is Ella Magnusson, 23, from Karlstad, who impressed the jury during the audition phase in the autumn with a strong interpretation of Molly Sandén's "Sand." She is excited to see what will happen now that viewers get to vote.
It's only the jury that has decided we should be where we are now. But you can't speculate too much about what people think, because we have no idea. So you just have to remind yourself that I'm going to do my thing, and then hope people like it.
They will compete in Saturday's four duels:
My Persson: "Unwritten" (Natasha Bedingfield) vs. Vilhelm Nordvall: "Human" (The Killers).
Ella Magnusson: "Tell me" (Linnea Henriksson) vs. Theo Ciccone: "Don't stop me now" (Queen).
Darya Turial: “Fall in line” (Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato) vs. Elliot Baglivi: “Look but don't touch” (Benjamin Ingrosso).
Laban Berglin: "Ain't no love in Oklahoma" (Luke Combs) vs. Saga Uvemark: "Girl on fire" (Alicia Keys).
