It was a resigned Måns Zelmerlöw who met the press after the loss. Ten minutes after Kaj was proclaimed the winner, he had managed to change out of his stage clothes into jeans and a hooded sweater.
I'm extremely disappointed. I'm a competitive person, so a loss like this is really tough, says the former Eurovision winner.
"Kaj would win"
It was tight at the top between Måns Zelmerlöw and Kaj when the viewer votes were to be distributed – but in the end, it was the Finland-Swedish group that emerged victorious from the struggle.
When I saw how tight it was between us after the jury votes, I was sure that Kaj would win the people's vote, he says and continues:
Then you can discuss the role of the international jury groups in the whole thing, that the jury groups place them so high. We'll see if they're right. I think those who want Sweden to host Eurovision again voted for me.
Despite several 12-pointers from the jury groups, Måns Zelmerlöw says he never felt safe.
I've felt all day that it would be like this. But what can I do? I've done the best I could.
Tears in his eyes
When Zelmerlöw spoke to TT, he was composed, but later he was caught on camera with tears in his eyes.
I'm actually really happy for their sake, but right now it's hard to swallow this loss.
What do you think about Kaj's chances in Eurovision?
No idea.
How do you move on now, will there be revenge in Melodifestivalen?
No, there won't be.
After Måns Zelmerlöw's loss, Sweden dropped from first place on the betting companies' odds lists to second. Kaj can now see themselves being overtaken by Austria's JJ with the contribution "Wasted love" in the battle for victory in Basel.
