A dream comes true for Keyyo, she is a presenter in Melodifestivalen – something she would never have thought possible when she saw the show for the first time as a 9-year-old.

It's really like a roller coaster ride unlike anything else I've done in terms of work. But I love learning new things. I enjoy and have fun every day.

Kristina 'Keyyo' Petrushina is undoubtedly one of our most popular presenters. Now we see her hosting Melodifestivalen together with actor and comedian Edvin Törnblom. Standing on the Melodifestivalen stage is no easy task. It's live broadcast, there are interviews, presentations in front of lots of cameras and audiences, countless names and scripts to remember, and we will also see the presenters both dance and sing. Keyyo says that she is terrified at the same time that she loves the challenge of hosting live - where almost anything can happen. Congratulations on your hosting role in Melodifestivalen.
– Thank you. Ever since I started working on TV, I have wanted to work as a presenter for Mello! Because the program is so big – it is my and many others’ favorite program – I really want to make sure it turns out well. I put a lot of time and soul into the projects I work on. Before Mello, there were preparations for several months beforehand with everything from clothes and scripts to songs to learn. It really is like a roller coaster that is unlike anything else I have done in terms of work. But I love learning new things. I enjoy and have fun every day. It reminds me a bit of the Fun Hour at school, but on a budget. (laughs) It is fun to practice all the dance steps and I look forward to wearing all the glittery dresses.

There are periods when I struggle with lower self-confidence and I have felt like a fraud.

Isn't it scary to film live? There must be a lot that can go wrong on a live broadcast?
– The charm of broadcasting live is that anything can happen. The app can crash, you can forget the script or whatever. But that's what's fun about live broadcasts and it makes it real and genuine. Sweden is very good at broadcasting live TV, compared to many other countries. Mello is one of the few programs that attracts viewers of all ages. Today, different generations watch very different things on TV, the internet and streaming services, but Melodifestivalen is the program that brings us together, that all generations watch. It feels great to be able to be part of it and offer it.

Why do you love Mello so much?
– It's great that you ask. I just raised the answer to that question at my first meeting at SVT. I love the rituals surrounding Melodifestivalen. You eat dinner and then gather around the TV and watch. It's also part of arguing about which entries you like best. The very first Mello I saw was in 2005 and I had just moved to Sweden and had lived here for a month or so. For me at the time, it was so much more than just a
music program. I watched it and absorbed the impressions of the music, the jargon, the humor and so on. Via Mello I got an insight into what Swedes listen to, it was like a crash school in Swedish entertainment and culture. I have had many role models thanks to Mello. 2005 was the year that Martin Stenmark won with the song Las Vegas. Nanne Grönwall, Alcazar and other old favorites were competing.

You are naturally very funny and quick with your lines, which you can see both when you are in the role of host and when you appear in entertainment shows like Comedians Without Borders, Detectives and Best in Test. Is it fun to appear in different kinds of programs?
– It's fun in that sense that you get to play during working hours and call it work. You get to show off yourself when you're a little IQ-free. (laughs) It's a bit of a good and bad thing to be your own person in public spaces. In program management you can hide behind a curiosity for other people and have them in focus, but when you participate in other kinds of programs you become your own personality in a different way, which
sometimes it feels unfunny. I visited Copenhagen a while ago and walked past a place where we recorded parts of Comedians Without Borders. I got anxious because of all the embarrassing memories from the recordings. (laughs)

When we last spoke, a couple of years ago, you talked about wanting to develop your own in the future. program format. How has it been?
– There will be more TV development in 2025 and it feels great. There are projects that have already been locked in. It is very exciting to be able to develop in that area. As you mentioned, I have been talking about it for a few years. It is difficult to develop program formats, but it is fun to be involved and invest in something you are passionate about.

It's great that you dare to try new things, develop your skills and advance your career.
– There are periods when I struggle with lower self-confidence and I have felt like a fraud. I think that when you feel that way, it is good to sit down and think a little about what you can do and what you have learned over the years. You can often do more than you think, but I often have the feeling that at any moment I will be 'exposed' as a fraud.

I guess everyone feels that way sometimes.
– Yes, maybe. I treat people to a little more hubris. We should learn to brag a little more,
especially northerners! (laughs)

How do you enjoy the role of self-employed person? Does it work hand in hand with program management?
– I think that working with TV and entertainment goes naturally hand in hand with entrepreneurship, which you might not have expected. I was already 16 years old when I learned how to pay taxes and find out what an occupational pension is. I learned a lot at a young age. At the same time, I'm glad that my career has been a bit 'slow and steady' and that it hasn't gone too fast. I'm really not
an internet phenomenon that became a hit overnight. It feels like my career has been slow – in a good way. I'm happy about that, it's given me time to develop and grow into different professional roles.

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KEYYOS 3 Mello favorites

CAROLA – CAUGHT BY A STORM WIND 1991
No one gives drama and energy like Carola. Maybe Anna Book. But you get the idea. When the wind started blowing on stage, it was as if all of Sweden held its breath. It's pure Melodifestival magic.

LOREEN – EUPHORIA 2012
This is the essence of Melodifestivalen for me. Loreen managed to combine powerful singing with a unique stage show that feels timeless. It was as much an experience as a song. And to win Eurovision not just once but TWICE? I bow.

LENA PHILIPSSON – IT HURT 2004
Making a microphone stand look cool while delivering a future karaoke banger? Epic.

KRISTINA 'KEYYO' PETRUSHINA
Age: 27.
Bor Stockholm.
Occupation Program host.
Background Keyyo was born in Omsk in Siberia and moved to Sweden when she was 9 years old. Raised in Smedjebacken in Dalarna. Moved to Gothenburg to study social studies at high school with a focus on theater in her final year. As a teenager, she made her mark as a video blogger on YouTube, where she interspersed everyday events with comedy. Keyyo has been a program host for programs such as Cancergalan, Rockbjörnen, Är du helt hundra? and has participated in several entertainment programs such as Bäst i test, Detektiverna and Komiker utan gränser. She has also competed in Let's Dance and participated in the reality series Svenska powerkkinnor. Last year, she toured with the great show Frågar åt en kompis – The Farewell
Tour together with comedian and best friend Hampus Hedström, with whom she did a podcast for seven years.
Currently As host of Melodifestivalen 2025, together with Edvin Törnblom.