...and lets not forget Thomas Neuwirth.
1. Everybody nowloves Conchita Wurst, the Austrian drag queen who won the Eurovision Song Contest this weekend. But where did she - and her alter ego, Thomas Neuwirth - come from? View this image ' Thomas Hanses (EBU) / Viaeurovision.tv
2. Thomas Neuwirths first brush with fame came as a teenager in 2006, on the Austrian talent show Starmania. Video available at:http://youtube.com/watch?v=-ZIr49Hp2LM.youtube.com His voice was pretty impressive even back then.
3. Tom made it all the way through to the final of the competition... but in the end, came second. Video available at:http://youtube.com/watch?v=kIwXt1MY4jo.youtube.com
4. But not before getting to do this fairly amazing Shirley Bassey number. Video available at:http://youtube.com/watch?v=ao7v0uOk4-Y.youtube.com View this image ' ORF / Viayoutube.com
6. He then formed a short-lived boyband, Jetzt Anders! (Different Now!), with three other Starmania competitors. View this image ' different now! / Viayoutube.com
7. This song, Dieser Moment, got to number 7 in the Austrian chart. Video available at:http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZM0dGGb8fSY.youtube.com
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But it was to be their biggest (and virtually only) hit. Jetzt Anders! disbanded in the same year they formed, and Neuwirth disappeared from Austrian TV screens for several years.
8. But he returned in 2011 - which was when Neuwirth first unveiled Conchita. Again, it was on an Austrian talent show - this time, a show called Die GroĂ&#x;e Chance (The Big Chance). View this image '
9. Thats from her version of My Heart Will Go On, which is POWERFUL. Video available at:http://youtube.com/watch?v=WmL7m0by4UQ.youtube.com
10. From there, in 2012 Conchita made her first attempt to become Austrias Eurovision entry. Video available at:http://youtube.com/watch?v=ggrnS-Oe2ok.youtube.com
11. ...but again, she only came second. View this image ' ORF / Viayoutube.com The winners were a hip-hop duo called Trackshittaz. Their song, Woki mit deim Popo (Waggle your ass) didnt even make it to the 2013 Eurovision final. Itwas genuinely terrible.
12. (In the meantime, Conchita found time to share helpful makeup tips.) Video available at:http://youtube.com/watch?v=RCLNDZn0htc.youtube.com
13. She also appeared in two reality TV shows - one where she worked in a fish factory, and another on German TV called Wild Girls, in which a group of women had to survive in the Namibian desert. View this image ' RTL / Skowski / Gregorowius
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14. Finally, in September 2013, Wurst was selected by ORF, the Austrian public service broadcaster, to represent Austria in the following years Eurovision - this time, without a public vote. View this image ' The Associated Press One Russian lawmaker was moved to describe Eurovision as a'pan-European gay pride parade.' Which... well, it kinda is, but thats not the point.
17. There was also a movement in Austria called Knit for tolerance, in which people wore knitted beards in support of Conchita. View this image ' ORF/Iris Keutter / Viaeurovision.tv
18. In aninterview with BILD, Conchita said: To make it clear: I am not transsexual, but a man, and will remain that way... Im planning no sex reassignment. I just like to wear womens clothes, thats all.
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