Thea feels the pressure in Oslo as the big night looms

Thea Garrett gave another two impeccable vocal performances yesterday during the dress rehearsals of the semi-final in which she will be competing in 11th place tonight.

But the pressure is on and Thea confessed to feeling excited for the first time while on stage.

"All the excitement came out, so I hope by tomorrow it would have subsided and I will be as comfortable as if I'm singing in the shower," she said.

Asked for her final message to the Maltese before tonight's performance, she said: "I will try my best to do well. Please pray for me because the prayers of the Maltese tend to work."

She admitted that the singers competing in her semi-final were proving to be tough opposition.

"So if you know somebody who lives abroad and is in the semi-final with us, tell them to vote for us."

Since there are two semi-finals, only the countries competing against Thea in tonight's contest can vote, together with Spain, France and Germany.

Bookmakers are still placing Malta among the countries that will not qualify among the 10 countries for the final round, but Thea's performances were welcomed by loud applause in the arena.

Some of the top favourites include Slovakia, Finland, Belarus, Greece and Iceland, while Malta is being considered one of the wild cards whose fate is still very much in the balance.

The Maltese starlet yesterday revealed the sparkly and flowing dress that she will wear tonight, which she designed together with her tailor Frans Spiteri. It is very similar to the one she wore for the Malta Eurosong.

With a pale blue and silver background that leads into a dramatic build-up, Malta's performance has been described by commentators as simple yet effective.

Thea is supported by three strong backing vocalists and a dancer dressed as an enormous seagull - Jes Sciberras - who hides behind Thea until the climax of the song when he emerges from the dry ice. Pyrotechnics are also used at the end of the song for more impact.

Meanwhile, on Sunday night, Thea was made to feel like a star as she strolled down the "pink" carpet to the Oslo City Hall, the famous venue of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies.

There she posed for photographs, met journalists, sang for the mayor, and danced the night away with Polish contestant Marcin Mrozinski, who has quickly become Thea's best friend in the competition.

Meanwhile, tens of Maltese fans, including Thea's parents, arrived in Oslo yesterday to show support.