Ira Losco is through to the final of the Eurovision after getting through the first semi-final in Stockholm this evening. 

Malta's entry was an odds-on favourite to qualify but it was hearts-in-mouths time in the end as Walk on Water was the last of the 10 qualifying entries to be announced.

Ultimately a strong performance from Losco during a semi-final cemented the song's early popularity and was enough to earn a spot in the final. She will be joined on Saturday by Netherlands, Hungary, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Austria.

The second semi-final will take place on Thursday before the winner is chosen on Saturday. A strong and confident performance by Losco, who announced last Sunday that she was expecting a child, won her enough votes by the jury and televoting. 

Walk on Water has consistently been placed among the top eight songs by bookmakers at this year's edition.  

Update

Speaking to the Times of Malta from her hotel after the semi-final, Losco admitted that she started to lose hope as the qualifying countries were marked off without Malta's name being mentioned until the very end. 

"We panicked a bit. We based our thoughts on the voting trends, and some of the countries we thought would get through hadn’t been announced yet," she said. "But I knew I'd given a good performance today and at the Jury Show yesterday so I was satisfied regardless of how it turned out.

"It was pretty amazing. I felt overwhelmed. I was probably the calmest one of the delegation, but when Malta was announced I felt really proud."

Losco now faces a few more days of preparation and tweaks before the Grand Final on Saturday.

"I think we pretty much nailed it, but the final is again a very tough final," she said. "With our island being so small it’s always going to be that little bit harder; so we really need to focus on the performance and the delivery so people will want to vote for us not because we’re a neighbouring country but because they genuinely love our song."