Updated 11.13pm - There was double disappointment for Malta at the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday as the official entry – Christabelle – and Maltese singer Jessika, representing San Marino, both failed to qualify for the final night.

Their exit confirmed dire predictions by bookmakers, even though Christabelle’s odds had improved immediately before the show. esctoday.com, the specialist website on the Eurovision Song Contest, reported that Malta’s odds had risen ‘to the heartbreak eleventh spot’. It had previously been steady at 13th.

Christabelle, who was 12th on the stage at the show in Lisbon, gave a powerful performance of her song Taboo, complemented by light effects and pyrotechnics.

Jessika’s performance of Who We Are, earlier, will be remembered for the way she danced with a small robot.

Half of the votes were cast by an international jury during a dress rehearsal on Wednesday, with the remainder by televoting by the public at the end of Thursday’s show.

Ten out of 18 participating songs qualified from the second semi-final. Another 10 qualified from the first semi-final on Tuesday. The 20 qualified songs will join the entries from the ‘big five’ contest sponsors - Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, along with host country Portugal.

The qualifiers on Thursday were Serbia, Moldova, Hungary, Ukraine, Sweden, Australia, Norway, Denmark, Slovenia and the Netherlands.

The final will be held on Saturday.

Malta’s Claudia Faniello also failed to make it to the final last year in Kiev.

The best Eurovision finish since Chiara’s second place in 2005 came from Gianluca Bezzina – eighth overall in 2013.