Bar Refaeli: Hosting Eurovision beats appearing in Super Bowl ad

The event's four hosts met up for the first time, working on burying old feuds.

Bar Refaeli (photo credit: REUTERS/PAOLO BONA)
Bar Refaeli
(photo credit: REUTERS/PAOLO BONA)

Supermodel Bar Refaeli said her upcoming gig hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv is much more exciting than the time she appeared in a Super Bowl commercial.

“Throughout my entire career I’ve tried to truly represent Israel with honor,” Refaeli said in an interview with the KAN public broadcaster that aired on Monday. “Wherever I went I always said that first and foremost I am Israeli – I am who I am because of where I grew up.”

Refaeli said that several years ago “I was so, so excited to be in a commercial during the Super Bowl, and this is way greater than that.” Refaeli appeared in an ad that aired during the 2013 Super Bowl, an event seen by more than 100 million people. The Eurovision broadcasts over the past few years have topped 180 million viewers.

The supermodel did not address in the interview the recommendation from the state attorney last month that she be charged with tax evasion and fraud.
Refaeli spoke during an interview KAN aired Monday evening with all four Eurovision hosts: Refaeli, Erez Tal, Assi Azar and Lucy Ayoub. It marked the first joint interview since they were announced as hosts last month.

A post shared by Assi Azar (@assiazar) on

On Saturday, the four hosts met up together for the first time, along with the show’s top producers and directors. High on the agenda – or at least in the headlines – is the resolution of the longtime feud between Refaeli and Azar. During the interview, the pair made it clear while they may never be the best of friends, they’re ready to work together.

“We’re here to work,” said Azar. “We’re not dealing now with all the rest. What’s important is that we’ll work.” The host added that “right now there’s an imbalance, but by the end of the Eurovision, we’ll all want to kill each other.”

Whatever feuds there may be, all four of the hosts are aware of the importance of the upcoming event.

“This is the biggest professional challenge that anyone who works in television in Israel could think of,” said Tal. “It’s one of the biggest television shows in the world. It’s a huge challenge to be a part of this and I’m so happy to be a part of it.”