Who are Rafaella & Christos? Meet the representatives of Cyprus for Junior Eurovision 2025

Junior Eurovision 2025 returns to Georgia for the second time in its history, precisely to the city of Tbilisi, which also hosted the 2017 edition. With a total of 18 countries and the big return of Azerbaijan, Croatia, and Montenegro, Junior Eurovision 2025 will have the highest number of broadcasters competing since Paris 2021.

Saturday, December 13 is the highlighted date on the calendar. At that time, the Eurovision stage set up at the Olympic Palace in Tbilisi will welcome young talents from all over Europe. Thanks to the victory of the young Georgian Andria Putkaradze at the great musical celebration in Madrid 2024, where he triumphed with his song “To My Mom”, the competition returns to Georgian lands.

After its return in 2024, Cyprus will once again take part in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, marking its 12th participation. For the 23rd edition of the European contest, the Cypriot broadcaster continues to strengthen the promotion of the Eurovision event among its viewers. To do so, it held an open call for young talents in the country, from which their representatives for Tbilisi 2025 were chosen.

Rafaella Panteli and Christos Georgiou form the duo that will represent the Mediterranean island in the junior contest. They will compete with the song “AWAY”.

Rafaella & Christos: Cyprus’ hopes for success in Tbilisi

Rafaella is a 14-year-old Cypriot artist, born in 2011 in Nicosia, whose first contact with art was at the age of three. Her main pillar is dance, a discipline in which she has excelled both nationally and internationally. At the Pancyprian 2023, she ranked among the top ten, and in the 17th edition in 2024, she achieved first place in jazz dance and fourth in contemporary dance. Beyond dance, Rafaella has developed a solid career in singing and musical theatre, participating in productions such as Annie, Hercules, Into the Woods, The Greatest Showman, and Hairspray. She is currently preparing for Grade 8 Musical Theatre at Trinity College London. Additionally, she created the choreography “Soy Diferente, No Menos” dedicated to her brother with autism (TEA), conveying a message of inclusion and love.

Christos Georgiou, 12 years old and also born in Nicosia, is a secondary school student and a Eurovision enthusiast. His first significant audition for a major event was performing “The Code,” the winning entry of Eurovision 2024, a song he had previously sung in fifth grade during a school contest. Music plays a central role in Christos’s life, not only as a singer but also as an instrumentalist. He especially stands out on the drums, reaching a professional level equivalent to Grade 6, and dedicates much of his time to practicing and perfecting his technique. In the past year, he has started composing his own music using Ableton, a music production software that allows him to experiment with different sounds and instruments.

“Away” is a pop ballad in Greek and English that celebrates love, hope, and the freedom to reinvent oneself, combining tenderness and energy.

This is “AWAY”, Cyprus’s entry for Junior Eurovision 2025

The proposal by Rafaella Panteli and Christos Georgiou, with which they will represent Cyprus in Junior Eurovision 2025, is titled “AWAY.” It is a pop ballad in Greek and English, composed by Christopher Wortley, Hannah Brine, DWB, and Andy Lys.

It talks about how love and hope can support us when the future is uncertain, reminding us of the strength that comes from sharing the same dream. With a bright and hopeful message, it invites us to live fully in the present, create together, and paint life with our own decisions, without fear of reinventing ourselves at every step.

The song combines emotion and energy, moving between the tenderness of a hug and the freedom to fly toward new horizons. Its lyrics celebrate the magic of shared moments, where love becomes a refuge and the world seems to awaken stronger.

Lyrics of AWAY

Cyprus in Junior Eurovision

Cyprus debuted at the Junior Eurovision Festival in 2003 in Copenhagen, being one of the founding countries. Its representative, Theodora Rafti, performed “Mia Efhi” and achieved 14th place with 16 points, marking the beginning of its history in the contest. In Lillehammer 2004, Marios Tofi shone with “Oneira,” reaching 8th place with 61 points, one of the country’s best results. This success was repeated in Bucharest 2006, when Luis Panagiotou & Christina Christofi also secured 8th place with “Agoria Koritsia.”

In Hasselt 2005, Cyprus was disqualified due to alleged plagiarism in “Tsirko,” although CyBC continued voting in the contest, showing its commitment. The highlight came in Limassol 2008, when the country hosted the festival. Elena Mannouri & Charis Savva represented Cyprus with “Gioupi Gia!”, finishing 10th with 46 points and energizing the local audience.

After this period, Cyprus was absent from 2010 to 2013, but returned in Malta 2014 with Sophia Patsalides and her song “I Pio Omorfi Mera,” achieving another 8th place with 69 points, its second-best historical mark. However, it did not participate in 2015, and in Valletta 2016, George Michaelides with “Dance Floor” finished 16th. In Tbilisi 2017, Nicole Nicolaou with “I Wanna Be A Star” also finished last with 45 points, leading to a new withdrawal.

Finally, in Madrid 2024, Cyprus returned with Maria Pissarides and “Crystal Waters,” reigniting national hope and achieving 13th place with 60 points, improving its recent results.