Things you didn't know about Mika, singer and host of Eurovision 2022

He was born in Beirut in 1983 as Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr. In 2007, the world would come to know him as the man who "tried to be like Grace Kelly." Mika, from a gifted singer-songwriter to an Italian TV personality... What has he been up to?

Mika is a Lebanese-British musician who grew up in a wealthy family. His father was an Israeli-born American banker who worked in Beirut.

After the family left the country in the midst of war, they lived in Paris and London, where Mika learned to play the piano and participate in recitals and operas.

His high-pitched voice is a beautiful remainder of his opera training, but Mika decided not to take that route. In 2007, at age 24, he became world famous with the album 'Life in Cartoon Motion.' It had unforgettable songs like 'Grace Kelly,' 'Relax, Take it Easy,' and 'Love Today.'

Now, in 2022, Mika is in the international spotlights again as one of the presenters of the Eurovision Song Contest. Together with Laura Pausini and Alessandro Cattelan he is in charge of handing the coveted glass microphone to the winning artist. But what was he doing until now?

Mika's first great success came in 2007 with 'Grace Kelly', a song that made him known worldwide. His debut album ('Life in Cartoon Motion') took him to number one in the UK and eleven other countries.

Of course, his 'Grace Kelly' did not become a hit by chance; behind the pop classic there was a lot of hard work. Mika recalls that he composed his first song when he was 7 years old.

You may not know that Mika landed his first big record deal thanks to the site Myspace. It was the year 2006 and, until then, he had been a completely unknown artist.

Mika has received several invaluable awards throughout his career. However, his biggest milestone came in 2008 when he was nominated for his song 'Love Today' at the Grammys. He was one of the finalists in the category of Best Dance Recording of the year but, in the end, the prize went to Justin Timberlake ('Love Stoned / I Think She Knows').

In 2010, Mika received the distinction of Knight of Arts and Letters of France, considered the highest award that an artist can receive in that country.

In 2009, Mika released his second album, 'The Boy Who Knew Too Much,' which was also a great success in the UK, Canada, and numerous other countries. Still, the platinum status of 'Life in Cartoon Motion' was a tough act to follow.

On his third album, 'The Origin of Love' Mika collaborated with famous artists like Pharrell Williams and Ariana Grande. His duet with Ariana, 'Popular Song,' sold more than half a million copies in the United States and became a gold record.

After 'The Origin of Love,' Mika released two more albums, in 2015 and 2019, but they did not have the same success as the previous ones. Meanwhile, he was making a name for himself in Italy and France, as a judge for 'X Factor' and 'The Voice,' respectively.

(Photo: EBU / Corinne Cumming)

A curiosity about Mika: his height. The singer and showman measures 1.91 meters. All of them inches of pure talent, of course!

(Photo: Giulio Rustichelli via EBU)

If there is one thing that Mika loves, it is shoes. Specifically, the white ones. Those who know him say that if he sees something he likes while shopping, he is capable of buying up to three different versions of the same item.

He's never talked that much about it, nor has he denied it. Mika is gay and he's been in a relationship with filmmaker Andreas Dermanis for over a decade, he told Paris Match in 2021.

This artist of Lebanese origin speaks up to six languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian and a Lebanese dialect. In addition, he can manage speaking in Arabic and Chinese.