Gina Dirawi

Gina Dirawi (Arabic: غنى ديراوي; born 11 December 1990) is a Swedish television presenter, singer-songwriter, author, comedian, radio personality, and actress. Best known as the only woman to host Melodifestivalen on four occasions, she has also hosted Swedish award ceremonies like Kristallen, Grammis, and Guldbagge Awards. She has also had several of her own TV programmes and also released music, a book, and has acted in film and theatre. In 2016, she played the lead role in the play Donna Juanita at the Stockholm City Theatre.

Early and personal life

Dirawi was born on 11 December 1990 in Sundsvall. She has three siblings. Her parents are Palestinian but had grown up in Lebanese refugee camps. She was the second of four children. Her father had first moved to Sundsvall to study, convinced by his parents, and had eventually returned to Lebanon to marry Dirawi's mother. Her parents ultimately settled in Sundsvall, followed by her paternal grandparents a couple of years later. Her grandfather was an imam in Sundsvall until his death in March 2011.

She studied political science and rhetoric at Mid Sweden University.

Career

2009–2011: Blog and career start

Dirawi began her career in March 2009, with her blog Ana Gina (which means "I am Gina" in Arabic), and by August of the same year began vlogging.

Dirawi is considered Sweden's first true YouTuber. In 2009, she reached the final auditions for Idol on TV4.

Her vlog included satirical depictions of recurring characters from Swedish and Palestinian culture. She continued to gain popularity by sharing videos on YouTube, where her videos have over 18 million views as of May 2016.