Today we present Sakis Rouvas, the Greek singer who will host the semifinal and the final of the Eurovision Song Contest together with Maria Menounos. Born on the Greek island of Corfu, music has always been a part of Sakis' life, but he is also a talented gymnast and even pole vaulted for Greek national team.

Sakis was discovered in Athens in 1991. His debut single, Par'ta, was hugely successful. Over the next four years, he won a raft of awards, including Best New Singer, Best Song and Best Stage Performance at the Hellenic Music Awards.

Sakis has also played his role in reconciliation efforts with Turkey. In 1997, he performed on stage with Turkish pop star, Burat Kud, in a concert in UN-controlled territory on Cyprus. His efforts later won him the International Ipekci Prize for understanding and co-operation.

Nine years after his debut at the Thessaloniki Song Festival, Sakis remains one of Greece's most successful artists. In 2004, we saw Sakis on the Eurovision stage as a performer with his song Shake it, which finished third with 252 points.

Biography and picture: Eurovision.tv