To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page The Eurovision Song Contest has reportedly not given up hope that Celine Dion could perform despite the competition being just days away. Organisers want the Canadian singer, 56, to recreate the magic of her own win for 2025 host country Switzerland at this year’s Grand Final. Celine previously won the annual competition for the Swiss in 1988 with French-language song Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi (Don’t Leave Without mM). Last month, it was reported the My Heart Will Go On singer was in talks to perform at the Eurovision, dependent on her health. In December 2022, she revealed she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome (SPS) and had to cancel her Courage World Tour. The All by Myself popstar returned to performing for the first time since publicly announcing her diagnosis at the Olympics in Paris last year. 🚨 #Eurovision Head of Show, Yves Schifferle, confirms talks are ongoing for Celine Dion to appear in next week's Grand Final.🗣️ "We all know Celine's situation… we are in contact, we leave this open to the very last day"Interview in full @EuroTripPodcast this Wednesday 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/QkNziIwsZp— Rob Lilley-Jones (@roblilleyjones) May 5, 2025 What is stiff-person syndrome? Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare autoimmune movement disorder that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). SPS is characterised by fluctuating muscle rigidity in the trunk and limbs and a heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms. Stiff-person syndrome is extremely rare. Only about one out of every one million people have been diagnosed with this syndrome. Twice as many women have stiff person syndrome as men. Symptoms can occur at any age but usually develop between ages 30 and 60. In the French capital, Celine delivered a note-perfect rendition of L’Hymne à L’Amour, made famous by the French singer Edith Piaf, and later said on Instagram it was an ‘honour’ to have been asked to close the prestigious ceremony in front of fans worldwide. In the latest update on her potential Eurovision appearance, the competition’s head of show Yves Schifferle confirmed that talks were ongoing for Celine to appear in next week’s Grand Final. He tells The Euro Trip Podcast: ‘We all know Celine’s situation… we are in contact, we leave this open to the very last day.’ Last year, Celine opened up about living with SPS in documentary, I Am: Celine Dion. Celine won Eurovision for Switzerland in 1988 (Picture: Pat Maxwell/Shutterstock) The singer performed at the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris last year (Picture: POOL/Olympic Broadcasting Services/AFP via Getty Images) In one scene, she spoke about the muscle spasms she suffered, which were once so strong they broke her ribs. She said living with the condition was ‘like somebody’s strangling you’ and added: ‘It feels like if I point my feet, it will stay in (that position), or if I cook—because I love to cook—my fingers, my hands will get in position. ‘It’s cramping, but it’s like in a position of like you cannot unlock them.’ Celine continued: ‘Sometimes when it’s very severe, it can break some ribs.’ Talks for Celine to perform at the Eurovision are ‘ongoing’ (Picture: Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images) The main symptoms of SPS are muscle stiffening and spasming, and there is currently no cure for the disease, but there are ways for it to be treated, including through the use of muscle sedatives and relaxants. The Eurovision will be taking place in Basel, Switzerland, with the grand final on May 17 and the semi-finals on May 13 and 15. It will be the first time the competition has been held in the German-speaking part of Switzerland after previously being hosted in Lugano in 1956 and Lausanne in 1989. Basel won out against locations including Geneva and Zurich to secure the spot – and even beat the country’s capital city, Bern. Remember Monday have been confirmed as the UK’s entry, following in the footsteps of Olly Alexander. Swiss entry Nemo won Eurovision 2024 with song The Code, scoring 591 points in the last competition. The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place in St Jakobshalle in Basel on May 17, with the semi-finals taking place on May 13 and 15. Got a story? If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.