I think whatever else is true about Amadeus's mysterious soul and enigmatic Ciuri-related horseplay, it is undoubtedly the case that he considered hosting the 2020 Sanremo the pinnacle of his career and an immense -- and extremely stressful! -- honour.

And that intensity informed everything else -- from the selection of the acts and the creation of a genuinely eclectic mix of artists, to the moments of beauty, chaos and queerness that ensued. When Bugo walks off stage and everything is spinning out of control on live TV you can see that Amadeus is genuinely in agony and will 100% not be OK if this isn't somehow made OK. And then Fiorello returns and does just that, managing to make the panic itself iconic. When Fiorello says he's Amadeus's xanax (?) that's clearly true -- whenever he's there, Amadeus visibly relaxes and is far more able to enjoy the act of making Sanremo history. The Amadello horseplay works because it's real at least to the extent that on some level Amadeus clearly needs it, because Amadeus is taking. Everything. Personally. This isn't just a job to him, it's the job. And I think the artists must have responded to that intensity, placed more of themselves on the line too. The sense of personal stakes gives everything rawer edges, makes it messier and less polished, but more authentic. The sense that real skin is in the game allows everyone to reach higher and build a sense of grandeur and occasion -- which also allows for more opportunities for mischief and subversion.

That and Rosario Fiorello's five year dedication to the spirit of "Yes, And."

But Carlo whatshisface treated the whole thing as just another TV gig. Showed up. Did what he was paid to do. Left. It could have been another episode of L'Eredità.

But at least for a moment he was visited by the Ghost of Sanremo past.