• Sweden edition
Society

Introducing... 'Doctor' Åsa Vilbäck

Published: 11 Jun 12 16:12 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/41376/20120611/

Introducing... is The Local's guide to the Swedish celebrity. In this installment Oliver Gee finds out more about Åsa Vilbäck - the doctor turned celebrity turned unwilling sex-symbol whose boyfriend is on trial for allegedly burning down his own mansion…

OK, so who is she and why is she famous?

Åsa Vilbäck is a 37-year-old doctor and hails from Skellefteå in northern Sweden. She’s famous because she ticks all the boxes – TV show host, celebrity doctor, posed nude a few times, was on the original Survivor TV show…

Sorry, posed nude?

Sigh. Yes, nude. This is Sweden, is it really such a big deal?

Yes it’s a big deal; tell the whole story

Seriously? OK, let’s get this out of the way early then. She was a pin-up on the cover of “Café” magazine in 1999, and raised readers’ eyebrows by wearing nothing more than a thin layer of paint in the Veckorevyn paper afterwards.

In 2009, her racy pin up pics were re-published by the magazine and Vilbäck told the Aftonbladet newspaper how much she regretted her decision to do the shoot – and that she wanted to be taken seriously as a doctor despite her blonde-bombshell looks and bamboozling bikini body.

What about Survivor, isn’t that an American show?

How dare you! Survivor was inspired by a Swedish television show, called “Expedition Robinson” and was on TV much earler! Dr. Åsa was on the very first season back in 1997. This is when she shot to fame.

So why are you writing about her today?

Well, glad you asked actually. Her boyfriend, Magnus Lundberg, has been all over the Swedish tabloids recently after allegedly burning down his own Stockholm mansion (that previously belonged to the late Harry Schein who founded the Swedish Film Institute).

Overwhelming evidence, including GPS trackers and surveillance of Lundberg buying lighter fluid, has made prosecutors sure that he lit the fire, however Lundberg vehemently claims that he didn’t start the fire. He was arrested three months ago and his trial began on Monday. It’s expected to last three days.

Why would he burn his own mansion?

This is about Åsa, not Lundberg. Next question.

Um, will she stand by her man?

How can we say? Early signs look good, but we’re just sticking with the facts today. Next?

OK, tell me more about her TV show - where can I find it?

Her show was called “Dr Åsa” and was featured on Sveriges Television (SVT). Vilbäck answered people’s medical questions for two seasons between 2008 and 2009.

What is she up to now, besides the whole court case?

She is writing a health column for the Dagens Medicin newspaper and it’s unlikely that she’ll do any more work as a pin up model.

Oliver Gee
Follow Oliver on Twitter here

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Your comments about this article:

The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.

19:23 June 11, 2012 by Tarc the Mexan
Oliver Gee comes off like a horny 15 year old.

Worst article ever.
22:58 June 11, 2012 by canuk
hahaha @1.

have you just started with the local? this site is about tits, muslims, and killings, with bonus points to the authors if they can get all three into the headline.

In gerneral the worst reporting in the news space.

However they are expanding, why you ask? becuase tits sell, muslims in sweden sell, and killings, death torture, all that, sell. it would be easy to make a competing newsworthy organization however what sweden has been missing in the news space is the rag that you wipe your a$$ with...the local fills this space.
00:56 June 12, 2012 by Opinionfool
@canuk

You forgot the essential aspect of every opinion piece originated by The Local, namely that it be written by a home-sick USian. At least Vilbäck is herself Swedish. That's a huge step forward in the editorial values of the news coverage. Her articles won't be the usual "it's better in the US but I have to put up with the Swedish way of doing things for a while because my Swedish partner wants us to live here" style of pap that we usually see being promoted on here.

@Tarc the Mexan

I agree with Canuk's suggestion that you're not au fait with the content here. This is definitely NOT the worst article The Local has published, not by a long way. It was at least written in something approaching English --- namely Strine --- rather than the usual automated Google translation of a piece copied from a Swedish language paper that passes for editorial around here.
07:44 June 12, 2012 by gpafledthis
#'s 1-2-3 lay off Olly !! Not one of you (or me) with all our red-corpuscles would have passed up the the chance to "chat" !! Olly - remind them they can just DELETE !!
10:36 June 12, 2012 by Opinionfool
@gpafledthis

You really think Olly talked to her! At best this is cut-and-pasted from other interviews, articles, and web pages. It doesn't read like an interview in any shape or form. A bunch of pseudo-questions badly copy-edited to give the appearance of an interview.

What did we learn from the text? Other than the announcement Åsa is going to be writing regular pieces for The Local? Well she posed nude for Cafe magazine (actually we didn't learn all that from the interview). Her current boyfriend is suspected of arson, which makes up the bulk of the text.

Where's the real human interest stuff such as her miscarriages? Her Swedish experience of Swedish maternity hospitals?

Oh and what's Åsa going to write about? Celebrities! Would be more interesting for England's unregretful nude poser Katie Price ("Jordan") to write insightful pieces about the Eurozone crisis and the up-coming US presidential election than to have yet more column inches given to vacuous celebrities.

The only thing to be said in Olly's defense is it was written in a dialect of English.
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Today's headlines
Unrest in Stockholm
Minister: Stockholm riots 'not youth versus society'

Minister: Stockholm riots 'not youth versus society'

With one 18-year-old remanded in custody after four nights of rioting in Stockholm, Sweden's Integration Minister Erik Ullenhag said the rioters are a small minority, and did not represent a clash between young people in the suburbs and Swedish society. READ () »

Swede of the Week
Firefighter to Stockholm rioters: I'll still help you

Firefighter to Stockholm rioters: I'll still help you

A viral Facebook post about the terror of being targeted by stone-throwing youths during to the ongoing Stockholm riots has made firefighter Mattias Lassén into something of a Swedish folk hero, and The Local's pick for Swede of the Week. READ () »

Northern Sweden Dispatches
Driving in Sweden: Elk, reindeer, and road rage

Driving in Sweden: Elk, reindeer, and road rage

Fresh from another near miss with a hulking behemoth of an elk, ex-Londoner Paul Connolly offers up a theory on how the prospect of imminent collisions with wayward wildlife affects the driving habits of Swedes up north. READ () »

Swedish parties agree to major free-school reform

Swedish parties agree to major free-school reform

The government and its main opposition have agreed to new rules governing performance requirements and profits at publicly funded, privately managed free schools. READ () »

Swedish scientists chart entire fir tree genome

Swedish scientists chart entire fir tree genome

Scientists at three Swedish universities have managed to muddle through the genetic code for fir trees, seven times larger than the human genome, with potential benefits for the Swedish forestry industry. READ () »

Swedish zoo celebrates rare elephant birth

Swedish zoo celebrates rare elephant birth

The Borås Zoo in western Sweden has welcomed a rare new elephant calf as African elephant Dudu gave birth on Wednesday after two years of pregnancy. READ () »

Unrest in Stockholm
Stockholm riots spread south on fourth night

Stockholm riots spread south on fourth night

Wednesday night saw more burning cars, smashed windows, and stone throwing at police in at least 15 suburbs around Stockholm, as the fourth night of riots swept the Swedish capital. READ () »

Karolinska joins free online-course community

Karolinska joins free online-course community

Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet has signed up to offer free online courses, joining a network of 27 universities worldwide that reach nearly a million students. READ () »

More Society

 

RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER AND ALERTS
 

 

Highlights
DoToday
LIFESTYLE »
What's On:The Local's guide to upcoming attractions and events in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö
www.finest.se
GALLERY »
People-watching May 20-23
Erik Bloom
LIFESTYLE »
Stockholm's ten best-kept secrets - revealed
Fredrik Sanberg/Scanpix (File)
OPINION »
'The future of freedom on the internet is at stake'
Peter Håkansson/Swedish Fashion Council
SOCIETY »
Fashion prize turns Rookies into players
La Neta
LIFESTYLE »
My Swedish Career: We talk to the founder of Stockholm's favourite Mexican restaurant chain - La Neta
Leif R Jansson/Scanpix
NATIONAL »
Riot police 'resorted to racial slurs' in Husby
Scanpix
SPORT »
Sweden win ice hockey world champs at home
Scanpix
SPORT »
Swedes sweep top French football awards
fastighetsbyrån.se
GALLERY »
Property of the Week: Check out this funky three-room apartment on the Stockholm island of Södermalm
Scanpix
GALLERY »
Sweden win Ice Hockey World Championships. See the celebrations in Stockholm
Scanpix
GALLERY »
Youths burn 100 cars in north Stockholm riots
Finest.se scanpix.se
GALLERY »
People-watching: Nightlife, Ice Hockey Gold celebrations, the royal family... You name it, this week's gallery has it
WikiCommons
BUSINESS & MONEY »
Solna voted best place to live in Sweden
Scanpix
TRAVEL »
Quiz - Think You Know Sweden? This week we head to one of Sweden's ten biggest towns. But which one?
Scanpix
LIFESTYLE »
Eurovision host: 'Not everyone has to like me'
Scanpix
LIFESTYLE »
Denmark wins Eurovision 2013 in Malmö
Paul Hansen/World Press Photo
SOCIETY »
Award-winning Swedish photographer cleared of manipulation
Scanpix
NATIONAL »
A Congolese-Swedish pastor explains the roots to recent cases of parents exorcising demons from their children in Sweden
File photo: AP
NATIONAL »
H&M backs Bangladesh building safety accord
Scanpix
GALLERY »
Eurovision: second semi-final entries
Screenshot: American Apparel
SOCIETY »
Swedes slam American Apparel over 'sexist' ads
Hasse Holmberg/Scanpix (File)
BUSINESS & MONEY »
Housing crunch forces more young Swedes to live with mum and dad
Asif Akbar/sxc.hu (File)
OPINION »
'Not all discrimination in Sweden is racism'
Lana Wimmer
GALLERY »
Hidden Stockholm Gems: Ulriksdal's Palace
Sex in Sweden: condoms optional - study
SOCIETY »
Sex in Sweden: condoms optional - study
AP (File)
POLITICS »
Russia 'lacks capacity' to attack Sweden: Reinfeldt
fastighetsbyrån.se
GALLERY »
Property of the Week: This week, we're looking inside a home from the 1700s just west of Stockholm. Complete with two cannons.
Scanpix (File)
OPINION »
JobTalk: Top ten tips for earning a higher salary in Sweden
Eddie Gee
LIFESTYLE »
Check out the back catalogue of all The Local's Swedes of the Week
Photo: The Local
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Stockholm International School - what’s in IT for students?

 

Latest news from The Local in Germany

More news from Germany at thelocal.de

Latest news from The Local in France

More news from France at thelocal.fr

Latest news from The Local in Norway

More news from Norway at thelocal.no

Latest news from The Local in Switzerland

More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch

Search News


Register

Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss

REGISTER FOR FREE »


Blog Update: The Swedish Teacher

19 March 19:24

“Örngott”, “luttanpluttan” and “chokladglass” »

"Hej! How is your Swedish coming along? I have received many questions on the Facebook page and in my email lately and it seems like a good idea to post the answers here. Enjoy! Question 1 – “får inte” or “måste inte” Could you please clarify for me which is the most commonly used phrase in Swedish for..." READ »

The Local's new Marketplace
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS
Counseling in English
Individuals & Couples - Stockholm Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now
Trade binary options
Create an account with Banc De Binary, the world’s most reputable binary options firm, and start cashing in today! You can start by practicing with our free $50,000 demo account.
www.bbinary.com
Therapy in English
Expat counsellor & talk therapist offers counselling for stress, relationship issues, sexuality, culture adjustment & life coaching. Private & confidential. Stockholm or Skype. Contact me today! 08-559 22 636 or
CLICK HERE
Holiday Luxury Villa in Portugal
Casa Birgitta in Algarve, Portugal. Reduced price in best location. Private estate on white sand beach. All amenities included. Book here today! edward_george1@hotmail.com