In an unlikely twist, Greta Thunberg’s mum is a famous singer in Sweden

Who knew?

Greta Thunberg is one of the most recognisable teenagers on the planet right now – but it turns out her mum is a pretty big deal in her own right. The environmental activist's mother, Malena Ernman, is a well-known opera singer in their home country of Sweden. She has also performed at opera houses across Europe, including Berlin Staatsoper, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and Vienna's Theater an der Wien. Malena has dabbled in pop too and even represented her country in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009, when Greta would have been just six years old. Sadly her song, La Voix, didn't take home the top prize. The contest was won by Norway that year, with Malena ultimately coming in 21st place. Still, La Voix has clocked up millions of views on Youtube and shot up the Swedish charts when it was released, peaking at number two. Malena is supportive of her daughter's climate change protests and has even cut back on performances abroad to reduce her carbon footprint, according to CBC News. Greta has previously said that her mum's career helped to prepare her for being on the world stage. “That’s one of the pros of having a famous mother, I’m quite familiar with the media and how it works," she told The New York Times earlier this year.