She was the bookies' favourite going into the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, and she duly delivered. Sweden's Loreen became only the second individual to ever win the competition more than once; she previously triumphed in 2012 Show
Her song Tattoo absolutely dominated the jury vote, leaving her 163 points clear of her nearest rival, Israel. The public vote did upend the standings somewhat - in particular, giving a big boost to Finland's wacky entry Cha Cha Cha, which was very popular with the venue's vocal audience. But it wasn't enough. when the final votes came in, Loreen hung onto her top spot  The UK was robbedIn sharp contrast to Sweden's dazzling victory, the UK's Mae Muller had a very disappointing night. She finished second to bottom on the leaderboard, saved from total ignominy only by beating Germany. The host nation - and this likeable pop number - deserved more love from voters Still, at least there was plenty of praise for Liverpool's fantastic hosting efforts on behalf of Ukraine. The night ran smoothly, anchored by a presenting team that included Graham Norton and new national treasure Hannah Waddingham Finland only just misses outIf Loreen's winning effort was the classy side of Eurovision, then Finland represented its joyfully bonkers side. Led by Kaarija in his bumpy lime-green bolero jacket, and featuring a human centipede dance move, Cha Cha Cha was an undeniable earworm (and eyesore) which definitely won over the fans in the venue. The public vote saw Finland leap up to the top of the leaderboard, for a time. But it wasn't quite enough. a more lukewarm jury vote meant they couldn't quite halt Sweden's inevitable march to victory. Israel wins the Eurovision Dance ContestGranted, the song wasn't a classic (something about unicorns and girl power and. no, I really couldn't tell you). But once Noa Kirel gave up on singing altogether and hurled herself into a sexy-aggressive dance break, she wowed the crowd. There was floorwork, there was whiplash-inducing hairography, there was a big assisted flip, and there was classic Britney pouting She might not have won, but Kirel will surely get a big commercial boost from this. I'm thinking shampoo ads - with added unicorns The results in full
Here's the contest as it happened By Marianka Swain Save 12. 10AM As Loreen takes her victory lap (and squeezes herself back into the toasted sandwich maker for her winner's performance), it's a wrap on Eurovision 2023 Thanks for following along with us, and goodnight 12. 08AM "Second last is a very bad result for the United Kingdom," laments James. "We’ve come last five times in Eurovision, so at least it’s better than that. But as the host nation it’s a blow. And coming after Sam Ryder’s fantastic placing last year – second from the top – it’s an extra blow. "I feel for Mae Muller. It was a good song that deserved to be in the top half at least. Will this lead to yet another rejig of the process for finding our Eurovision singer? I hope not. Ryder is proof that it works. Or that it’s all a fluke. Either way, let’s stick with the current system. For a few more years anyway…" 12. 02AM Sweden wins Eurovision 2023Loreen has done it - that's her second Eurovision win for her country
It really went down to the wire - but the hot favourite held out, just denying Finland a last-minute victory Says Francis
12. 01AM 185 points for IsraelTaking her into second place. Just Sweden to go 12. 00AM 174 points for Italy - good, but not good enoughThey're currently second to Finland 11. 59PM Whoa. Finland receive 376 pointsI take it all back. The clear crowd favourite also gets a MASSIVE boost from the public vote. Is he cha cha cha-ing to victory? 11. 58PM This is not going down well in the hallA definite discrepancy between the live audience and at-home voters 11. 55PM Ukraine receive 189 pointsThey're up to third for now 11. 54PM Blimey, 216 points for NorwayMoving them all the way up to second place - for now 11. 53PM The UK receives just 9 points from the public voteOUCH We're second to bottom, just above Germany Says James. "At least Mae’s done better than James Newman. That’s about the most positive thing we can say right now. " 11. 51PM The public vote is inGermany get 15 from the public vote - restoring some national pride Whoa - more than 100 for Croatia, shooting them over to the lefthand side of the leaderboard 11. 51PM But the crowd isn't happyThe audience in the hall keep breaking into chants of "Cha Cha Cha. " - Finland is clearly the people's choice 11. 49PM Sweden is in first place after the jury voteI MEAN Loreen has utterly dominated the jury vote. Can anyone catch her in the public vote? It's a big, big ask Currently Sweden has 340, followed by Israel on 177 and Italy on 176, Finland on 150 The UK is in 22nd place with 15 11. 48PM Greece's 12 points go to BelgiumAlbania's 12 go to Sweden - Loreen has now cleared 300. Lithuania's 12 go to Sweden as well. The UK is still on 15. Boo And finally. the UK's 12 points are announced by Catherine Tate, who is in the arena. "I have been hooked on Eurovision ever since I was a little girl," Tate exclaims. She gives our big score to Sweden 11. 43PM Nearly there, honestNext up. Georgia's 12 points go to Belgium. Hats off to you, sir The Czech Republic's 12 go to Ukraine, and Slovenia's to Italy Also, an important clarification
11. 40PM Spain gives 12 points to SwedenThe X Factor's Ruth Lorenzo announces for them Israel gives 12 to Sweden. She doesn't quite have more than the rest of us put together, but. it's getting there Sweden - who at least CAN'T give points to Sweden - ooh, they give 4 points to the UK. Their big 12 go to Finland 11. 37PM Australia gives 12 points to BelgiumGood news for Bizarro Boy George. Oscar-winning costume designer Catherine Martin is their very stylish spokeswoman Denmark gives the UK a point. Woo. The big 12 goes to Sweden. Can Loreen be caught?? 11. 36PM Norway gives 12 points to FinlandBritish singer Ben Adams, formerly of band A1, does the announcing Switzerland gives 12 points to Czechia. Girl power The UK is still on 10, just ahead of Germany, who continue to prop up the leaderboard (though they do now have 2 points) 11. 33PM Israel gives 12 points to Australiaeventually. After a very weird, very slow unzipping of his leather gimp mask. Only on Eurovision Serbia gives 12 points to Slovenia. Huh Cyprus (after creepily throwing a flower in the direction of Heather Waddingham) gives theirs to Sweden 11. 27PM Armenia's 12 points go to IsraelIsrael now up to second Poland's 12 points go to Israel too. The unicorn cannot be denied Romania's 12 points go to Italy (Afraid nothing else has come in for the UK so far. Bad luck, Mae. )
11. 25PM Croatia's 12 points go to ItalyGermany, points out Giedroyc, are still on zero. So that's something Estonia's 12 points go to Sweden - courtesy of Ragnar Klavan, ex-Liverpool FC defender 11. 23PM Germany gives 12 points to SwedenTheir spokesman Elton (named for Elton John. ) surprises Waddingham with a little Ted Lasso biscuit gag. Bless. "It's juries, it's not Tinder - calm down. " says Norton Portugal's 12 points go to. Australia. 11. 21PM Finland gives the UK 4 pointsAnd their big 12 goes to Sweden Belgium's 12 goes to POE POE POE aka Austria 11. 20PM The current top 3are Sweden (by a country mile), Italy and Israel 11. 17PM San Marino's 12 points go to ItalyJohn Kennedy O'Connor. won't shut up. Any time. Germany and Croatia are still on 'nul points', by the way Azerbaijan gives 12 points to Israel - who zips up the leaderboard to second place 11. 15PM Moldova's 12 points go to SwedenIs Loreen cruising to victory? Mind, Italy is doing well too Ireland (represented by Niamh Kavanagh) gives the UK 2 points - thank you, neighbour. Their 12 points go to Sweden AS WELL 11. 14PM The Netherlands gives 12 points to SwedenCourtesy of S10, Dutch singer and rapper Malta gives 12 points to Sweden, too Incidentally, the UK is only on 4 so far 11. 13PM Italy's 12 points go to IsraelIncidentally, their spokesman Kaze stars in the Italian adaptation of Call My Agent Latvia gives their 12 points to Estonia 11. 11PM First up. UkraineZlata Ognevich is a singer and former politician. She represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö with Gravity, placing third Ukraine's 12 points go to. Sweden. Good start for Loreen
11. 10PM Voting has closedWe're heading into the jury vote results soon. Prepare for chaos 11. 02PM Do we get too many votes?James has concerns. "I’ve got to say, having up to 20 votes each strikes me as ridiculous. I know you pay to vote – so each vote is a revenue-raiser for the EBU – but it means that very keen Eurovision fans can flood the market, as it were. Call me old fashioned, but I’d only allow one vote per person. It seems fairer. " What do you think? Let us know in the comments below 10. 55PM Who are you wearing?Francis is laying down the fashion gauntlet
10. 52PM It's Liverpool's moment“Tonight’s interval entertainment is something called The Liverpool Songbook,” says James. “It features a raft of previous Eurovision favourites singing songs that celebrate Liverpool’s contribution to pop music. “We get Italy’s Mahmood singing John Lennon’s Imagine, Israel’s Netta singing Dead or Alive’s You Spin Me Round, Iceland’s Dadi Freyr singing Atomic Kitten’s Whole Again, Sweden’s Cornelia Jakobs doing Mel C’s I Turn To You, Sonia (the UK’s Eurovision entrant in 1993; she came second, and she of ‘Spot Sonia’ fame – gosh, she’s having a busy week) singing her own Better the Devil You Know, and Duncan Laurence from the Netherlands doing Gerry and the Pacemakers’ You’ll Never Walk Alone. Sounds great. “Shame there’s no room for a Eurovision take on evergreen folk classic Leaving of Liverpool, Jimmy Osmond’s Long Haired Lover From Liverpool or The Scaffold’s Thank U Very Much (for the Aintree Iron). Now that would have been something. ”
The Imagine section gave me unpleasant Gal Gadot lockdown video flashbacks, otherwise this was fantastic. Spectacular staging and really inventive covers. Plus an emotional link-up to a youth choir in Kyiv during You’ll Never Walk Alone Neil weighs in. "Celebrating the 'greatest' music of Liverpool, we got a John Lennon (fair enough), Atomic Kitten, Dead or Alive, a solo Spice Girl, a Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway classic and…Sonia? I’m pretty sure the Merseyside has given pop music a bit more than that. McCartney must be having a bit of a sulk now. " "Or perhaps he refused permission?" says James. "I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to get some Beatles in there as…it would be utterly daft not to. " Neil. "It was mighty odd not to have any. I’d have settled for Maneskin doing Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Relax. " James. "Good shout. Or how about ABBA doing Lily The Pink?"
10. 43PM Neil shares his picksNeil reveals. “If I was voting, my top ten would be Australia, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, a sympathy vote for the UK and a soft vote for Ukraine. But, you know, they kicked out Ireland so I'm sulking, obviously. ” James adds. "I’m not saying I’d give them 'douze', but I’d also give points to Czechia and Moldova. I liked their folky weirdness, and Czechia’s Wet Leg-like pastoral fierceness is very now. " On the show itself, it's pure filler. Recaps, recaps everywhere, plus Dixon discovering that the people paid to commentate on Eurovision are, indeed, enjoying Eurovision In other words. enjoy your tea break 10. 34PM Sam Ryder performs his new song Mountain"Poor Mae Muller being upstaged by last year’s UK entry. We might have had a chance with Sam Ryder and Queen in the house," says Neil "That was indeed Queen drummer Roger Taylor drumming for Sam Ryder," confirms James. "Wow, that’s some endorsement. Rog is actually repaying the favour. Sam sung with the remaining members of Queen at a tribute concert at Wembley Stadium for late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins last September. "And what of the new song, Mountain? It’s epic. But not quite as good as Space Man. "
10. 32PM So, who's going to win?Tim and Francis share their backstage predictions
10. 26PM What a nightSays Francis
And here is Team Telegraph rocking out to Mae Muller. Instead They Wrote A Tweet
10. 25PM Tonight Matthew…Muses James. "If Eurovision was an episode of Stars in Their Eyes, this is who I reckon some of tonight’s acts were trying to be 10. 21PM And. voting is now openYou can vote from your landline or by text message, via the Eurovision app or their website. Full details are here Don't forget to tell us in the comments below who's getting your vote 10. 18PM The UK's Mae Muller is pop-tastic“This year’s Eurovision started with a song about writing a song and ends with another one, like a snake wrapped around itself, or maybe a shaggy dog chasing its own tail,” says Neil. “I don’t know, my brain is turning to mush at this point. Maybe all songs will be about writing songs one day. “Brought to us by the management team behind Sam Ryder, this year’s UK entry is a sleek, efficient, charming revenge song that sounds machine built for the contemporary pop charts. Very catchy and confident, it lacks the grandstanding vocal and eccentric leftfield weirdness to triumph at Eurovision, but hopefully the feisty Muller should avoid the ignominy of nul points, and her career will be fine whatever happens. If she wins, though, I’ll eat Gustaph’s hat. ” I'm a bit more enthusiastic than Neil. The staging isn't the most dynamic we've seen, but this is a proper banger James says. "Here’s a tasty Mae Muller factoid. She’s such a fan of Tunnock’s tea cakes that she has a tattoo of one, and fans throw them at her after gigs. " Just one of the many tasty morsels in his excellent piece on Muller's song here 10. 16PM Meanwhile, backstageA dance circle has formed. Seriously, there's a whole other contest going on back there
10. 15PM Croatia criticises the Russian war“OK, this is what we come to the Eurovision for. absurdist protest punk rock seemingly performed by the cast of Monty Python in drag,” says Neil of Let 3. “It has a political message apparently, although I’m not sure what it might be. liberate your facial hair? The song is truly awful and they can’t sing to save their lives, but it’s still the most fun I’ve had all night. ” Well, in Let 3's defence, there's a clear anti-war message here. The lyrics (which. are quite something if you translate them) could certainly be interpreted as a fierce dig at Russia, in particular. The 'tractor' they reference might be read as the one that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko gifted Putin for his 70th birthday 10. 09PM Slovenia bring the indie pop“How did this lot of smiling, winking indie pop hopefuls get here? They are like an American casting director’s idea of a boy band for a college musical comedy set in Eastern Europe during the Nineties,” sighs Neil. “Having said all that, they may be the only Eurovision hopefuls in Liverpool tonight who sound like they might have actually listened to a Merseybeat record. ” 10. 05PM Israel dances up a storm“Britain’s Mae Muller might be a bit concerned about Israel’s Noa Kirel, because their songs and presentation occupy very similar territories,” says Neil. “Both are slick, modern, formulaic yet sassy pop bangers with some hip-hop swagger in the central section, sung with power and conviction by attractive, confident young women “There’s not much to separate them until the ending, where Noa has tacked on a completely arbitrary but eye-popping sexy dance routine. I don’t know what any of this has got to do with unicorns (a random buzz word for their generation), but Noa could be a dark horse. ” 10. 01PM Lithuania is just. nice“It’s a tough gig following a heavy metal monster dressed like a fallen angel with a sweet folk pop song delivered with cheery sincerity by a smiling young woman in a plain frock. But that’s the luck of the Eurovision draw,” notes Neil. “‘Stay,’ trilled Monika Linkytė. ‘Go,’ thought the unimpressed critic. ” 9. 55PM Charles III asks Germany for fashion tips“There is something heartening about the way heavy metal has embraced Eurovision and vice versa, shamelessly embracing the pantomime elements inherent in both,” observes Neil. “Lord of the Lost mix up glam rock with industrial metal with some style. Satan gets a mention, which may be a Eurovision first. ” Says Norton. "The song is called Blood and Glitter - two things that are very difficult to get out of the carpet. " He also reveals that when Charles III visited Germany, he met the band and asked them where they got their outfits from. "It might have been a very different coronation. " 9. 53PM Just six more to goHang in there 9. 52PM Norway channels Penny Mordaunt“This is basically the musical equivalent of Penny Mordaunt’s role at Westminster Abbey during the coronation, except it ends with the sword bearer seizing the crown and delivering a robust song-and-dance routine to a techno opera that sounds like Muse doing Wagner,” exclaims Neil. “I mean, if there is ever a time and a place for such a thing, Eurovision is surely it. ” Definitely a touch of the musical Six in this styling too 9. 49PM Could Ukraine win again?Neil says of double act TVORCHI. “Shifting in a very different direction from 2022’s winning patriotic folk rap by Kalush Orchestra, this year’s Ukrainian entry seems designed to present an image of the beleaguered nation as sophisticated, modern and multicultural. A suave black and white male electropop duo singing (mainly in English) about soulful defiance amidst huge slabs of synth and dramatic echoing drums. “It’s a strong contender, and with a bit of a boost from the sympathy vote, I wouldn’t bet against Ukraine doing it again, and giving the Eurovision another organisational nightmare. Good luck keeping Zelensky away next year if they do pull it off. ” 9. 44PM Folk-electronica - and bad flute miming - from Moldova“Another one of those Eurovision entries that makes it look like someone tried to graft a folk song onto an electronic dance track and then gave it to a circus troupe to see if they could spice the performance up a bit,” says Neil of Pasha Parfeni “There’s plenty going on, with the backing vocalists sporting haircuts that could be used as lethal weapons, bearded wild men bashing tribal drums, and a vertically challenged person badly miming a flute, but I still kept expecting to see a magician make an entrance partway through and saw the frontman into two halves whilst he kept singing. ”
9. 40PM Tim shares his winner predictionsFrancis catches up with Tim backstage to get his thoughts
9. 39PM Armenia tries a bit of everythingSays Neil of Brunette's Future Lover. “You can sort of understand how these bizarre mish-mash songs come together, with teams of writers trying to tick multiple Eurovision boxes. Sensitive piano ballad? Check. Bombastic Euro hip-hop section? Check. Random sexy dance? Check. Anthemic pop singalong coda? Check. It is to Brunette’s credit that she sort of carries it off. But Pink Floyd want their lava lamp back. ” Brunette is also somewhat upstaged by the preceding segment, in which Giedroyc pays tribute to Poland's infamous sexy milkmaids. Is this the natural endpoint of those years of Bake Off innuendo? James says. "Mel Giedroyc’s milkmaid was perhaps the most jaw-dropping performance of the evening so far. I’m slightly speechless. "
9. 31PM Belgium is at the D-I-S-C-O“There’s a cheerful 90s club vibe to this electro-disco banger that reminds me of the cartoon dance pop of S-Express,” muses Neil. “Gustaph is an engaging performer. part Boy George, part Mick Hucknall and part Sylvester with a weaponised falsetto and the best trouser and hat combo we’ve seen all night. ” 9. 27PM Australia rock a keytar“Ah, Australia, that well-known island just off the coast of southern Europe,” chuckles Neil. “Voyager look like a blokey showband from a small outback town who’ve been allowed to have a rummage around Duran Duran’s old wardrobe to find some stage clothes “But their mad mash-up of 80s synth pop, 00s pop rock and heavy metal has a certain something – maybe the fact that nobody else has ever thought to cross Flock of Seagulls, Maroon 5 and Metallica. I loved it when the dude with half a mullet and Magnum moustache got his keytar out. Voyager get my vote. ” 9. 23PM Feminist messaging from CzechiaNeil says of Vesna and My Sister's Crown. “Eurovision’s answer to Pussyriot, chanting ‘We are not your dolls’ and giving everyone the scary eyes. This kind of eccentric and bombastic techno chant is a bit of a self-contained Eurovision genre, spiced up with a sinister streak and a heavy hint of right-on feminist violence. I wouldn’t like to be the one to tell them they’ve scored nul points. ” 9. 21PM It's going down well backstage tooFrancis has a sneak peek
9. 20PM Finland steals the show“Amongst the more bizarre entries, this Finnish drinking song sounds like someone knocked down the walls between a rowdy Bierkeller and a transgressive German nightclub, mixing industrial metal and aggressive house with a cheery singalong chorus,” observes Neil of Cha Cha Cha “Dressed in what looks like a homemade S&M outfit of leather and inflatable green rubber rings, tuneless rapper Käärijä shouts spectacularly dumb lyrics about the joys of getting blind blitheringly drunk. Which, of course, is the best way to watch Eurovision. ” 9. 16PM Will anyone remember Estonia?“Like the Italian entry, this is a perfectly fine ballad sung with some emotional conviction,” says Neil of Alika. “She has a bit of Lady Gaga oomph about her voice, but I’m not convinced the song or presentation has the extra spark required of a Eurovision winner. And Sparky wants his magic piano back now. ” 9. 12PM Italy brings quality angst“Pleasant ballad, sung with some emotion,” sums up Neil of Italy's Marco Mengoni. “My mum’s been wondering where her lampshade got to. ” Norton nails this one. “He’s dressed like the wife of a mayor at a dinner dance. And at the back there’s a children’s soft play area. ” At least Francis is enjoying himself
9. 07PM Meet Albania's Von Trapps“Albina Kelmendi is clearly a vocal powerhouse, and this blend of folk melody and electronic beats is genuinely rousing. I realise the clue is in the band name, but as a frontwoman Albina is so glamorous it is slightly disconcerting every time the camera cuts to her mum and dad, who look like they’ve invaded the stage to cheer her on from the chorus line. ” Norton quips. "If they don't do well, there'll be such an atmosphere in the car on the way home. " 9. 06PM The kids are alrightFollowing a brief segment about the youngsters' version of the song contest, James has this to say. "Junior Eurovision looks like a mixture of a karaoke session at a particularly raucous kids’ party and Minipops, the Eighties TV show in which children sang then-contemporary pop hits (am I showing my age here?). "I wonder if there’s a football academy-type set-up here, where a country’s young representatives are fast-tracked into the grown-up Eurovision if they do particularly well. I had no idea a junior version existed. Apparently it's been going for 20 years. I wonder if there’s a senior one too for superannuated singers? It would only be fair. "
9. 01PM Is France a dark horse?Francis thinks so
9. 01PM Sweden cements favourite status“Loreen has been such a bookies’ favourite for so long, it would be weirdly anticlimactic if she were to actually win,” notes Neil. “Tattoo builds quickly from soft electro ballad into a dramatic belter with a cute “you-hoo-hoo” hook and sky-high chorus “It’s simple and direct, starkly but artfully staged – albeit I kept worrying she was going to get crushed to death by that lighting rig. The histrionic vocal is as fiercely catchy as Sam Ryder’s Space Man. She’s probably still the one to beat. ” You can read our interview with Loreen here 8. 57PM Extraordinary singing from Spain“Latino superstar Rosalia has made electro flamenco a very contemporary pop trend, so this quite bold and stripped-back offering from Blanca Paloma sounds right up to date and really shines a light on some extraordinary singing,” praises Neil “EAEA was composed when the songwriters only drew vowels during a game of Scrabble. That’s a little-known fact that I just made up. ” 8. 51PM Cyprus has big notes (and even bigger arms)“There are some big vocal notes to rival Sam Ryder in this dramatic ballad (although a lot of them are on a pre-recorded backing track, which might be cheating). Simple, stark and powerful - and I’m not just talking about his biceps,” says an admiring Neil “Andrew Lambrou is an Australian singing a song written by a Danish and Swedish production team, so I’m not even sure how this qualifies as a Cypriot entry. I wonder if Jackie Charlton was involved (little Irish football team joke, there). ”
8. 46PM Rap recap"All killer, no filler / Big up King Charles and Queen Camilla. " Yes, Alesha Dixon is having another crack at rapping as she introduces a look back at this week's semi-finals 8. 45PM France supplies magnifique nostalgia“In its sensual, dramatic opening bars, it appears France have gone full Edith Piaf, with a cabaret chanteuse in a cocked hat stirringly recounting how she hurts everywhere. in her heart, eyes, hands and, er, kidneys (which, to be fair, sounds much better in French),” notes Neil. “Then the beat kicks in and it transforms into an enchantingly old-school slice of Eurodisco with swirling strings. A bit of a nostalgic throwback – but then so is much of today’s hit music. ” 8. 43PM Serbia goes for gloomy“Imagine Robert Smith and Gary Numan colliding in the Batcave disco in 1984,” sums up Neil. “The dystopian staging of Luke Black’s wonky electro-goth drone is impressive, but his voice has all the projection of a timid New Romantic whispering to his reflection in a mirror. The end of the world couldn’t come quickly enough. ” 8. 37PM Poland brings the hen party“I see the sexy Bucks Fizz dress swipe move remains a Eurovision staple. It worked in 1981, could it still work 32 years later?” wonders Neil. “Blanka is styled like Dua Lipa and has some of the British dance pop superstar’s perfectly drilled strut but little of her poised vocal control, while the bom-bom / bom-bom beat (don’t want to get too technical here) sounds more high street hen party than mirrorballs at Studio 54. ” 8. 35PM Worrying news from UkraineReports on the ground in Ukraine. "As soon as the Eurovision Song Contest final began, an air raid alarm sounded in Kyiv. Five minutes later, the siren was heard in Odesa. People are leaving places, pubs and restaurants. Unknown air targets are spotted over Vinnytsia region. " 8. 33PM Switzerland begins the anti-war commentary“The first mention of war in what has been threatened to be the most political Eurovision comes in a song from perennial neutrals Switzerland,” says Neil. “Remo Forrer has a very contemporary voice, with bluesy low notes and a big booming baritone when he lets rip that belies his fresh-faced youth “The way the piano ballad turns into a thick mid-tempo pop anthem is a very effective modern trope. You could imagine Rag’n’Bone Man making a monster meal of this. Maybe a few facial tattoos and a beard would help, but it is a simple, heartfelt performance of a strong if slightly clichéd song. ” 8. 29PM Portugal bring the cheese“After all my hopeful pre-show guff about how the Eurovision has become a credible platform for contemporary pop, Mimicat comes on like a throwback to the Boom-Bang-A-Bang era, with a slice of cheesy Latin quasi-flamenco pop that would have sounded dated when Portugal made its Eurovision debut in 1964,” sighs Neil. “All the sophistication of a hotel showband at a package holiday in exotic Blackpool. ” 8. 24PM Up first. it's Austria“Austrian duo Teya and Selena offer a very meta start to Eurovision. a song about songwriting written especially for Eurovision by two former Eurovision hopefuls at a songwriting camp,” observes Neil “Turns out the Edgar in the title is the ghostly spirit of the author of the Pit & the Pendulum, not the former leader of 70s blues rockers the Edgar Broughton Band. Nor are they chanting “Po-Po-Po-Po-Po-Po” in honour of their favourite Teletubby, which is a disappointment. Shakespeare gets a look in too, with some quasi-operatic singing to maintain a flavour of high culture over a very low culture beat. Quoth the Raven. ‘Nevermore. ’” James adds. “It was quite bold of a music competition to have a sly dig at the streaming giants (take note, Spotify) in the opening act. Austrian duo Teya and Selena’s Who The Hell is Edgar? makes reference to the average 0. 003p that musicians are paid every time a song is streamed. (“Zero, dot, zero, zero, three/ At least it pays to be funny/ Ugh,” it goes. ) Ouch. It’s such a catchy tune, mind. Am sure the money’s rolling in. ” 8. 21PM The presenters have landedNorton sprinted down from the commentary box to join Alesha Dixon, Julia Sanina and Hannah Waddingham. Not sure about Sanina's mix of Disney wicked queen silhouette and in custard yellow, but Waddingham adds another winner to her week of fabulous frocks. She looks like a very sexy Quality Street They bring us breaking news that Luxembourg are rejoining the contest next year, in case you were worried about that. Also, Waddingham is speaking French, a skill which has her fans all a-flutter 8. 11PM Don't rain on my paradeWe begin with the flag parade, soundtracked by some past Ukrainian Eurovision entrants - and by commentator Mel Giedroyc, taking the baton from Norton. Or, as she puts it, grasping the Penny Mordaunt sword James comments. "Strong opening there. Not only last year’s winners Kalush Orchestra giving it some with a massive production and dozens of dancers, but Graham Norton coming out with a contender for joke of the night. As Sam Ryder played guitar on the roof of the Liver Building, Norton quipped. 'Brian May will be livid. ' Douze points, Graham, douze points. " Francis also approves
8. 06PM The Princess of Wales makes a cameoThe grand final is officially under way - and Graham Norton's soothing tones welcome us to Liverpool. Our first performance is from Kalush Orchestra, Ukraine's winning entry last year, reprising their song Stefania But wait. This opening pre-recorded segment also features some British guest stars. Andrew Lloyd Webber, Joss Stone, rapper Ms Banks, and the Princess of Wales looking very glam in a blue gown and sat at a grand piano. Read more about the royal cameo here Neil says. "Blimey, not even 2 minutes into this and we've had the Princess of Wales playing piano with last year's Ukrainian winners Kalush Orchestra. Good luck to whoever wins, cos I think I can already picture tomorrow's front pages. Upstaged by royalty. Welcome to Britain, Eurovision. "
7. 56PM Francis has some final tipsHe's in the Eurovision press room
7. 55PM This is your five-minute warningFlags, snacks and drinks at the ready
7. 53PM Any room at the inn?“There has been a bit of confusion over whether there are any empty hotel rooms left in Liverpool this weekend,” says James. “Having been in the city last weekend, this is my anecdotal take on things. It seems that many hotels sold out following the announcement that Liverpool would host Eurovision (some rooms even got snapped up before this as avid fans booked rooms in all the competing cities – and then cancelled in all of them but Liverpool). “However, rooms were freed up when people couldn’t get tickets for the Grand Final and opted not to go. Sadly, rail strikes today and yesterday are likely to mean that lots of the available rooms will remain empty. So there is room at the inn. If only you could get there…” 7. 45PM Liverpool is championing Britain's musical stars“Liverpool’s music scene has been buzzing all week,” notes James. “As well as the Eurovision semi-finals, there have been a series of concerts at local venues including the world-famous Cavern Club by local heroes such as The Coral, Miles Kane and the Lightning Seeds “Lesser-known bands have played too. The gigs have been put on by the Music Venue Trust (MVT) and the National Lottery as a ‘celebration of Liverpool’s musical history’ and a means of giving the ‘next wave’ of talent a platform, says Mark Davyd, the chief executive of MVT. It’s easy to dismiss Eurovision as a naff kitsch-fest (well, it is) but initiatives like this give it a wider musical resonance and should be welcomed. “The city has also hosted the ‘Rave UKraine’ club night, which saw Hot Chip perform. The fringes of Eurovision seem to have become a bit of a magnet for successful artists this year. Perhaps it should toy with a new slogan. Eurovision. credible outside, cheesy middle. ” 7. 41PM Terry Wogan fell out of love with EurovisionThe Irish presenter came to define the song contest thanks to his wry commentary. But it was something of a poisoned chalice, as Charlotte Runcie explains in this fascinating piece. And was Wogan the reason that the UK stopped trying? Meanwhile, pop star Mika has fully embraced the contest. He tells Neil that “it’s not just an entertainment show, it is an exercise in universality. ” Read more about that, and his thoughts on the UK’s Mae Muller, here 7. 33PM Francis is locating his inner dancing queenWell, maybe
7. 31PM Which country tops the phone stats?“I asked my friends at EE to analyse their mobile network usage in Liverpool this week so we could see who’s up there,” says James. “This is what they found
7. 26PM Could we see a surprise winner?Our man on the ground, Tim Stanley, has the inside scoop. “By midnight, I will have watched the final three times (twice in rehearsal) and my feeling is the bookies are wrong-ish. They say Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Israel and Norway are the favourites “But the Swedish song is dull and has precious little movement (she just crawls out of a box). And Ukraine, though admired for its resistance to the war, has no tune at all; it’s two blokes and some TV screens “Israel is a good bet thanks to the singer’s breakout breakdancing. Norway is a traditional rom-pa-pom Euro hit. Finland is popular though creepy (tubby fellow has women on ribbons). But I’d say keep an eye on France, which is a splendid Piaf-esque solo; Spain, which was rapturously received by the press; Austria, with its very catchy tribute to Edgar Allen Poe; and Cyprus, who pips Italy in the hunk stakes “Croatia has a Hitler-based satire song that could have been fun, but they stupidly chose not to translate it, so it just comes off as tasteless. Personally, I’d crown Switzerland because it went for an out-and-out anti-war song, but I’m a pacifist and all I’ve got is one vote “Finally, I believe the UK could appear within the top ten. It’s no classic, but it’s catchy and Mae’s performance will do us proud. It looks better on stage than it sounds on iTunes. ” 7. 22PM Eurovision is no longer a dead end“It does seem that Eurovision has lost its career death stigma,” observes Neil. “Italian rock band Maneskin broke through on the local version of X Factor in 2017, won Eurovision in 2021, scored a top five UK hit with Iggy Pop, and played London’s 20,000 capacity O2 Arena this week. “Last year’s UK entry Sam Ryder had millions of followers around the world singing cover versions on TikTok before his number two Eurovision position propelled him to become one of the breakout British stars of our times. This year’s UK entry Mae Muller has already scored a massive hit in the US, a young songwriting talent building a career in which Eurovision is a stepping stone, not the be-all and end-all. “Might it actually be that Eurovision has become…cool? (Critic quickly ducks behind sofa to escape assault by angry Mojo readers)” 7. 18PM The man behind the music“There is a serious music heavyweight behind the scenes at the contest this year,” observes James. “The BBC has appointed the music director behind Stormzy’s astonishing Glastonbury headline performance in 2019 – a man called Kojo Samuel – as the music director in charge of the interval performances in the M&S Bank Arena. “Samuel is a big deal. An arranger, composer, DJ and MD, he has also worked with Dave, Jessie Ware, Camila Cabello, Rita Ora and FLO. He knitted together grime, gospel and ballet for Stormzy’s Glasto set in quite an unforgettable way. It’ll be interesting to see what he does tonight. “And, as if Samuel’s CV wasn’t impressive enough, he hails from music royalty. his mum is PP Arnold, the former Ikette and singer of First Cut is the Deepest, and his dad is Calvin Samuel, the one-time bassist for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Sounds like things are in safe hands. ” 7. 14PM Francis welcomes us to LiverpoolThe Telegraph's Francis Dearnley is on the scene. Here's his first video update from the venue
7. 05PM Top Eurovision stats“My inbox is bulging with Eurovision stats and predictions,” says James. “But here are some insights from a digital marketing company called Evoluted that are quite fun. It has analysed six decades worth of Eurovision winners and losers as well as voting patterns. “This is what it found “So, hold on… The UK’s Mae Muller is a female solo singer who’s performing an out-and-out pop banger. Tick, tick, tick. This is looking good. But she’s singing in English. Aah. Oh well, three out of four ain’t bad. ” 6. 57PM Embrace the Eurovision madnessTim has rounded up some of the most delightfully kitsch, outlandish or plain bonkers elements to look out for - see how many you can tick off in our bingo… You can also revel in Eurovision’s most memorable fashions of all time (some for, er, interesting reasons), and cringe over the most embarrassing performances ever Hint. one of them is a painful Beyoncé knock-off, another drummed the words “I just had sex with your ex” into our brains. And then there's the “NA NA NA” guy 6. 49PM Eurovision is the new Top of the Pops“There was a time - not so long ago - when any musician with even a vague hint of credibility and half a chance of a sustained career wouldn’t touch Eurovision with a dirty bargepole,” recalls Neil McCormick. “Nor, for that matter, would dedicated music fans tune in for anything other than cheap laughs. Times (apparently) have changed (says veteran music critic settling down on the sofa armed with a score card and bottle of vino). “Is Eurovision the new annual Top of the Pops - a one-stop fix for all the family, where we can sit and argue about what constitutes ‘real music’ and ‘proper singing’ and ‘Does their mother know they’ve gone out dressed like that?’ and dad can sound off about how ‘things were better in the old days’? “The once all-important Top 40 Singles Charts have completely lost their grip on mainstream attention, becoming a baffling hodgepodge of novelty tracks and multi-artist collaborations whose chart positions are assessed by online streaming data weighted in ways incomprehensible to anyone but a trained statistician. “Perhaps we’ve been softened up by over 20 years of Saturday night TV singing competitions, but suddenly Eurovision doesn’t seem so, well, peculiar. It is a lavishly staged competitive pop marketplace that we can all easily grasp and express an opinion about. “And what even a hardened music critic can’t help but notice is that the music emerging from all corners of the continent has become rather accomplished – or certainly no odder than anything else on the airwaves. The global streaming environment has boosted local music scenes, pouring money into international record markets to develop their own artists, whilst softening up listeners to embrace sounds from different cultures. Korean, Costa Rican and Nigerian artists are scoring huge hits, so why not a troop of art punks from Croatia? “At the same time, music execs well versed in exploiting social media to promote artists across borders have twigged that the Eurovision is a ready-made international platform to put their protégés in front of tens of millions of potential fans. Today Liverpool, tomorrow the world. ” 6. 41PM Liverpool is the host with the most“Liverpool pop stars of yesteryear have been getting in on the Eurovision action in various ways,” says James Hall. “Yesterday a version of Where’s Wally featuring Nineties star Sonia took place in the city. Eurovision fans were being given the chance to win tickets for today’s final by playing… Spot Sonia. The game involved finding pictures of the UK’s 1993 Eurovision entrant hidden in secret locations around Liverpool. “In a separate stunt, Sonia (the actual one) gave a doorstep performance of her Eurovision song Better The Devil You Know to a competition winner. She did this on behalf of the Cheshire Cheese Company and winemaker Campo Viejo, who together had launched a Eurovision hamper called – wait for it – Cheddar The Devil You Know. According to the PR puff, Sonia was literally ‘delivering the cheese’. Quite. “Meanwhile, as well as performing at the big opening concert last weekend, Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton has joined forces with Deliveroo to create phonetically spelt menus so that peckish tourists can try their hand at the local lingo. The ‘Deliver-pudlian’ (geddit?) menus include things like the ‘Bar-buh-kew hah-loo-mee beh-geh’. That’s a barbecue halloumi burger, for anyone in a rush…” Here is the lovely Sonia with Sam Ryder backstage at Eurovision
6. 37PM Zelensky won’t be speakingThe contest organisers have refused a request from President Volodymr Zelensky to address the contest, stating that it would break their rules on political neutrality. But that seems rather absurd given that the whole thing would have been held in Ukraine were it not for Russia’s invasion Prime Minister Rishi Sunak even weighed in. A Downing Street spokesman said yesterday. “The values and freedoms that President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine are fighting for are not political, they’re fundamental. Eurovision themselves recognised that last year when they rightly suspended Russian participation from the competition. ” It’s all part of Europe’s identity crisis, believes Tim Stanley. “What you’re watching from the sofa on the night is the spectacle of a continent trying to make sense of itself. ” Read more of his insightful piece here Do you think Zelensky should be allowed to speak? Let us know in the comments below 6. 30PM Who’s performing tonight?Kicking off the grand final are Ukraine’s 2022 champions Kalush Orchestra. We’ll also be treated to performances from past Ukrainian contestants, including 2016 winner Jamala, during the finalists’ flag parade Sam Ryder, the UK’s 2022 runner-up, takes to the stage in the first interval, and the final interval will feature ‘The Liverpool Songbook’. six past Eurovision acts, including the city’s own Sonia (who came second at the 1993 Eurovision, 30 years ago) putting their twist on music by the likes of the Beatles We’ve also been promised a ‘mystery guest’. Could it be Sir Paul McCartney? Or another royal personage? Or might Peppa Pig return after a bewildering semi-final appearance? 6. 25PM You can win tooDo you think you’ve sussed out who will be the 2023 Eurovision champion? Then why not bet on it. You can find your favourite act’s Eurovision odds here, read our expert Eurovision tips and then take advantage of these great Eurovision betting offers and free bets 6. 20PM Saving the best for lastWell, let’s hope so - the UK is closing the show. Here is the full running order for the Eurovision grand final
6. 18PM Who’s got your vote?We want to hear from you. Are you holding a Eurovision party? If so, what are you wearing, eating and drinking - and have you tried any of Jack Rear’s Eurovision-themed recipes? Which contestant is your favourite? And were your plans disrupted by the train strikes? Let us know in the comments below… 6. 16PM Can Loreen do the double?Representing Sweden this year is Loreen, who previously won Eurovision for her country back in 2012. She was actually reluctant to return - but it seems to have paid off so far, as her eco-themed song Tattoo is among the hot favourites. But in all of Eurovision history, only one person (Ireland’s Johnny Logan) has won more than once; in fact, he triumphed on three occasions. 1980, 1987 and 1992 You can hear more about her unlikely route to Eurovision, plus her thoughts on the war in Ukraine and more, in my interview with her 6. 13PM Meet this year’s contestantsThe one thing you can always count on in Eurovision is its sheer jaw-dropping variety. Where else would you find a human centipede dance, an anti-war satirist with a Freddie Mercury moustache, Neolithic flutes, and the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe? Read Ed Power’s excellent guide to all of the 2023 Eurovision entrants here 6. 10PM How does voting work?In a change from recent years, the semi-finals were decided purely by the public vote, not juries (following some dodgy discrepancies in jury voting). As for the grand final, that’s a combination of points from each country’s individual jury and the public vote. In another innovation, it’s no longer just participating countries who can vote this year. the rest of the world can do, which means viewers from America and elsewhere have a say in who wins The ratio has also changed slightly. instead of 50-50, it’s now 50. 6 public vote versus 49. 4 juries. Unnecessarily complicated and generally unfathomable? Well, yes, that’s Eurovision. But it might give the edge to the more entertaining acts Voting opens after all of the songs have been performed in the final tonight. You can then cast a maximum of 20 votes via the Eurovision app, or by phone or text message (details will appear on the screen during the broadcast). Viewers in non-participating countries can vote via the Eurovision app or website
6. 07PM Mae Muller is flying the flag for the UKThe 25-year-old is representing us this year with the catchy revenge track I Wrote A Song. Could she match, or even surpass, our cheer-worthy second-place finish in 2022? Well, she’s got a shot. James thinks her “clever, sassy, precision-tooled banger should go down a treat” - and it doesn’t hurt that it’s very TikTok-friendly. Muller has over 550,000 followers on the video app Read more about her rise to fame and why her fans throw Tunnock’s teacakes at her in James’s brilliant piece But let’s not forget that the UK has had a decidedly chequered Eurovision history - from multiple wins down to the dreaded “nul points”. Here’s every single UK entry ranked (very amusingly) by Tristram Fane Saunders. Plus Tristram has all the info on what British Eurovision contestants did next. 6. 03PM What happened in the semi-finals?The Eurovision 2023 semi-finals were televised on the BBC on Tuesday and Thursday nights – if you missed those, you can find all the highlights in our Semi-final 1 and Semi-final 2 reviews. Warning. it includes the most ill-advised rap since Ariana DeBose at the Baftas The general consensus is that the first contest featured a stronger line-up, meaning that some nations were unlucky to be eliminated then (including poor Ireland), while others were fortunate to get through on Thursday thanks to weaker competition Altogether, 26 countries remain (out of an original 37 entries) to battle it out in the grand final. That includes the “big five” – the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – which all go through automatically as the competition’s biggest financial backers, plus the reigning champion Ukraine 5. 59PM Royal approval for the venueThis is not just Eurovision…this is M&S Eurovision. Or rather, our Liverpool venue is the M&S Bank Arena in the centre of the city. The spectacular stage design for Eurovision features a 450 square metre stage, plus hundreds of LED lights, floor tiles and giant rotating screens The stage had its official inauguration on 26 April, with Charles III and Queen Camilla pressing a button to make it light up for the first time. The royal couple were also given a behind-the-scenes tour – and later made a surprise appearance in a pre-recorded introductory segment at the start of Tuesday’s semi-final 5. 55PM The UK is hosting for UkraineSince Kalush Orchestra won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, Ukraine would ordinarily be hosting this year, but is unable to because of Russia’s invasion creating security concerns. So, the UK – runners-up thanks to Sam Ryder – is hosting on Ukraine’s behalf. Although the contest, as always, is avoiding any overt political statements, the theme seems pretty pointed. “United by Music” The presenting team for the semi-finals and final consists of two Brits, singer Alesha Dixon and actress (and Ted Lasso star) Hannah Waddington, plus Ukrainian rocker Julia Sanina. Graham Norton, beloved for his snarky Eurovision commentary in previous years, joins them for this grand final, along with Mel Giedroyc As for who has the honour of announcing the UK’s jury vote results, that falls to comedian and actress Catherine Tate. Is she bovvered? Let’s hope so. You can find more info on the hosts, voting and more in our handy Eurovision guide 5. 46PM Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome…to the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. It’s the 67th edition of the competition and this year, of course, it’s coming to us from the UK – more specifically from lovely Liverpool. This is the first time that the UK is hosting since 1998 We’ll be bringing you live reactions to every thunderous ballad, quirky concept, eye-watering costume, and the tense business of voting for this year’s champion. Alongside me (Marianka Swain) are Telegraph music critics Neil McCormick and James Hall, casting an expert eye over all the entries, plus Tim Stanley and Francis Dearnley will be giving us some sneak peeks from Liverpool – where fans are already gathering How many points can you win in Eurovision?The audience in each participating country will award a total of 58 points (1 – 8, 10 and 12). 37 countries x 58 points = 2,146 points from the from the national audiences of the participating countries. The audience voting online from non-participating countries will also award a total of 58 points (1 – 8, 10 and 12).
Who came 2nd in Eurovision 2023?Sweden took the top spot at Eurovision 2023 with Finland in second. Saturday night saw the Grand Final of Eurovision 2023 take place in Liverpool.
How many points did Ukraine get in Eurovision 2023?Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023
In total, Ukraine's representatives received 243 points . 54 from the jury and 189 from the audience. According to the voting results, this year Ukraine entered the top ten and took 6th place.
Who is the bookies favourite to win Eurovision 2023?Bookmakers have predicted Sweden |
