More than 180 million people watched Eurovision – and UK recorded biggest audience in years

Published

3 years ago

June 1, 2021

admin

More than 180 million people watched the final of the Eurovision Song Contest last month, as the competition continued to dominate viewing figures in the UK.

Some 183 million people in 36 countries watched Maneskin take the trophy for Italy, increasing its audience share by 4% on the previous contest in 2019, according to Eurovision organisers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

In the UK, 7.4 million people tuned into BBC One to watch the show – the highest British audience since 2014 – an audience share of 48.5%.

Despite the rise in viewing figures, British hopeful James Newman scored the dreaded nil points with his self-proclaimed “banger”, Embers.

Young people also tuned in to the contest in their droves, with 52.8% of 15 to 24-year-olds watching in the countries where it is shown, the EBU said.

The BBC has faced calls to stop broadcasting the show in the future, with continued accusations that its “political” nature means the UK fails to top the leader board.

Responding to the nay-sayers, the BBC said: “The accusation that the contest’s voting is ‘political’ is nothing new. The EBU is strongly committed to secure the fairness of the Eurovision Song Contest and has implemented a wide range of measures to ensure this.

“Ever since the Eurovision Song Contest first burst on to our television screens in 1956, the competition has continued to be staple springtime viewing for BBC audiences.

“Eurovision is the most watched, live non-sporting event in the world and the 2021 Contest provided BBC viewers with over eight hours of content in three shows.

“The Grand Final on BBC One attracted an average of 7.4 million viewers. It is extremely cost effective for a popular prime time entertainment programme.”

The UK is one of the most successful countries in the contest’s history, winning five times, and last topping the vote in 1997 with Katrina And The Wave and Love Shine A Light.

Elsewhere, around 150,000 Icelanders watched the show – equating to an amazing 99.9% of the country’s TV viewership.

Iceland’s Dadi Freyr, who was a hot favourite for the contest, came fourth with his track 10 Years, with his rehearsal performance being shown after one of the Icelandic delegation tested positive for COVID-19.

Curiosity in Iceland’s participation in the competition piqued last year, when it was the focus of Will Ferrell’s Netflix film Eurovision: The Story Of Fire Saga.

Entertainment

Drake: Shooting at rapper’s mansion leaves security guard seriously injured

Published

3 hours ago

May 7, 2024

admin

Drake: Shooting at rapper's mansion leaves security guard seriously injured

Police are investigating a shooting at the Toronto mansion of Canadian rapper Drake.

A security guard, who had been standing outside the gates of the property, was taken to hospital after being seriously injured in the attack.

The shooting happened early on Tuesday morning, soon after 2am local time (7am UK time) near Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue in the affluent Bridle Path neighbourhood.

A suspect fled the scene in a vehicle, police said in a post on X.

A representative for the Toronto-born five-time Grammy award winner said Drake was not injured, Sky’s partner network NBC News reported.

Police said they could not confirm if Drake was at home at the time of the incident.

But they were “in contact with his team and they are cooperating”, Inspector Paul Krawczyk said.

Police said they were investigating the incident and had not yet established a motive.

Canadian broadcaster CBC reported a police source as saying the guard appeared to have been shot in a drive-by attack.

It added that according to the initial report, the man suffered a gunshot wound to the upper chest and was unconscious when officers arrived.

The victim then underwent surgery in hospital, CBC added.

Drake, 37, is currently embroiled in a high-profile feud with US rapper Kendrick Lamar.

They have both released new diss tracks as the feud between them intensifies with brutal verses dragging in their families.

Drake and 36-year-old Lamar – whose fourth album won a Pulitzer Prize – have for years been exchanging thinly veiled barbs.

But the flurry of diss tracks shows how their animosity has become more personal and a lot less subtle.

Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, is one of the world’s biggest-selling musicians.

He has had 13 number one tracks in the US, including God’s Plan, Work featuring Rihanna, and One Dance with WizKid and Kyla.

The Hotline Bling performer is Spotify’s most streamed male artist of all time.

Entertainment

Friends creators reveal final episode scripts were leaked by an insider in 2004

Published

3 hours ago

May 7, 2024

admin

Friends creators reveal final episode scripts were leaked by an insider in 2004

The creators of Friends have revealed that parts of the script for the final episode were leaked by an insider ahead of the show airing.

Simply titled The Last One, millions tuned in as the episode brought the hit comedy to a close 20 years ago, on 6 May 2004, finally resolving the decade-long “will they, won’t they?” romance between Ross and Rachel.

It was the end of an era for its stars – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer – and fans around the world.

Looking back at the final shows in an interview with NBC’s Today show in the US, Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane revealed details of the leak.

“Oh my god, we tried so hard to keep it a secret!” Kauffman said. “We were desperate to keep it a secret and it got out. And it was an inside job.”

Scripts sent out ahead of the premiere of the final episode were numbered, Crane explained.

“We knew how many people knew what it was going to be,” he said. “So it did, through an element of… it became a behind-the-scenes detective show.

“It was frustrating, but at the end of the day, what are you gonna do?”

Part of the script that leaked included the details of Ross and Rachel finally getting back together, Kauffman said.

But when asked if the mystery of who released the information was solved, she replied with a smile: “Ish.”

“Ish,” Crane repeated.

After 10 series and 236 episodes, as well as Ross and Rachel’s reunion, the final instalment saw Monica and Chandler leaving their famous Manhattan apartment and moving to the suburbs as new parents to adopted twins.

Perry, who died last year, aged 54, wrote about the finale in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing.

“Before that final episode, I’d taken Marta Kauffman to one side,” he wrote. “‘Nobody else will care about this except me’, I said. ‘So may I please have the last line?'”

His character Chandler did indeed have the last line. As the Friends decide to go for one last coffee before the move, he simply asks, “Where?”, in a trademark sarcastic but poignant joke about the fact that so much of their time on screen has been spent in the Central Perk coffee shop.

“It’s incredibly poignant. It’s a legacy for him, one of his many legacies,” Kauffman said.

Friends has found a new generation of fans in recent years after being picked up by streaming sites.

Earlier this year, two scripts for The One With Ross’s Wedding, season four’s famous two-part finale filmed in London, sold at auction for £22,000 after being found in a bin.

Entertainment

Travis Scott to play Manchester’s beleaguered Co-op Live venue in the summer

Published

6 hours ago

May 7, 2024

admin

Travis Scott to play Manchester's beleaguered Co-op Live venue in the summer

Travis Scott has announced a gig at the beleaguered Co-op Live music venue, despite ongoing issues which have led to its opening being postponed.

The US rapper will bring his Circus Maximus Tour to the arena in Manchester on 13 July – one of 12 new UK and European dates announced on Tuesday.

It comes amid problems which have pushed back the opening of the £365m Co-op Live venue.

The arena was scheduled to launch with shows by comedian Peter Kay in April – but these were postponed due to power testing falling behind schedule, bosses said.

Gigs by artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Keane and Take That have also been affected.

The new music venue – which is set to become the largest in the UK when it does open, seating 23,500 people – has said it will now open on 14 May, when British rock band Elbow are scheduled to perform.

Last week, the venue said it would be taking “a short pause to events… to fully ensure the safety and security of fans and artists visiting the venue”.

American rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie had been cancelled at the last minute the previous day, due to a “technical issue” during a soundcheck.

Tim Leiweke, chairman and chief executive of US-based venue operator Oak View Group, apologised for the delays and to “all those that have been affected” and said staff were working “incredibly hard” to get the building ready for 14 May.

“As many of you will know, it’s not been the smooth start we had planned for, and I know that has caused a huge amount of disruption and frustration to thousands of people,” he said.

The issues began following a test event in April which led to Co-op Live announcing it would have to reschedule Kay’s stand-up shows. These were first moved to later dates in April before a second rescheduling to 23 and 24 May.

A gig by The Black Keys has also been moved to 15 May. Rodrigo’s 3 and 4 May dates were postponed, while A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s 1 May performance took place three days later, having moved to the city’s AO Arena.

On 2 May, a Keane gig scheduled for 5 May was postponed, while several Take That concerts have also been moved to the AO.

The Eagles, Nicki Minaj, Pet Shop Boys, Liam Gallagher, Pearl Jam, The Killers and Eric Clapton are among the big-name acts scheduled to perform at the venue in the coming months, but so far only a test event by Rick Astley has gone ahead.

The arena’s general manager Gary Roden announced his resignation last month.

A Co-op Group spokesperson previously said: “Co-op is a sponsor and does not own or run the venue, and we have made it clear to Oak View Group, who are responsible for the building, that the impact on ticketholders must be addressed as a priority.

“We are pleased that they will shortly be putting plans in place to do so.”

They added that safety checks would be independently verified so Co-op members and other ticket holders “can be reassured that the venue has the very highest levels of security and safety measures”.