Sweden’s Loreen wins Eurovision Song Contest as Russian missiles hit home town of Ukraine’s contestants
Sweden has won this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, with singer Loreen making history as the first woman to win more than once after first taking the crown back in 2012.
The 39-year-old’s win for dance-pop anthem Tattoo also means Sweden has drawn level with Ireland for the country with the most Eurovision wins – seven apiece.
Finland’s Kaarija sings Cha Cha Cha
Finland were the runners up with quirky singer Kaarija’s hyper-pop-rap tune Cha Cha Cha.
The 29-year-old Finn had been a popular act in the build up to the grand final, arriving in his own customised sauna van and posing up a storm on the red carpet in his trademark neon green sleeves-only puffer jacket and bowl haircut.
Israel’s entry, sung by Noa Kirel and which featured the most energetic dance routine of the night, came third.
UK’s act, Mae Muller, who sang I Wrote A Song, came a disappointing second to last in the competition.
It will be a blow to the 25-year-old from north London, who had been widely tipped to make it into the top 10 with her catchy pop track, especially after the UK’s success in the contest last year.
While Ukrainian duo Tvorchi sang their entry, Heart Of Steel, their university home town Ternopil came under fire from Russian missiles.
Their entry came sixth on the leaderboard.
Ukraine’s Tvorchi sang Heart Of Steel
The night also had a surprise up its sleeve, with the Princess of Wales giving a pre-recorded piano performance in the opening of the show.
Other guest appearances in the show included last year’s Eurovision runner-up Sam Ryder performing Mountain with Queen legend Roger Taylor accompanying him on the drums, Liverpool songstress Sonia and Abba’s Bjorn Ulvaeus giving advice to future Eurovision winners.
And of course, Eurovision isn’t just about winning, it’s about something much bigger. This year more than ever, the contest was proof of music’s power to unite.
Mae Muller sang I Wrote A Song
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Ukraine’s Tvorchi on Eurovision, the war, and their message for Russia
The first time two countries have jointly hosted Eurovision, Liverpool put on the event on behalf of Ukraine, because the war-torn nation was unable to do so.
Eleven Ukrainian artists performed in the ceremony itself, with Ukrainian motifs and the Ukrainian identity playing a central role throughout the night.
However, there was controversy ahead of the competition, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was banned from making an address at the grand final.
Last year’s UK entry, Sam Ryder performed
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) decision to ban his appearance “disappointing“.
The EBU, a group of national public broadcasters that produce Eurovision, said they feared his message would “politicise” the contest.
Despite the ban, inevitably Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was referenced by other performers during the night.
Kalush Orchestra performing Voices Of A New Generation
Croatia’s Let 3 singing anti-war song Mama SC!
Nods to the ongoing war included the Ukrainian act Tvorchi whose song Heart Of Steel was inspired by the siege of Mariupol, Croatia’s Let 3 who performed anti-war song Mama SC! in front of giant nuclear warheads and Czechia’s Vesna singing part of their song My Sister’s Crown in Ukrainian.
A powerful opening performance by Kalush Orchestra performing Voices Of A New Generation followed by their winning hit Stefania – a song that has become an unofficial anthem for Ukraine since the start of the war – also bought a sharp focus to the night’s proceedings.
In more light-hearted fare, Eurovision’s love of novelty acts shone through with some real corkers on offer this year.
Austria’s Teya & Salena singing Who The Hell Is Edgar?
Australia’s Voyager rocking out as he sings Promise
One of the most talked about acts of the night – Austria’s We Need To Talk About Edgar Allen Poe – opened the competition, with singers Teya and Salena channelling the ghost of the literary great to take a swipe at music streamers.
And while not all of the wackier performances saw their ingenuity rewarded on the leaderboard, acts that particularly got the auditorium buzzing included Germany’s pop-metal act Lord Of The Lost singing Blood And Glitter; Australia’s Voyager belting out Promise while rocking out on the bonnet of a vintage Toyota MR2 and Croatia’s Let 3 stripping off to their pants and vests mid-way through Mama SC!
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While it may all be over for another year, fans of the world’s most-watched live non-sporting event will already be getting excited over next year’s performance in Sweden.
Pros in the field of putting on a Eurovision grand final – it will be the country’s third time on hosting duty in the last 12 years.
But many will surely be wondering if the shadow of the war in Ukraine will still hang so heavy over the show this time next year.
Gary Glitter will stay in prison after the Parole Board refused the disgraced singer’s bid to be released.
Glitter, 81, was recalled to jail less than six weeks after he was released halfway through his 16-year sentence in 2023 for breaching his licence conditions by allegedly viewing downloaded images of children.
He was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment in 2015 after being found guilty of sexually assaulting three schoolgirls between 1975 and 1980.
The Parole Board last year said it was “not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public” after a hearing held behind closed doors.
Glitter was jailed in 2015 Pic: PA
A spokesman on Tuesday said his release was refused again following a “paper review”.
“Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community,” a statement said.
“A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.
“Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.”
Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, will be eligible for a further review at a date set by the Ministry of Justice. His sentence expires in February 2031.
He was made bankrupt earlier this year after failing to pay more than £500,000 in damages to a woman who sued him for abusing her when she was 12 years old.
Richard Scorer, head of abuse law and public inquiries at Slater and Gordon, who represented the woman, told Sky News the Parole Board has made “the right decision”.
He added: “My client is relieved at this ruling but apprehensive about having to go through the merry-go-round of Gadd coming up for parole again, and the fear of him being let out on licence.
“This is unfair on victims and it would be better if they were assured that he would serve the rest of his sentence.”
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Glitter was first jailed for four months in 1999 after he admitted possessing around 4,000 indecent images of children.
He was expelled from Cambodia in 2002, and in March 2006 was convicted of sexually abusing two girls, aged 10 and 11, in Vietnam, where he spent two-and-a-half years in prison.
Glitter was automatically released from HMP The Verne, a low-security prison in Portland, Dorset, in February 2023 after serving half of his fixed-term determinate sentence.
But he was back behind bars weeks later after reportedly trying to access the dark web and images of children.
Kim Woodburn – a former cleaner who found fame presenting the hit TV show How Clean Is Your House? – has died.
Woodburn, who was 83, later became a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, finishing as runner-up.
Woodburn came third in Celebrity Big Brother 2017. Pic: PA
Her manager said in a statement: “It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved Kim Woodburn passed away yesterday following a short illness.
“Kim was an incredibly kind, caring, charismatic and strong person.
“Her husband, Peter, is heartbroken at the loss of his soulmate.
“We are so proud of the amazing things Kim achieved in her life and career.
“We kindly ask that Kim’s husband and close friends are given the time and privacy they need to grieve.
“We will not be releasing any further details.”
Woodburn with Aggie MacKenzie (L). Pic: PA
On Tuesday, her husband shared a video montage of photos of Woodburn over the years, starting when she was just four years old, with the message: “My wonderful, beautiful, Kim passed away last night. God bless, my love, xx xx”
Known for her trademark tight, plaited bun, Kim was largely blind in her right eye, and had poor sight in her left eye, and earlier this year had told her followers she was undergoing emergency eye surgery.
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Woodburn, who had been selling video greetings to fans, shared her last Instagram post in February, when she posted a message saying “Kim is unable to record any further videos for the foreseeable future due to a health problem”.
She wrote: “No more videos for now, my loves, I need to get better!”
Woodburn, born Patricia Mary in Hampshire, left a turbulent home life aged 16, moving to Liverpool to become a live-in cleaner.
She revealed in her 2006 autobiography that, at the age of 23, she prematurely gave birth to a stillborn son and buried him in a park.
The revelation in her book led to a police inquiry, but no action was taken by officers.
In the same year as the stillbirth, she changed her name to Kim – after American actress Kim Novak.
Years later, she was scouted by a TV company looking for a cleaner with an engaging personality to front How Clean is Your House?
Paired with Scottish cleaner Aggie MacKenzie, the two professional cleaners fronted the show – a ratings hit and a pioneer for the home cleaning genre – from 2003 to 2009.
Woodburn went on to appear in Celebrity Big Brother, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of here! and E4’s Celebrity Cooking School, as well as regularly contributing to ITV’s This Morning and Loose Women.
She also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, Celebrity Come Dine With Me and A Place In The Sun.
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