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Switzerland has won Eurovision, topping the leaderboard in a competition fraught with last-minute changes and backstage incidents.

Non-binary performer Nemo used their childhood opera experience to pull together an impressive performance mixing rap, rock, drum ‘n bass and classical opera, as well as balancing on a revolving disc spinning at speed as they sang.

The song – which took an early lead in the race – shares a message of self-acceptance and the freedom for each one of us to live our lives openly and without fear of judgment.

When accepting their glass trophy, Nemo said: “I hope this contest can live up to its promise, and continue to stand up for peace.” They then performed their song to wrap the show.

Croatian act Baby Lasagne (whose real name is Marko Purisic) took second place with the anarchic rock track Rim Tim Tagi Dim.

The UK’s act, Dizzy, sung by Olly Alexander came 18th out of 25, with 46 points. He performed 13th in the running order – a number considered unlucky for some, and received a crushing “Nul Points” in the public vote.

The Years And Years star gave an energetic performance surrounded by his four dancers dressed in boxing shorts, writhing around a brightly lit cube decked out like a boxing ring.

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Ireland’s act, Bambie Thug, came a sixth, with their self-named “Ouija pop” track Doomsday Blue.

Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, opened the show, speaking in a short, pre-recorded video, and wishing all the contestants luck, before Sweden’s identical twins Marcus and Martinus performed the first song.

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UK receives ‘nul points’ at Eurovision

Performers made some tentative moves towards bringing politics to the stage, with Lithuania signing off their song with the command, “Spread love to the world”, while Portugal’s act said, “Peace will prevail”.

At the end of France’s performance by Slimane, he said: “United by music, for love and peace, thank you so much.”

During an earlier performance he had cut his act short, saying: “Every artist here want to sing about love and sing about peace. We need to be united by music yes but with love for peace. United by music yes but with love for peace”.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s act Bambie Thug rounded off their performance by saying: “Love will always triumph hate.”

Pic: Reuters
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Ireland’s Bambie Thug performing Doomsday Blue. Pic: Reuters

During a cutaway of their team, which was played after all the songs had performed in a round-up of the acts sat in the ‘green room’ area onstage, there was a large soft-toy watermelon clearly in the background behind Bambie.

The fruit is widely used as a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.

Earlier this week, the 31-year-old, who is non-binary, said the EBU prevented them from displaying a pro-Palestinian message during their performance during the first semi-final.

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Israel receives mixed reaction at Eurovision

There was some audible booing when Israel’s Eden Golan performed, and more audible booing when Israel handed out their scores.

But the loudest booing of the night was reserved for the man in charge of the Eurovision Song Contest, Martin Osterdahl, who was almost drowned out by jeering from the crowd when he first spoke, and then again when he handed out the points for Netherlands.

This year’s Eurovision contest has been embroiled in controversy over the last few months, with demonstrations and calls for Israel to be banned due to their actions in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Protests have bene held in Malmo this week. Pic: TT News Agency via Reuters
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Protests in Malmo this week. Pic: TT News Agency via Reuters

On Thursday, between 10,000 and 12,000 people took part in a pro-Palestinian march through Malmo, the host city.

But on Friday, drama unfolded closer to home when Dutch act Joost – who had been among the favourites to win – was axed over allegations he made verbal threats to a female Eurovision production worker after coming off stage following the second semi-final on Thursday.

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It is the first time in Eurovision history that an act has been disqualified after reaching the grand final.

Joost Klein. Pic: AP
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Joost Klein. Pic: AP

Then on Saturday, Irish contender Bambie Thug did not take part in the final rehearsal for the show, due to “a situation” they said needed “urgent attention” from organisers.

Several presenters scheduled to award the points of their country during the programme, withdrew from the show just hours before it was due to begin, including Finnish singer Kaarij (whose song Cha Cha Cha came second in last year’s show) and Norwegian singer Alessandra Mele.

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Eurovision act suffers wardrobe malfunction

Away from the political overtones the EBU was trying so hard to avoid, Swedish supergroup Abba – the most famous band ever to come out of the contest – were shown in hologram form and performed on stage in London.

The four “Abbatars” as they’ve been dubbed sang Waterloo, accompanied from the Malmo stage by fellow former winners Conchita Wurst, Charlotte Perrelli and Carola Haggkvist.

Next year’s contest will be held in Switzerland.

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Ed Sheeran ‘helped Ipswich sign player’ before appearing on stage with Taylor Swift

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Ed Sheeran 'helped Ipswich sign player' before appearing on stage with Taylor Swift

Ed Sheeran helped Ipswich Town to sign a player over the summer just before getting on stage with Taylor Swift, according to the club’s chief executive.

Mark Ashton claims the pop star got on a video call to encourage a prospective new signing to seal his move to the East Anglia outfit.

He did not reveal the player’s name, but said he is “certainly scoring a few goals” and is a fan of Sheeran, who is a minor shareholder at his hometown club.

“Ed jumped on a Zoom call with him at the training ground, just before he stepped on stage with Taylor Swift,” Ashton told a Soccerex industry event in Miami.

“Hopefully that was a key part in getting the player across the line.”

Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran perform onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Wembley Stadium on August 15, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management )
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Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium. Pic: Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images

Sheeran and pop icon Swift were on stage together on 15 August at Wembley Stadium, one day before Sammie Szmodics signed from Blackburn.

After scoring an overhead kick in Ipswich’s 2-1 win over Tottenham this month, he shared a picture of himself with Sheeran on Instagram.

“Overhead kick, Win & a smudge with big ed. GET IN THERE,” Szmodics wrote alongside the post.

Ashton joked Sheeran is now “officially a part of our recruitment team”, adding he is a “local man” and “global superstar”.

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Sheeran has been the club’s shirt sponsor since 2021 and is regularly seen at matches at the club’s Portman Road stadium.

Ipswich host giants Manchester United on Sunday, a match that’s particularly notable for being Ruben Amorim‘s first game in charge of the Red Devils.

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Voice behind top Simpsons character quits after 35 years on hit show

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Voice behind top Simpsons character quits after 35 years on hit show

The voice actor behind Milhouse Van Houten – Bart Simpson’s very uncool friend – is stepping away after 35 years on the show.

Pamela Hayden, who also voiced Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, Janey and Malibu Stacy, will sign off from The Simpsons on 24 November in a Treehouse of Horror episode.

“It’s been an honour and a joy to have worked on such a funny, witty, and groundbreaking show,” the 70-year-old said in a statement.

Pamela Hayden. File pic: AP
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Pamela Hayden. File pic: AP

Show creator Matt Groening said: “Pamela gave us tons of laughs with Milhouse, the hapless kid with the biggest nose in Springfield.

“She made Milhouse hilarious and real, and we will miss her.”

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Milhouse first appeared in a Butterfinger commercial in 1989 and was named after former US president Richard Milhous Nixon.

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Groening said he adopted it “because that was the most unfortunate name a kid could have”.

The nearsighted character was often the butt of most jokes and bullied mercilessly by Nelson.

In one episode, Bart got Milhouse placed on the America’s Most Wanted list.

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Tulisa Contostavlos: ‘My life fell apart’ after fake sheikh set up drugs bust

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Tulisa Contostavlos: 'My life fell apart' after fake sheikh set up drugs bust

Tulisa Contostavlos has opened up about the moment she says her life “fell apart” after being “set up by a British newspaper” and charged with supplying drugs.

The N-Dubz star has been speaking about her experiences in 2013 on the reality show, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!

The charges against the singer were later dismissed after prosecution witness “fake sheikh” journalist Mazher Mahmood was found to have tampered with evidence during her 2014 trial.

“2013 was the year I was set up by a British newspaper, for concern in the selling of class A drugs,” she told fellow campmate Oti Mabuse.

“The guy’s name was Mahmood and basically, I was approached by a big movie company and they sent me a tweet or a DM from their official account to audition me for a movie role… I’d dabbled in acting, so this opportunity for me was huge.”

Contostavlos, 36, said the role was offering £3.5m and she was flown out for meetings with producers in Las Vegas but told former Strictly Come Dancing star Mabuse “it was a lie”.

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She claimed the team behind the movie encouraged her to take on a real-life role of a “bad girl from London who was constantly up to naughtiness, rolling with gangs, up to all kinds of naughty stuff”.

Contostavlos said “they had me dangling on the end of a string”, claiming every time she met with the team they would tell her “we need some drugs”.

“After months and months, eventually they got a number and it was of someone that wasn’t even a drug dealer, it was an aspiring movie producer and I wanted to make a hook up as well for that person, but I didn’t know anyone that could do that,” she said.

“The long story short is they ended up ordering £800 worth of cocaine from the number that I had given them.

“Then before I knew it, I was being arrested in the concern of the selling of Class A drugs and I was facing four years in prison.”

Contostavlos revealed she lost “all my endorsements” over the incident and “my life fell apart”, she said.

“When it came to the trial, I’d had a conversation with one of their drivers, I was being recorded but I didn’t know, I was saying how anti-drugs I am, so they were very aware of my feelings towards drugs.”

Contostavlos said the driver initially gave a statement confirming she was anti-drugs, however she claimed that as the trial loomed the journalist forced him to change his statement.

In 2016, Mahmood was jailed for 15 months after being found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice relating to his actions in Tulisa Contostavlos’s court case.

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