The hosts of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, which takes place in Liverpool, have been revealed – with TV and music stars presenting alongside representatives for Ukraine.
Ted Lasso actress Hannah Waddingham, Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, and TV star and singer Alesha Dixon will host the grand final on 13 May alongside veteran presenter Graham Norton, and Timur Miroshnychenko will be the Ukrainian commentator.
Waddingham, Sanina and Dixon will also present the two Eurovision semi-finals.
Image: Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham and reality judge and singer Alesha Dixon (below) are on the hosting team. Pic: Jae C Hong
Image: Pic: ITV/ Syco/ Thames
The UK’s act for the contest is yet to be revealed.
Dixon, who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of the girl group Mis-Teeq, before going on to appear as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing and then Britain’s Got Talent, said she was excited to be a big part of the event this year.
“I’ve performed all over the world and there is just something about the buzz and anticipation of a live show that can’t be rivalled,” she said. “I remember watching the Eurovision Song Contest on the TV when I was small, so to be there bringing the grand final and semi-finals to people watching across the world is huge.”
The last time the UK hosted the event was in 1998, when the ceremony was presented by Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson.
While Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestrawere crowned Eurovision winners in 2022, meaning the country would usually be preparing to host the event this year, organisers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) ruled it would be unsafedue to the Russian invasion.
As the UK’s Sam Ryder came in second place, the contest is being held here, with Liverpool winning the bid.
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Image: Graham Norton has been a Eurovision commentator for several years. Pic: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
British actress Waddingham, who is known for her Emmy-winning performance in the hit comedy Ted Lasso, as well as for roles in Game Of Thrones and Sex Education, said hosting the event on behalf of Ukraine makes this year’s show even more special.
“There’s something really special about Eurovision, which is why I’ve been an avid fan for years – from the camaraderie of all the acts backstage, to the epic scale of the show,” she said.
“It’s one of the world’s greatest music festivals, but this year, perhaps more than ever, it is such a great honour to be standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, a country which has carried itself with such strength and unity.”
Image: Julia Sanina. Pic: Aleksandr Gusev/Pacific Press via ZUMA Wire/Shutterstock
Sanina, who fronts Ukrainian alternative rock band The Hardkiss, was a Dancing With The Stars finalist and judge on X-Factor in the country. “I’m so excited to showcase Ukrainian culture and creativity, and to help put on a show to make my country proud,” she said. “I can’t wait to get to Liverpool and meet the fans and the rest of the Eurovision family.”
Norton, who has been a Eurovision commentator for the UK for several years, said he feels a “big responsibility to make our Ukrainian colleagues proud”.
A total of 37 countries are set to take part in Eurovision this year, with Ukraine automatically qualifying as 2022 winners, along with the so-called “big five” – the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – because of their financial contributions to the event.
Ireland, Serbia, Latvia, Norway, Portugal, Croatia, Malta, Sweden, Moldova, Switzerland, Israel, the Netherlands, Finland, Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic will perform in the first semi-final on 9 May.
Armenia, Cyprus, Romania, Denmark, Belgium, Iceland, Greece, Estonia, Albania, Australia, Austria, Lithuania, San Marino, Slovenia, Georgia and Poland will go head-to-head in the second semi-final on 11 May.
The Eurovision Song Contest takes place at Liverpool Arena, also called M&S Bank Arena, on 13 May.
Jessie J has been forced to rearrange or cancel all upcoming tour dates as she will be having a second operation as part of her treatment for breast cancer.
The 37-year-old announced in June that she had been diagnosed with early breast cancer. She had her first operation later in the same month.
The singer, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, was due to tour the UK and Europe in October, before gigs in the US in November.
In a video posted on Instagram, she’s now told fans: “Unfortunately, I have to have a second surgery, nothing too serious, but it has to be done before the end of the year and unfortunately, that falls right in the middle of a tour that I had booked.”
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Jessie J has battled numerous health issues, including being diagnosed with a heart condition when she was eight years old and suffering a minor stroke aged 18.
The singer-songwriter has had three number one songs in the UK singles chart, with Price Tag and Domino – both released in 2011 – and 2014’s Bang Bang, a collaboration with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.
She won the Critics’ Choice prize at the 2011 BRITs and bagged four Mobo awards in the same year.
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch says he’s shocked at how “fragile” he still is – despite years in the spotlight and success in the industry.
It might seem like the Doctor Strange star and The Crown actress Olivia Colman have it all when it comes to money and success – but they are also human like the rest of us.
The pair lead the cast of new satirical black comedy The Roses, which sees picture-perfect couple Ivy and Theo Rose – a rising star chef and ambitious architect – raise their two children in California, while chasing their own dreams.
‘I am shocked at how fragile I am’
But behind its dark humour and comic language, the film also looks at the realities of power imbalance, insecurity and wounded pride – in even the strongest of relationships.
And 49-year-old Cumberbatch– whose character faces a major setback in his career – tells Sky News that in real life the glare of social media only intensifies those type of situations.
“I am shocked at how fragile I am still.
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“I don’t go anywhere near it [social media] because of that.
“It’s like walking into a place where people want to marry you or kill you. Those extremes.
“I think we will get to a stage, a corporate culture that’s now manifested around it where people are obliged to do that in order to sell their lives, and therefore their brand and what they do for a living.”
Co-star Colman – who’s long-shunned the online world – agrees.
Image: Cumberbatch and Colman in The Roses. Pic: Jaap Buitendijk/ Searchlight Pictures
“I don’t look at any of it. My husband will look at a review and if it’s nice he’ll show me – but if it’s anything mean he knows to just go ‘don’t look – don’t look.’
“You just have to learn to be thicker-skinned.
“But actually, I think we need people who are sensitive and kind.”
‘Don’t do it… delete it all’
Colman – now 51, and whose leading role in The Favourite bagged her an Academy Award in 2019 – says no amount of experience and success can shield her from criticism.
“My advice to a young’un – sort of dipping their toe into the world of social media for the first time is absolutely don’t do it.
“Delete it all. If you want a happy life, don’t have any of it. I’ve never had it.”
The movie – directed by Meet The Parents’ Jay Roach with The Favourite screenwriter Tony McNamara – also calls into question the notion of success – asking, is it really possible to have it all?
Or is sacrifice inevitable when it comes to spinning the plates of a high-flying career, marriage and parenthood?
Cumberbatch admits “you can’t do it all without there being a cost”.
“You just have to weigh up what those balances are,” he adds.
Colman says “there are I suppose little sacrifices along the way” – from both sides of a relationship.
The comedy drama offers a fresh take on Warren Adler’s novel The War Of The Roses – and the 1989 hit film adaptation- starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.
Colman and Cumberbatch – both producers on the film – insist they weren’t daunted by that though.
“We wanted to find a project to do together, and we have utter respect for the iconic status of the film and book,” explains Cumberbatch.
“Hopefully this will have its own place in the culture – it’s very different, it’s not a remake – it’s a reimagined jumping-on point.”
“But beyond that, it’s very different,” adds Colman.
Former Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa and Barbie’s Kate McKinnon also form the cast.
BAFTA-winning actor Micheal Ward has been granted bail after appearing in court charged with two counts of rape.
The 27-year-old, who appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court this morning, is also accused of two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault.
The offences relate to one woman and are reported to have taken place in January 2023.
Ward, who starred in the popular British series Top Boy and was awarded BAFTA‘s rising star honour in 2020, spoke to confirm his name, address and date of birth during a short court hearing.
He did not enter any pleas and was granted conditional bail until a further hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 25 September.
In a statement issued after the charges were announced last month, Ward denied them “entirely” and said he had co-operated with police throughout their investigation.
The actor’s film credits include Blue Story, The Old Guard and Empire of Light, as well as the current Hollywood Western Eddington.
He was also twice nominated for BAFTA’s best supporting actor prize.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.