But those hopes rest on the shoulders of electronic duo Tvorchi, who will enter their track Heart of Steel for this year.
They described their selection to represent Ukraine at the contest as a “shock”, adding they were “happy to present something new and something different for Ukraine in Eurovision”.
Andrii and Jimoh have said previously their song is about the dangers of nuclear war – a clear signal to those in Moscow.
They have also revealed they drew inspiration from the siege of Mariupol, and specifically the defence of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works.
They told Sky News the song can be described in three words – “strength, confidence, and positivity”.
“We want to inspire all people around the planet to be stronger, be more confident, be more positive.
“We show that a lot of people have troubles in their lives… so we want to say no matter how bad the situation is, just be in a good attitude, stay strong, go forward and everything will be okay.
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“Look at Ukraine – we are fighting. The situation is not good, but we are doing that, we don’t give up. So take this as an inspiration.”
The pair met in Ternopil, in eastern Ukraine, where they both studied at pharmacy college.
Since then, they’ve released a number of tracks in the country, going on to have success there.
“It was a random day, I was coming back from football, and I was going back home,” Jimoh, who was born in Nigeria, told Sky News about the pair’s chance meeting.
“I remember passing Andrii on the street and I remember he… just like tapped my shoulder from the back. I was like, ‘What’s going on, bro?’.
“He was like, ‘Oh, I want to, practice my English’.
“I also I didn’t know much Ukrainian at that time… and I said, ‘Okay. I would like to learn Ukrainian as well’.”
He added: “I guess the synergy kind of looked worked out pretty well… we figured out we can make music together.”
‘I don’t think they are people’
When asked what their message was to Russia, Andrii told Sky News: “They don’t deserve any words.
“They are just happy when their missiles hit civilian buildings. People die and they laugh.
“I don’t think they’re people.”
Despite winning in 2022, the contest simply could not be held there – something Tvorchi understands.
“Every time you think, ‘maybe the next missile to come in [to] your family or your friend or even your pet’.
“We would be happier if this can happen in Ukraine, and we didn’t experience the war and full scale invasion.
“But, we want to say a huge thanks to the United Kingdom for hosting it and for all the support we receive – this means a lot to us, to the whole country, and we’re very thankful for everything.”
Tvorchi perform in the grand final on Saturday 13 May.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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What is happening with Co-op Live Arena?
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.
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”.
The Met Gala always produces the most memorable red carpet looks of the year.
Following this year’s theme, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, and a Garden Of Time dress code, the stars pulled out all the botanical stops with their outfits, with floral and garden-inspired fashion unsurprisingly dominating.