Watched by millions around the world, the Eurovision Song Contest is musical Marmite – love it or loath it – even its fiercest critic can’t call it dull.
This year of course is something special – for the first time two countries (Ukraine and the UK) will jointly host the event which has descended on Liverpool’s waterfront in all its multi-coloured glory.
So, as pop fans ready themselves for Saturday’s marathon of 26 acts in four hours, who do we think is going to be taking home the iconic Eurovision glass microphone trophy?
Image: Loreen
The top three
Sweden – the birthplace of Eurovision royalty Abba – are favourite to win.
Loreen – who won the contest in 2012 with Euphoria – is now returning with her new song Tattoo, an electric banger with show stopping vocals.
And science is on her side, with solo female pop acts found to be the most likely to win the competition, according to a recent study by digital marketing agency Evoluted.
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Winning this year would put Sweden level with Ireland for most wins (seven) and make Loreen the first woman to win it more than once.
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‘I want to create something that matters’
Finland’s hyper-pop-rap tune Cha Cha Cha is also hotly tipped by bookies.
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The song is performed by Finnish singer Kaarija – a pro at posing up a storm on the red carpet with his trademark neon green sleeves-only puffer jacket and bowl haircut.
Image: Kaarija
His name is a clever pun in Finnish on the verbs “to wrap / and to rap” and his song is inspired by the feeling of losing your inhibitions after a drink or two. The 29-year-old singer has described the track to Sky News as: “Very much power and energy and fire”.
Image: Tvorchi
Electronic duo Tvorchi, made up of producer Andrii Hutsuliak and vocalist Jeffery Kenny, will compete for Ukraine with their rousing song Heart Of Steel.
With their band name meaning “creative” in Ukrainian, their song is an understated message of defiance aimed at Russia, the invader of their homeland.
They are of course hoping to take the prize back to Ukraine, which was unable to host this year’s show due to the war.
She explained the inspiration for the song on TikTok: “I was really annoyed at this guy. I wanted to do something crazy, maybe burn his house down, I don’t know.
“But instead I took the high road and I wrote a song. And that’s called growth, ladies and gentlemen.”
With an energetic dance routine and easy-to-sing-along-to section of “da dada dada da’s” it stands a good chance of making the top 10.
Image: Blanca Paloma
Also in the running
Spain’s Blanca Paloma will sing Eaea which has an authentic Spanish sound, fused with strong synth line.
Paloma has said the song represents a “chant to her late grandmother”, who had inspired much of her music.
Norway’s Alessandra will sing Queen Of Kings, a pop sensation with a super catchy chorus. With comparison to Lady Gaga, it’s already one of the most streamed songs of the competition.
And France’s La Zarra will sing sultry torch song Evidemment (which translates as “obviously” in English).
The French-language track was created especially for the contest, co-written by La Zarra herself, and she’s described it as a true French “chanson” about love, the importance of loving oneself and the strive towards achieving complete happiness in what can often be a complex world.
Image: Teya & Salena
What about the novelty songs?
Possibly more important than the potential winners, are the acts everyone will be talking about on Sunday morning.
Austria is getting all literary, with Teya and Salena’s entry Who The Hell Is Edgar?, about the ghost of American writer Edgar Allan Poe. That, and streaming sites short-changing artists. Quite an eclectic mix.
Image: Voyager
Croatian shock-rock band Let 3 will sing a a track called Mama SC, which includes the lyrics: “Mama bought the tractor”, “Armageddon granny” and “War, war, evil little psychopath”.
While they will perform in brightly coloured military garb on the Eurovision stage, they are reported to have been in trouble in Croatia for stripping off in public and performing naked.
Oasis have said they are “shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of a fan” at their Wembley Stadium concert on Saturday.
Together with their bandmates, Liam and Noel Gallagher have offered their “sincere condolences to the family and friends of the person involved”.
Metropolitan Police said officers on duty at the stadium responded, alongside venue medics and the London Ambulance Service, to reports a person had been injured at around 10.20pm.
The statement continued: “A man – aged in his 40s – was found with injuries consistent with a fall. He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.”
According to media reports, the man fell from the stadium’s upper tier.
A concertgoer on social media said they saw the incident and described it as “horrific”.
Image: Liam and Noel Gallagher on stage at their first reunion gig. Pic: AP
Metropolitan Police said: “The stadium was busy, and we believe it is likely a number of people witnessed the incident, or may knowingly or unknowingly have caught it on mobile phone video footage.
“If you have any information that could help us to confirm what happened, please call 101.”
Oasis performed at the venue as planned on Sunday night, delivering the final concert of a five-night run at Wembley.
Addressing fans at the stadium, singer Liam said: “This one’s for all the people who can’t be here tonight, but who are here if you know what I mean, and aren’t they looking lovely. Live Forever.”
Oasis support act Richard Ashcroft paid tribute on Instagram, writing: “I was shocked to hear of the death of one of the audience last night sending my love to the family and friends.”
A spokesperson for Wembley Stadium said: “Our thoughts go out to his family, who have been informed and are being supported by specially trained police officers.”
They will then head to Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the United States, before returning to Wembley for two more dates in September.
The reunion tour began at the start of July and marks the Gallagher brothers’ first performances together since Oasis split acrimoniously in 2009.
Soulja Boy has been arrested and charged with possession of a firearm during a traffic stop.
The rapper, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, was a passenger in the car that was stopped in the Fairfax area of Los Angeles early on Sunday morning, the LAPD said.
“A passenger was detained and police arrested DeAndre Cortez Way for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm,” the statement added.
Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon is a felony.
The 35-year-old was booked into jail in the LAPD’s Wilshire Division shortly after 6am. It is not clear if he has since been released.
Police did not provide information on what prompted the traffic stop and who else was in the vehicle with Way.
Soulja Boy is yet to publicly comment on the incident.
Soulja Boy is best known for his 2007 hit Crank That, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks and landed him a nomination for best rap song at the Grammys.
The rapper was arrested and charged with a felony in 2014 for carrying a loaded gun during a traffic stop in LA.
In April this year, the Chicago hip-hop artist was ordered to pay more than $4m (£3m) in damages to his former assistant after being found liable for sexually assault, as well as physically and emotionally abusing them.
The BBC has responded after it was reported that two Strictly Come Dancing stars have been accused of taking cocaine.
The broadcaster is said to have hired an external law firm to probe the drug-taking allegations, which a source said were “well-known” on the show, The Sun on Sunday reports.
The claims were reportedly made on behalf of celebrity contestant Wynne Evans in a legal submission to the BBC in March.
In response, a BBC spokesperson told Sky News: “We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us. We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns.
“It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.”
Sky News understands that it is not unusual for the BBC to engage an external individual to provide additional expert resource to help deliver a BBC-led investigation. In these cases, they would report to an established BBC team.
Image: PA file pic
The allegations published in The Sun on Sunday include a source saying that one Strictly star had told another about a third celebrity on the show: “Have you seen their pupils… they’re off their face.”
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“The BBC have known about these allegations for some time, and acknowledged receiving them. Now they are taking firm action,” the source reportedly said.
The two individuals accused of drug taking have not been named.
It is the latest crisis to hit the BBC and Strictly.
In July last year, Amanda Abbington accused Strictly dancer Giovanni Pernice of “abusive or threatening behaviour”. The actress, who was paired with Pernice, withdrew from the show in 2023.
In January this year, Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans made “inappropriate and unacceptable” comments at the Strictly Come Dancing live tour launch, for which he later apologised.