Eurovision

BBC announces full line-up for Eurovision 2021

Scott Mills, Chelcee Grimes, Graham norton, Rylan Clark-Neal and Amanda Holden(credit: BBC)

Norton will be presenting his 12th Eurovision Song Contest on BBC One, following on from his role commentating last year’s Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light in the wake of a cancelled live final due to the pandemic.

The Brit-award winning singer James Newman will be representing the UK with his single Embers.

The Eurovision 2020 lineup has been announced

Graham Norton (Credit: BBC)

There will be a mix of special programmes and a look back at some classic moments from Eurovision.

Famous faces Graham Norton, Ken Bruce and Rylan Clark-Neal will help bring the Eurovision spirt into viewers homes. 

Graham Norton described Eurovision as a form of “escapism” for people especially during these times.

He added: “This year people at home can celebrate the amazing spirit of the event and hopefully get the chance to take their mind off the current situation for a few hours.”

RTS Eurovision Party Pack 2019

This year's contest, which takes place in Tel Aviv, will see 26 countries battling it out to win the Eurovision trophy.

Former All Together Now winner Michael Rice will represent the UK in this year's competition with his song 'Bigger Than Us'.

Graham Norton will miss presenting his chat show for the first time in its 20 year history, as he returns to the commentary box.

Plus Madonna will be making a special appearance at Expo Tel Aviv, following in the footsteps of Justin Timberlake, who performed at the 2016 Eurovision final in Stockholm.

Who are the judges on Eurovision: You Decide?

Marvin Humes, Mollie King and Rylan Clark-Neal (Credit: BBC)

Mel Giedroyc and former Eurovision winner Måns Zelmerlöw will host tonight’s Eurovision: You Decide, which will see six acts go head to head for the chance to represent the United Kingdom in the song contest.

The selection show will be judged by a select panel of stars, but the public will have the finale vote.

Take a look at who’s on the panel:

Guy Freeman: Our Friend in Kiev

The daily commute from hotel to venue offered us tantalising glimpses of an ancient Slavic city far bigger than I had imagined it would be. Golden onion domes, flowering chestnut trees and bustling streets framed by classical, Soviet-era and modern buildings.

Our UK delegation coach often drove past the giant metal arch adorned with this year’s Eurovision Song Contest slogan, “Celebrate diversity”, where the job of painting it in the rainbow colours of the LGBT flag had been abandoned halfway through following some resistance.

UK's Eurovision history

Sandie Shaw (1967)

Sandie Shaw was already a huge star before entering the competition under the UK flag in 1967. The 'barefoot pop princess' was a hit in Europe, having recorded songs in French, German, Spanish, and Italian

Her song 'Puppet on a String' was not Shaw's first choice - in fact, she wasn't keen to appear in the contest at all. Coerced by her management, Shaw performed and went on to not only win Eurovision but become the first woman to reach no.1 in the UK chart three times.