Sam Ryder

Last October, the BBC and the European Broadcasting Union chose Liverpool – standing in for war-torn Ukraine, the 2022 winners – to host this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

UK entry Sam Ryder, singing Space Man, came a strong second last year. Without the sympathy votes cast for Ukraine’s admittedly decent song, the long-haired Essex lad may even have won.

After extensive consultation with the Ukrainian broadcaster, UA: PBC, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decided that it wouldn’t be possible for next year’s event to take place in Ukraine.

As the UK came second in 2022 with Sam Ryder and his track Space Man, the EBU invited the BBC to host the 67^th edition of the competition.