EBU to review all kinds of everything bad at final
ORGANISERS of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest have said they ‘regret’ that some delegations ‘didn’t respect the spirit of the rules’.
Ireland’s Bambie Thug and Italy’s Angelina Mango are among the contestants who complained about a ‘tense’ atmosphere backstage.
Pro-Palestine Irish act Bambie launched into a furious row about their ‘horrible’ experience on the show after placing behind Israel in the final.
This year’s contest was perhaps the most controversial ever, with some acts hiding messages in support of Palestine in their costumes. Dutch singer Joost Klein was ordered to go home after being accused of intimidating behaviour by a female member of the production crew.
In a statement, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs the Eurovision, said: ‘We spoke to a number of delegations during the event regarding various issues that were brought to our attention.
‘The EBU’s governing bodies will, together with the heads of delegations, review the events surrounding the ESC in Malmo to move forward in a positive way and to ensure the values of the event are respected by everyone.’
After the grand final, Bambie, 31, who has publicly shared their pro-Palestinian views, accused Israel’s national broadcaster, KAN, of ‘inciting violence’ against them during its coverage.
Meanwhile, the EU criticised organisers for their ‘incoherence’ in banning its flag from the concert hall during the final.
In a sharp letter, EU Commission vice-president Margaritis Schinas wrote to the EBU saying its ban contributes to ‘discrediting a symbol that brings together all Europeans’.
Following a contest already full of controversy, the European Commission said it plans ‘a very lively discussion’ with the organisers over the ban.
‘The incoherence in the EBU’s stance has left myself and many millions of your viewers wondering for what and for whom the Eurovision Song Contest stands,’ the letter said.
Ahead of the final, a spokesperson for the EBU said ticket holders were only allowed to bring and display flags representing participating countries, as well as the rainbow-coloured flag for LGBTQ+ communities.
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th contest on Saturday with The Code, an operatic pop-rap ode to his journey toward embracing a non-gender identity.
Our own act Bambie was one of the most talked-about performers, after they accused Eurovision bosses of ‘not supporting’ them amid a row with Israel over comments made about the singer.
Bambie finished in sixth place, but, at a press conference after the final, they fumed about an incident with broadcaster KAN and the EBU’s response, exclaiming: ‘F*** the EBU.’
They also told journalists that KAN ‘incited violence against me twice, three times’, and their team had brought it up with the EBU, but the organiser had still not responded.
A commentator on KAN had told viewers Bambie’s performance of Doomsday Blue would be ‘the most scary’ of the night, with ‘a lot of spells and black magic and dark clothing, Satanic symbols, and voodoo dolls’.
He went on to say Bambie liked to ‘speak negatively about Israel... but we can talk about that later’, adding: ‘Prepare your curses.’
The EBU said in a statement: ‘We’ve spoken to KAN about this matter and reiterated the importance of all commentators respecting all the artists taking part in the competition and abiding by the rules and regulations of the event.’
‘Incited violence against me twice’