SOUND VISION VISION
GRAHAM NORTON on the UK’S chances at this year’s Eurovision
Eurovision Final
Saturday, 8pm, BBC1
ALL EYES WERE on Italy at last year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam as rock band Måneskin scored the nation’s first win since 1990. Sadly, it was a very different story for the United Kingdom, as James Newman received zero points for his song Embers.
Ahead of this year’s competition in Turin, though, there’s cause to be cautiously optimistic.
The UK’S entry – Space
Man by Sam Ryder
– is being touted as a possible contender.
However, we face strong competition from Sweden,
Ukraine and Italy, who could pull off the first victory by a host country since Ireland in 1994.
Graham Norton will be back in the commentary box this year to provide wryly affectionate commentary on the evening’s events as 25 countries compete for Eurovision glory.
Here, Norton, 59, reveals why he
loves this time of year…
WHAT MAKES EUROVISION SO SPECIAL FOR YOU? Well, I’ve always loved Eurovision, but somehow over the last few years it has become more and more special. I find the idea of families and fans coming together during dark times to celebrate music across the continent extremely moving.
HOW DO YOU RATE THE UK’S CHANCES THIS YEAR? Sam Ryder is a star. I honestly think he is our best hope for years. He has been getting a great response around Europe as he promotes Space Man, so fingers crossed for some points this year.
WHO ELSE SHOULD WE WATCH OUT FOR? Italy might do that rarest of things and walk away triumphant for the second year in a row. That song [Mahmood and Blanco’s Brividi] is huge.
HOW DOES EUROVISION COMPARE TO YOUR OTHER WORK THROUGHOUT THE YEAR? It’s unlike anything else I do. There is so much preparation – becoming familiar with all the songs and researching the various acts – but then you sit down to present the show live for over three hours and absolutely anything can happen. It’s exciting and nerveracking in equal measure.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE EUROVISION MEMORY? It has to be the night when Conchita Wurst won for Austria in 2014 [with the song Rise Like a Phoenix]. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, I can tell you.
WHY DO YOU THINK VIEWERS LOVE EUROVISION SO MUCH? Eurovision really is a unique event – it’s as daft as it is deadly serious. I describe it as profound nonsense, and I wouldn’t change a thing.