Loreen was also crowned winner in 2012 for her song, “Euphoria” and was rendered the bookmakers clear favourite to win this years Eurovision. Visitors of Eurovisionworld predicted in the Eurovision Poll that Loreen was going to win. In terms of results, as Sweden has the most wins, Finland takes the cake in the most public votes. But in total, Loreen and Sweden won by having 583 points. More of the detailed results will be found here.

Watch moment Swedish star Loreen wins Eurovision Song Contest 2023https://t.co/RWwUxBWkTG pic.twitter.com/doZOAgYlWp

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) May 13, 2023

Loreen has been a rising star on the music scene, eversince her appearance on Swedish Idol 2004. For the past few years, she has gained national recognition for her hit singles, “Euphoria” and “Statements.” Her uniqueness of sound contains an elemented blend of pop, dance and electronic music, which has won her fans from all the walks of life. Her performance at the Eurovision Song Contest that truly solidified her status as a musical force to be reckoned with. From the moment she stepped onto the stage, dressed in a stunning silver and black jumpsuit, she effortlessly encourages the audience’s attention with her powerful vocals and infectious energy.

As she sang her song, “We Got The Power”, her undeniable passion and charisma shone through, electrifying the room and inspiring thousands of viewers at home to dance and sing along. The judges were equally impressed by Loreen’s performance, awarding her top marks for her vocals, creativity, and stage presence. In the end, she emerged as the clear winner with a commanding lead over the contestants.

The BBC Eurovision cast went to interview her to express her thoughts on being crowned the winner. She started off by saying, “Darling, I didn’t think I’d do it ever again,” she said. “But then they sent me the song and I could just feel it was a good song, and then they popped the question. “The answer?” BBC asked, Loreen responds, “Hell no”. It took her team, with the inclusion of the same songwriter and producers of Euphoria four weeks to change her mind and encouraged her to go for the double gold in Liverpool.

Looking ahead, Loreen has big plans for her music career. She hopes to continue pushing the boundaries of pop music and experimenting with new sounds and styles that will keep her fans on their toes.

The film was written and is being directed by Bernard Rose, who directed the band’s Relax music video back in 1984. “Relax,” the band’s debut single, was famously banned by the BBC due to the sexual nature of the lyrics, causing Frankie Goes to Hollywood to gain notoriety and helping to keep the single in the No.1 spot of the UK Singles Chart for 5 weeks.

Following the band’s rise to fame in the 1980s, the biopic will largely be based on what was shared in lead singer Holly Johnson’s memoir, A Bone in My Flute.

Director and screenwriter Bernard Rose described the band as going from “unemployed Liverpudlians to kings of pop on the back of their epic banned record ‘Relax.'”

Rose continued, “It took them from the underground S&M and LGBTQ club scene into mainstream pop culture. I was very much a part of the hoopla, having directed the original ‘banned’ ‘Relax’ video and I want to bring that innocent and daring world of 1984 back to life for a new audience today.”

Callum Scott Howells is set to star as Holly Johnson, following his acclaimed performance in Russell T. Davies’s drama It’s a Sin, which delved into the 1980s and 90s AIDS epidemic.

Speaking on the BBC ban in 1984, Holly Johnson shared on the BBC Breakfast Show that fans said it made them seem “cool, edgy and rebellious,” effectively doing “them a favour.”

However, Johnson said, “But I wanted to sing our number one debut single on Top of the Pops, so that moment was denied us.”

Frankie Goes to Hollywood recently reunited for the first time in 36 years for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, held in their hometown of Liverpool.

Lead singer Holly Johnson commented on the experience, saying, “It was a real pleasure. I’d forgotten how much I really liked those people, and why I liked them. It was great. It couldn’t have been a better outcome. We seemed to have the same chemistry we had back in the day. They dynamic was the same, the energy was the same. It was great, it was a really perfect pop moment.“

Guitarist Brian Nash also shared his thoughts on the band’s reunion via Facebook, writing, “I am SO happy right now, and this weekend made me happier, and I will take that and hold it in my heart alongside my mates, fans, supporters and the people of this wonderful city.“

No further reunion plans have been shared as of yet, with Nash also writing “The future is unwritten but don’t hold your breath.“

The song, titled “Eurovusion (Open Up)” can be heard below:

New Zealand’s Eurovision bid is being backed by a Kiwi brewery, Yeastie Boys. The brewery owners have started a petition to let New Zealand join the Eurovision contest, alongside their Australian neighbours who are already included.

Nearly 50k views on our song to launch Aotearoa New Zealand’s bid for an invitation to @Eurovision. https://t.co/gL3JDv9Tox

Surely it’s time @bbceurovision gave it some airtime. If this was in the competition it would be a finalist, for sure.

— Yeastie Boys (@yeastieboys) May 8, 2023

Stu McKinlay, founder of Yeastie Boys, said, “We’ve become big Eurovision fans since arriving here in the UK but we really miss having our own country to cringe at while simultaneously supporting unwaveringly.”

Discussing Australia being included but not his native New Zealand, McKinlay continued, “I was the youngest of five kids and whenever my older siblings went to gigs, I was too young to join them. Australia being in Eurovision, when New Zealand hasn’t been invited, gives me the same vibes and I don’t like it.”

He added, “New Zealanders grow up with a sense of social justice being very important and Australia being invited to Eurovision without New Zealand is like inviting someone to your wedding but not giving them a plus one! Everyone loves New Zealand and finds us cute and non-threatening and that makes us a sure thing for doing well in the public vote. I mean who really likes Australia?”

On the petition page, McKinlay writes, “New Zealand is a country with a rich musical heritage that could bring a lot to the Eurovision party. Just ask Lorde, Crowded House or Dane Rumble.We have taken it upon ourselves to highlight this injustice and right this wrong by inviting fellow New Zealand pals Two Hearts to launch the first ever official unofficial Eurovision entry.”

Ultimately, New Zealand asks, “Why the hell are Australia in it? Can New Zealand come and play too?”

The UK is set to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest next week, honouring Ukraine who won last year. The 2023 finals will take place on 9th May and 11th May, with the grand finals on 13th May.

The event will be hosted in Liverpool, with Liverpool-based band Frankie Goes to Hollywood reuniting to open this year’s contest.

Eurovision co-host Alisha Dixon has called this year’s event “so much more than a competition” as the nations gather to honour Ukraine. Dixon said the event is “very important. We feel that sense of responsibility to do it with joy, love.”

Mae Muller is the official UK entrant for 2023, releasing “I Wrote a Song” in hopes of scoring as highly as last year’s UK contestant, Sam Ryder. Listen to Muller’s song here:

The singer announced her headline shows on the 28^th April across her social media platforms. Muller signed off her caption, “i can’t wait to tell you more and i can’t wait to see u all, a slay of truly enormous proportion!!!”.

Tickets for the dates will be on sale at 10 am on Friday 5^th May. For more information see here.

The singer will also be performing at an array of festivals across the UK this summer including Birmingham Pride, Truck Festival, Brighton & Hove Pride, and Big Feastival.

Muller will be performing “I Wrote a Song” at the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest on the 13^th May. The song, which she co-wrote with Karen Poole and Lewis Thompson, is the first UK Eurovision entry to debut inside the Top 40 on the Singles Chart in its first week since 2011. It peaked at number 30 on the UK Singles and number 3 on the UK Singles Downloads. The song debuted on the 9^th March this year coinciding with the announcement that Muller would be representing the UK in the contest. Watch the video for the song below:

“Not to toot my own horn, but I think it’s a great pop song,” Muller told Music Week. “You can dance to it and it’s also a heartbreak anthem, but it’s more than that: it’s about lifting yourself back up, empowering yourself, believing in your self worth and working through negative emotions to come out the other side. And I think that aligns with Eurovision.”

The 25-year-old singer from London, whose full name is Holly Mae Muller, has been rising in notoriety over the last few years. Her debut album Chapter 1 was released in 2019, the same year she supported Little Mix on their LM5: The Tour. Her collaboration with the Swedish music collective Neiked and American rapper Polo G, “Better Days” in 2021 charted in the top 40 in both the UK and the US. Her last record was her third EP, No One Else, Not Even You, in 2020.

This year the UK will host the 67^th Eurovision Song Contest in the Liverpool Arena on behalf of last year’s winners Ukraine. The Semi-Finals will be split between the 9^th and 11^th May to accommodate the volume of countries all jostling for the title. The winner will be announced on the 13^th May after the Grand Final. To see the official list of entries click here.

For a complete list of Mae Muller’s UK and Ireland dates see below:

26/05/23 – M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
27/05 – Birmingham Pride – Birmingham
21/07 – Truck Festival – Steventon
22/07 – Tramlines – Sheffield
05/08 – Brighton & Hove Pride – Brighton
25/08 – Victorious Festival – Portsmouth
27/08 – The Big Feastival – Kingham
01/09 – Sundown Festival – Norwich
20/11 – SWG3 – Glasgow
21/11 – O2 Ritz – Manchester
23/11 – Roundhouse – London
24/11 – O2 Institute – Birmingham
25/11 – Beckett Student’s Union – Leeds

The Liverpool based group are set to play together for the first time in 36 years, having disbanded in 1987, and Eurovision 2023 seems to be the perfect place for just an occasion, given the fact that this year’s contest will be held in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine, thereby making this a hometown gig for the 80s synth-pop heavyweights.

The band’s lead vocalist Holly Johnson made the announcement in an instagram post, stating that “I’m happy to announce that Frankie Goes To Hollywood will reunite to perform at the opening concert of this very special event“.

The show that will kick things off in Liverpool is set, then, to be a spectacular one, featuring the classic Frankie Goes to Hollywood line-up, including vocalists Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford, and the so-called ‘Lads': Mark O’Toole (on bass), Brian Nash (on guitar), and Peter Gill (on drums).

The group was formed in Liverpool in 1980, rising to prominence and national fame in 1983 with the release of their first major hit, “Relax“. Deemed to be lyrically obscene with a theme of an overtly sexual nature, the track was banned by the BBC on all of its platforms, but this only created publicity for the band and soon the record reached number one of the UK Singles Chart.

Watch a live performance of “Relax” on Top of the Pops in 1984 below:

They followed this with their second single, “Two Tribes“, released in May 1984 to more success, with this song too reaching number one in the UK. The band then released their debut album, Welcome to the Pleasuredome, later that year in October, easily reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart after advanced sales of the LP of more than a million copies.

Watch the music video for “Two Tribes” below:

Their third single, “The Power of Love“, was released in November 1984 to yet more success, reaching number one and marking a defining and record-breaking year for the group, being the first music act to reach number one of the UK Singles Chart with their first three singles since fellow Liverpool band Gary and the Pacemakers in the 60s.

Their second and final album, Liverpool, was released in 1986 and, despite reaching number five on the UK Albums Chart, was considered a commercial failure, owing naturally to their previous unprecedented success. The band subsequently disbanded the following year and haven’t performed together since.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood will perform in the opening concert of Eurovision 2023 on May 7th, see here for the songs that will follow throughout the semi-finals.

The singer and television personality has told the BBC that this year’s event is “so much more than a competition“, adding that “It’s very important. We feel that sense of responsibility, to do it with joy, love“.

Dixon will host this year’s Eurovision Song Contest alongside actress Hannah Waddingham, perhaps best known for her role in the comedy series Ted Lasso, and Julia Sanina, front woman of Ukrainian alternative rock band The Hardkiss, with the trio set to be joined by television presenter Graham Norton for the final.

Sanina has also stressed the competition’s importance, telling the BBC, “Even last year, when people were watching Eurovision from bomb shelters, lots of them were still voting and wanted to win“.

Waddingham added, “We have to always balance the joy and the love with what Julia just said. People voting from the bomb shelters hits me more than anything and there’s the reason I wanted to get involved“.

The competition was originally supposed to be hosted by Ukraine, given that the country, represented by rap group Kalush, won the event last year with the song “Stefania“, receiving the most amount of votes the competition has seen in its history. Organisers decided, however, that it was too dangerous to host this year’s event in the war-torn country following the Russian invasion, and Liverpool has stepped in to play host.

Watch Kalush in the 2022 Winner’s Performance below:

This motto for this year’s contest, ‘United by Music’, encompasses fully what responsibility the event has for the country, and indeed for the people, of Ukraine. Staunchly anti-war and a vehicle of peaceful protest, the contest is set to be a proud example of what the world of music can do in the face of injustice and indiscriminate violence, standing tall for the values of peace and prosperity and upright and strong with Ukraine in the face of hostile adversity.

Watch the video for Mae Muller’s “I Wrote a Song“, the official UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, below:

The competition is set to commence on May 9th with the first of the semi-finals, with the other being on May 11th. The final will then be held on May 13th. Full coverage of the event will be provided by the BBC. See here for a full breakdown of all the songs that will be performed.

The UK came second in 2022 to Ukraine, who won with Kalush Orchestra’s performance of their song ”Stefania.”The BBC has been working with management company, Tap Management, in order to complete the selection process. The same company was used last year, as Sam Ryder was chosen to secure the 2022 UK entrant spot.

The 25-year-old North Londoner was born in 1997, which was the year the UK last won the international song contest. 1997 UK Eurovision winners were Katrina and the Waves with a performance of their song ”Love Shine a Light.”  Muller was previously the support act for Little Mix on their 2019 tour and has collaborated with British rapper Aitch and DJ Sigala. The singer is the first female act in five years to represent the UK.

Following the announcement of the UK 2023 entrant, BBC Eurovision posted a sneak-peak at the UK’s 2023 Eurovision song and said ”Our UK artist for #Eurovision2023 is the incredible @maemuller_! Here she is with the official video for her #Eurovision track, ”I Wrote A Song.”

Our UK artist for #Eurovision2023 is the incredible @maemuller_!

Whilst speaking about her involvement in this years contest, Mae Muller described the feeling as ”a dream” and said “To compete in such a massive music competition is simply brilliant.”

The singer is recognisable for a stint in the lime light as a nine-year-old girl. Mae Muller appeared in the music video for Mika’s song ‘‘Grace Kelly” in 2007. During a BBC interview, she discussed how she still knows the words to the song and still owns the green dress which she wore during the music video as a child.

Tickets went on sale 7 March with nine events, including preview shows and televised shows, being accessible to fans. However, the tickets for the contest sold out within 90 minutes, with resale prices being sold for thousands over the original price of the tickets. The contest begins Monday 8 May, with semi-finals set to take place Tuesday 9 May and Thursday 11 May. The grand final will take place Saturday 13 May, at the ACC Liverpool arena and will be available to watch live on BBC One from 8pm.

Liverpool will host #Eurovision 2023 on behalf of Ukraine…and it’s gonna be proper boss

Find out all about Liverpool 2023 right here: https://t.co/a1zGojGfbr pic.twitter.com/7sZ7SaYjg2

— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) October 7, 2022

Popular British talk show host Graham Norton made the announcement on Friday 7th October 2022, whilst appearing on The One Show; the host of Eurovision stated, “The city that will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 is Liverpool“. Norton went on to praise Eurovision 2022 contestant Sam Ryder for abolishing “the curse of Eurovision” for Britain. The 59-year-old presenter then urged viewers to tune in and stated, “pop that in your calendar”.

As per Eurovision tradition, the previous year’s winning country is responsible for the following year’s hosting duties. At the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, Ukraine’s entry Kalush Orchestra was announced as the winner at the ceremony held in Italy’s Turin. However, due to recent conflict and issues that have arisen in Ukraine, the event and producers from the Europen Broadcasting Union made a decision that it would not be safe to hold the event in Ukraine.

A statement issued by the group states,  “We are very pleased that next year’s Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Liverpool. Though we haven’t had the privilege of visiting yet, the musical heritage of the city is known all over the world. Playing in the same place that The Beatles started out will be a moment we’ll never forget! Although we are sad that next year’s competition cannot take place in our homeland, we know that the people of Liverpool will be warm hosts and the organisers will be able to add a real Ukrainian flavour to Eurovision 2023 in this city.”

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, has also given a statement, “While we came up against stiff competition from Glasgow, who deserve more than the nil points they have received on this occasion, nowhere is more experienced or qualified, and nowhere throws a party quite like we do. We want to put on a show that Ukraine would be proud of, and we have been working closely with Liverpool’s sister city of Odesa to ensure that this is their event as much as our own.“

He continues, “Now the hard work begins. Putting on a show that will give millions a night they will never forget in one of the most turbulent and trying years for our continent is no mean feat. If anywhere is capable of it, it is the Liverpool City Region, with a little help from our friends in Ukraine.”

Although the country is unable to host the event, Ukraine’s involvement in the 2023 contest will still be honoured, an official logo for the 67th year of Eurovision has been released to celebrate the country. Whilst the confirmation of Liverpool’s hosting duties was announced, the new logo design was also released. The new image features Ukraine’s flag encased within a heart; the new logo shows that although the UK will host The Eurovision Song Contest 2023, it will be hosting the event on behalf of Ukraine.

Speaking on the new logo and its meaning, the head of Managing board of UA: PBC, Ukraine’s public broadcaster Mykola Chernotytskyi, has stated, “It is symbolic that the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Liverpool, a twin city of Odesa. The organisation of a contest of this level sets super demanding requirements. I am confident that the city recognised as the capital of pop music will meet them in the best way and will deliver the celebration of music that will amaze both delegations and fans of Eurovision.“

In an interview with BBC News, Ryder said he used an “old-fashioned mailing list situation,” and “sent out an email saying ‘hey do you wanna come and sing with us?” Fans could sign up via a link to get an invite to join Sam and his team. “A bunch of people came down,” he said “we just sang the song over and over again. I think I sang it about 50 times today.”

His two singles are the first released from his upcoming album There’s Nothing But Space, Man! which is set to be released on 14th October. ‘Somebody‘ is co-written by Sam with Jon Green and Max Wolfgang who also co-wrote Sam’s Eurovision 2022 entry. “I didn’t really know that I was making the album,” he told NME, “Last year, I wrote about 100 songs, and not all of them are good, it’s just the nature of writing songs.” “Some of my favourites we’ve put together for an album. It’s done, you’re just curating the thing. You’ve got this collection of work and you’re putting it together now, and then making the final touches and then listening back to ones and going, ‘God, that line’s a shocker, I’ll have to change that next week’.”

Sam’s success at Eurovision means the UK is set to host the 2023 edition of the contest. “It’s really exciting that it’s on home soil,” he told the BBC, “but it’s also really important to remember why it’s being held here and the responsibility that we have to throw the best party that shows off and celebrates all of the beauty and rich history of Ukrainian culture.”

This year, Sam Ryder, an online viral sensation, came second prompting EBU (European Broadcasting Union) to open talks with the BBC in June. Ryder provided the UK with their best result since 1998, whilst Kalush Orchestra took Ukraine to the top of the leaderboard with their song “Stefania”. Their win automatically qualifies them for the Grand Final, along with the Big Five, which includes the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Whilst it has been confirmed that the UK will host the contest, the host city has yet to be decided. The EBU specifies that the host venue should be able to accommodate approximately 10,000 audience members, have a good distance to an international airport and have enough hotel accommodation for a minimum of 2,000 delegates, journalists and spectators.

Early interest has been expressed by several UK cities, London, Sheffield and Manchester have already confirmed they will be putting in an official bid. Glasgow has also announced that they have been “working hard” on a bid since last month and it appears to be the Scottish favourite. Their 14,000-capacity OVO Hydro was the world’s second busiest music venue in 2019 and has hosted a number of notable events including the MOBO Awards, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards and the MTV Europe Music Awards. The bidding process is set to begin this week and The BBC and European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will publish the longlist later this summer. 

The news was welcomed by Boris Johnson and Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries. “Following a request from the European Broadcasting Union and the Ukrainian authorities, I’m delighted that the BBC has agreed to step in and host next year’s contest,” she said, “I’m just sorry that due to Russia’s continued acts of bloodshed it has not been possible to host the event in Ukraine, where it should be.”

The Grand Final usually takes place in May and last year tickets were available for nine shows, including the semi-finals and the grand final. Fans can expect tickets to go on sale late this year, or early 2023. Tickets massively varied in price last year with some fans managing to snap up tickets for just €10 (£8.50), whilst the most expensive sold for around €350 (£297).