Ireland and UK take to the stage during second Eurovision semi-final
Ireland and the UK have performed in the second semi-final of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest.
British group Remember Monday harmonised their song What The Hell Just Happened? with Bridgerton-inspired outfits, and are already through to the grand final in Basel, Switzerland, as 'one of the big five'.
Their performance kicked off with Lauren Byrne in the middle as they moved in synch with a collapsed chandelier on stage, calling back to a line in their song.
Her along with Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele, strutted down the stage, and looked for camera angles to showcase the dramatic moments in the song, before ending in a group hug.
Thursday's second semi-final marks the first time in Basel that UK audiences at home can vote under Eurovision rules.
Norwegian singer Emmy Kristiansen is hoping on Thursday to get to Ireland through to the next stage with Laika Party, which imagines the Soviet space dog as alive, despite its tragic end.
In a silvery outfit, she danced on a small stage as below the singer, her keyboardist brother Erlend Kristiansen moved only his arm to the beat of the song.
She ended saying 'thank you so much', as the crowd cheered.
The 24-year-old hopes to replicate Bambie Thug, who at Malmo 2024 was the first Irish entrant to make the final since Ryan O'Shaughnessy in Lisbon in 2018.
Before Remember Monday was Australia's Go-Jo (Marty Zambotto) with the tongue-in-cheek Milkshake Man and Austria's JJ (Johannes Pietsch), who is among the competition favourites with song Wasted Love.
Appearing to echo 1960s TV advertisements, Go-Jo started with a segment promoting a blender, before going into a cubicle to transform into a blue sparkly jumpsuit, which saw a part of it dramatically taken off.
Later, JJ opted for a black and white staging, which looked like a disastrous boat trip as he sang about someone they cared about being overwhelmed.
Also putting in a good show was Maltese singer Miriana Conte, who went full diva with Serving, and Czechia representative Adonxs with the punchy Kiss Kiss Goodbye.
Meanwhile, Luxembourger Laura Thorn was posed like a doll by her dancers while she belted La Poupee Monte Le Son and had a costume change mid-song to reveal a new outfit.
Israeli singer Yuval Raphael's semi-final performance of New Day Will Rise did not see the same 'disruption' as an early rehearsal on Thursday.
Prior to the evening show, Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR, which is organising the event, said six people, including a family, obstructed the October 7 survivor's performance with 'oversized flags and whistles' and were subsequently escorted out of the venue.
A spokeswoman said organisers are 'neutral, safe, inclusive and respectful environment at the ESC', while videos on social media appear to show a large Palestinian flag being waved at the singer near the stage.
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