logo
Eurovision fans ask ‘what the hell just happened' as they compare UK's Remember Monday to pound shop Disney princesses

Eurovision fans ask ‘what the hell just happened' as they compare UK's Remember Monday to pound shop Disney princesses

The Irish Sun17-05-2025
EUROVISION fans were left baffled after the UK's entry, Remember Monday, took to the stage during tonight's grand final.
Performing their track What the Hell Just Happened? in Basel, Switzerland, the country-pop trio sparked a flurry of reactions online.
Advertisement
4
The UK's Eurovision entry, Remember Monday, took to the stage during tonight's grand final
Credit: AP
BBC viewers playfully branded them 'pound shop Disney princesses' and echoed the song's title in disbelief across
social media
.
The song, co-written by the band members, narrates a chaotic night out with
comedy
.
But opinions were left divided, with one writing on X, formerly Twitter: "We sent the meal deal Disney Princesses into battle. They did her best. Let's never speak of it again."
Advertisement
read more on Remember Monday
Another joked: "UK - pound shop atomic kitten watched bohemian rhapsody a few too many times."
Someone else chimed in with: "Oh it was awful and screechy, out of tune. What the hell just happened is that we're last."
A fourth added: "UK entry What The Hell just Happened. More like WTF just Happened, lol. C**p."
But others rushed to defend the band.
Advertisement
Most read in Music
One wrote: "im a fan or remember monday the girls seem sweet."
A second said: "Remember Monday smashed it!"
Eurovision fans spot huge technical blunders in UK entry Remember Monday's performance ahead of final
Despite the divided opinions, their performance marked the UK's first girl group entry since 1999.
However, Remember Monday were
Advertisement
Bookies made them 66/1 to cause an upset tonight, meaning they're more likely to finish in last place (3/1) than first, while 12/1 says they score 'nul points'.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: "Remember Monday need nothing short of a miracle to cause an upset in Switzerland tonight, if the latest odds are anything to go by."
Inspired by their friendship after they met at school in Hampshire, Remember Monday were the eighth performance this evening.
They will be up against the noted contenders Sweden, who are represented by Swedish-speaking Finnish trio Kaj with their entry Bara Bada Bastu, a comedic song about Nordic sauna culture, and who will break Eurovision records if they win.
Advertisement
Ireland, whose 2025 representative Emmy Kristiansen failed to get through in Thursday's semi-final, and Sweden are currently on seven wins each after Swedish singer Loreen's victory in Liverpool in 2023.
Other favourites this year are
Also in the mix are Finnish leather-wearing Erika Vikman with the innuendo-laden German language song Ich Komme, France's Louane with the soulful Maman, and Dutch singer Claude Kiambe's touching C'est La Vie.
There has also been buzz around host country Switzerland's Zoe Me with Voyage, Estonia's Tommy Cash with Italian parody Espresso Macchiato, and Malta's Miriana Conte, who changed her song's title, Kant, due to a complaint about its similarity to an English language swearword, to Serving.
Advertisement
The winner will be determined by a combination of points from national juries and viewer votes in the participating 26 countries, along with a separate rest of the world poll.
The UK's national jury votes are set to be announced by singer
The grand final will also see previous Eurovision runners-up
There has also been speculation that Canadian singer Celine Dion, who won for the Swiss in 1988 with Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi, could take to the St Jakobshalle stage, amid her stepping back from touring due to health issues.
Advertisement
Everything you need to know about Eurovision
Here's your complete guide to all things Eurovision:
Who was
How to host a
How many times has
How much is Graham Norton paid and what's his
When has Eurovision
4
Fans were left baffled over their performance
Credit: EPA
4
The country-pop trio sparked a flurry of reactions online
Credit: EPA
4
Some weren't won over by the track
Credit: Splash
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Eurovision: These 7 European cities have hosted the song contest the most
Eurovision: These 7 European cities have hosted the song contest the most

Extra.ie​

time8 hours ago

  • Extra.ie​

Eurovision: These 7 European cities have hosted the song contest the most

It has been announced that Vienna will be the host city for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 whick takes place in May of next year. This news got us thinking: Which European city has hosted the event the most? Well, there are seven cities which make up the top four in terms of hosting duties, so let's take a look at who comes out on top. Molly Sterling of Ireland performs on stage during the second Semi Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna Pic:The Austrian capital has joined the list of cities that have hosted the Eurovision three times, after it was announced as the location for the 70th anniversary event. The 2026 event will take place in the Wiener Stadthalle, which also hosted the 60th anniversary celebrations in 2015, and in 1967, it was the Grosser Festsaal der Wiener Hofburg that staged the show. Bambie Thug on the Malmo Arena stage in 2024. Pic: Andres Poveda The popular Swedish city has also staged the song contest three times, in 1992, 2013 and 2024. The Malmö Isstadion was the first venue in the city to earn the honour, with duties falling on the Malmö Arena after that. Nicky Byrne performing at the Eurovision Song Contest semi-final in Stockholm in 2016. Pic: Maja Suslin/TT/AFP via Getty Images Sweden's second appearance on this list is its capital city, which has hosted Eurovision in 1975, 2000 and 2016. The Sankt Eriks-Massen was the first venue chosen to stage the show, with the Globe Arena taking over from 2000. Kasey Smith performing in Copenhagen in 2014. Pic: Ragnar Singsaas/WireImage Our third (and last) Scandanavian city on the list is the Danish city of Copenhagen, which has hosted the show three times. In 1964, the Tivalis Koncertsal staged the event, followed by the Parken Stadium in 2001 and the B&W Hallerne in 2014. Irish singer Pat McGuigan competing for Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest (as Pat McGeegan) with the song Chance of a Lifetime in London's Royal Albert Hall in 1968 Pic: Larry Ellis/The city that has hosted the Eurovision the second-most times (well, joint second), is London, which has hosted a total of four times. The city first helmed the event in 1960 at the Royal Festival Hall, and later moved to the BBC Television Centre in 1963. On their next hosting, the event moved to the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in 1968, before moving to Wembley Conference Centre in 1977. Marion Rung performing at the 1962 Eurovision Song Contest in Luxembourg. Pic: Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images The other second-place city is Luxembourg city, who hosted four times throughout the last 70 years. The country had quite a good track record in the song contest before deciding to leave in 1995 and only rejoined in 2024. The 1962 and 1966 event was hosted in the Villa Louvigny, while the 1973 and 1984 events were hosted in the Théâtre Municipal. Celine Dion on stage with Pat Kenny (left) at Dublin's RDS in 1988. Pic: Independent NewsIt should come as no surprise that the small, island nation that has won the Eurovision Song Contest a record sevent times has picked the same city as host for the majority of occasions. While Sweden also has seven wins under their belt, they also have more venues available to them, but for Ireland, Dublin is the place with the largest venues. Surprisingly though, it was the Gaiety Theatre that chosen in 1971 to stage the show, with the RDS Simmonscourt taking over in 1981 and 1988. The Point Theatre (now the 3Arena) is the venue that has hosted the most Eurovisions, staging the show three times, in 1994, 1995 and 1997.

How TV star Jussie Smollett's ‘race attack' hoax that rocked tinderbox US was exposed by clues including a sandwich bag
How TV star Jussie Smollett's ‘race attack' hoax that rocked tinderbox US was exposed by clues including a sandwich bag

The Irish Sun

time9 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

How TV star Jussie Smollett's ‘race attack' hoax that rocked tinderbox US was exposed by clues including a sandwich bag

AS the star of hit drama Empire, Jussie Smollett was at the height of his fame in 2019 and was becoming a household name across the globe. But the actor's world came crashing down after he claimed he had been the victim of a hate crime, attacked by two white men in the street who punched and kicked him, using racial and homophobic slurs before tying a noose around his neck. 12 Jussie Smollett in hospital after alleging he was the victim of a racially-motivated attack Credit: Twitter 12 Jussie Smollett (centre) with Empire co-stars Terrence Howard, Bryshere Gray, Trai Byers and Taraji P. Henson Credit: Handout 12 Jussie was eventually jailed over the claims Credit: The Mega Agency 12 CCTV footage released by Chicago Police shows two 'people of interest' in the 'attack' Credit: AP:Associated Press The horrifying 'attack' sent shockwaves around the world, coming at a time of racially-charged tensions and claims of police corruption in Chicago, where Smollett alleged the incident took place, and other cities across America. Messages of support for the actor, now 43, flooded in from celebrities and even President Donald Trump, with cops put under huge pressure to solve the case. Josie Duffy Rice, a criminal justice journalist, says: 'You don't put a noose around anybody's neck for any other reason than they are black. Lynching is coming back, right? That was the undertone. It felt like a threat against anybody black.' Melissa Staples, former chief of detectives at Chicago Police, adds: 'That is something I have never come across in an investigation in 30 years. I thought it was very disturbing, I thought it was repulsive.' But police soon established an astonishing twist in the tale, suspecting that the attack had not happened at all and was in fact a hoax staged by Smollett himself and two friends. Now a new Netflix documentary breaks down how the scandal was exposed by a breadcrumb trail of clues including a sandwich bag, while those involved in the case - including Smollett, who astonishingly maintains his innocence - put forward their sides of the story. Smollett - who played pop star Jamal Lyon in Fox drama Empire - says: 'Those moments changed the trajectory of my entire life. "My story has never changed. My story has remained intact. "Trust me there have been people who have come to me and said 'just say that you did it'. "But why would I say that I did something if I didn't do it?' Jussie Smollett's conviction for fake hate attack overturned as court cites Bill Cosby case as example in shock reversal Hoax unravels Smollett had gone out in freezing temperatures in the middle of the night to get some food when he claimed he was attacked on Chicago's East Lower North Water Street on January 29, 2019. He returned to his apartment with the noose still around his neck and his friend called the police to report the hate crime. But alarm bells soon started to ring for the detectives in charge of the case. Eddie Johnson, former superintendent of Chicago Police, says: 'To think that I had two white guys attack a black man in this city was disgusting to me. But some things kind of struck me as a little odd. "We were going through the polar vortex at the time and I was thinking to myself, 'Who is out in the street with it being cold as s**t out there?' 'We had video of Jussie Smollett when he came back into his building after the crime had occurred so that's when we saw the Subway sandwich bag in his hand, that was in pristine condition. "And I'm like wait a minute, most victims of an assault like that, they are trying to get the heck out of dodge, because let's face it who says that these guys that assaulted him won't come back? "The last thing you are worried about is grabbing a sandwich bag, so that was a little odd to me. I believe he wanted to be the poster boy of activism for black people, for gay people or for marginalised people Bola 'Then there was the initial video of him in his apartment with the noose. He says to the officers, 'Yeah this is the noose that they used, I just want you all to see it', then he calmly takes it from around his neck and then rolls it up like it's a prop. "Now my family is from the Deep South in Alabama so I saw some things growing up. I don't know of many black people, if there was a noose around their neck, they are not going to leave it on there. They are going to treat it with disdain and disgust. That was a little cause for concern. Then we asked Jussie for his phone. He doesn't want to give it to us so of course that raised a lot of suspicion on our part.' Suspects puzzle Cops reviewed hours and hours of CCTV footage and found no evidence of an assault. Taxi records from the night of the attack identified two main suspects who were dropped off near the scene of the alleged crime - but puzzlingly, they were two black men, Ola and Bola Osundairo. And far from being total strangers to Jussie Smollett, they had both worked as extras on the Empire series - and one was his personal trainer. Then detectives discovered that the night after the incident the Osundairo brothers had flown to Nigeria. On their return cops were waiting to arrest them on the runway. 12 Abimbola 'Abel' (left) and Olabinjo 'Ola' Osundairo were found to be pals of Smollett Credit: Instagram 12 The pair were paid over $3,000 by Smollett 12 The actor outside the courthouse in 2019 Credit: Getty Images - Getty Police showed Smollett the men's pictures and he said it was impossible that they were his attackers. He says: 'I was friends with one brother, he was also working as my trainer. There was absolutely no reason whatsoever that I could think that they would do it.' But Jussie later gave a TV interview about his attack and identified two men pictured on CCTV as his attackers - unaware that police had IDed them as the Osundairo brothers. And when the pair's lawyer Gloria Rodriguez showed them the footage, they were furious and agreed to talk to the police. The brothers claimed that Jussie had received a threatening letter in the post a week before the attack, but he said the Empire film studio weren't taking it seriously. So he asked Bola - who he had become friends with - to beat him up. Bola says: 'I believe he wanted to be the poster boy of activism for black people, for gay people or for marginalised people.' Ola adds: 'I thought it was crazy but at the same time it was Hollywood. So I don't know, I'm a baby in it. This is what they do, this is how it goes.' Steroid cash claim Smollett paid the brothers $3,500 by cheque and they went ahead with the plan. Eddie Johnson says: 'Now the brothers had given us enough evidence to prove that he was not telling the truth. I was like we've got this dude now.' But Jussie had gone AWOL. Tina Glandian, attorney at Geragos and Geragos, a firm that has represented infamous stars such as Andrew Tate and Chris Brown, was drafted in by Jussie Smollett's employers at Fox. Police alleged that Smollett had sent himself the threatening letter, and then when that didn't get enough attention from Fox, he set up the staged attack in a bid to get a salary increase. And that is when the public turned on him. Smollett says: 'Eddie Johnson said things that are factually untrue. That I lied because I was dissatisfied with my pay on Empire. "Let me just break that down. My relationship with Fox was very good. I was making great money as an actor, and I was also now making great money as a director.' Smollett claims that he had paid Bola the $3,500 not to stage an attack, but to buy him an illegal herbal steroid from Nigeria to help him lose belly fat. 12 Former cop Eddie Johnson says Smollett's story didn't add up 12 The actor tells his side of the story in the show Credit: AP 12 CCTV images of the night of the attack Credit: © 2025 Netflix, Inc. Dropped from show Jussie Smollett was charged with filing a false police report and was written out of Empire. But after a meeting between his lawyers and the prosecutors, a deal was reached and the charges were dropped. Smollett says: 'My lawyer then comes to me, she says they are offering that if you forfeit your bond for $10,000 and we can show them that you are a good citizen, they will drop this and they will let this go. "If this continues, this will go on for at least two years, your career will stall and people will forget about you. And it was because of that that I made the decision and said we will do it. 'I can't say I was happy when the charges were dropped because I feel like the charges should never have been brought to begin with.' Meanwhile, the cops who had investigated the case were furious and a special prosecutor was brought in to look at it again. I thought it was crazy but at the same time it was Hollywood. So I don't know, I'm a baby in it. Ola Smollett was once again charged and faced trial. His lawyers claimed to have found two witnesses from the night of the attack - one a hotel security guard who had seen a white man in a balaclava running past, and one of Jussie's neighbours who saw a man with a piece of white rope hanging out of his jacket outside their apartment building. Despite this new evidence, he was found guilty and sentenced to 150 days in jail, although he served only six days behind bars after he launched an appeal. Jussie Smollett still maintains his innocence, with the Netflix documentary hearing claims he believes back up his version of events. A documentary maker and freelance journalist investigating the case claim CCTV they have seen of the suspects from the night of the alleged attack clearly shows that they were two white men, though this is disputed by others who appear in the film. In November last year, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned Smollett's conviction, saying the prosecutors could not go after him again after the original deal they made with him. The Truth About Jussie Smollett? Is on Netflix from August 22. 12 Smollett leaves the Cook County Jail in March 2022 after an appeals court agreed with his lawyers that he should be released Credit: AP

Eurovision bosses announce city to host the 2025 song contest
Eurovision bosses announce city to host the 2025 song contest

Irish Daily Mirror

time9 hours ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Eurovision bosses announce city to host the 2025 song contest

RTE's Irish delegation is set to travel to Vienna for next year's Eurovision as the host city is revealed. Austria's capital was selected by national broadcaster ORF and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) following a competitive bid process. The Grand Final will be staged at the Wiener Stadthalle on Saturday 16 May, with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 12 and Thursday 14 May. This will be the third time Vienna has welcomed Eurovision. The city first hosted in 1967 after Udo Jürgens' victory the year before, and again in 2015 following Conchita Wurst's win. Next year's contest comes after Austria's JJ triumphed in Basel this May with Wasted Love, securing the country's third Eurovision crown. Martin Green, Director of the Eurovision Song Contest, said Vienna's reputation as "one of the most musical cities in the world" and its central European location made it the ideal choice. He added that the Stadthalle proved to be an "exceptional venue" when it staged the 60th edition. Vienna's mayor Michael Ludwig said the city would ensure events around the contest are accessible to everyone, while Tourism Director Norbert Kettner described Eurovision and Vienna as a "perfect match". Eurovision has delivered significant boosts to recent host cities, with Liverpool, Malmö and Basel all reporting major gains in tourism and international profile. Further details on events, participating countries and ticket sales will be announced in the coming months. It comes after we revealed RTE spent €385,000 for two weeks in Basel, sending Norwegian singer Emmy to the Eurovision Song Contest in May of this year. The national broadcaster forked out €50,785 for a hotel for 19 people who were part of the delegation who travelled to Switzerland in May. Emmy failed to secure a place for Ireland in the final with her tune Laika Party. A Freedom of Information request revealed production costs amounted to €79,242, transportation costs totalled €1,407, while €7,503 was spent on economy flights Basel. The FOI showed a total of €2,538 was spent on 'representation', while 'subsistence costs' were €12,079. RTE said: 'The cost associated with Eurovision is two fold; one is to produce an act to represent Ireland in the biggest entertainment show in the world, to a standard that we can be proud of in front of an audience of 166 million viewers, the other is to provide over nine hours of live entertainment to an Irish audience who watch the competition in large numbers. The FOI showed a total of €2,538 was spent on 'representation', while 'subsistence costs' were €12,079. RTE said: 'The cost associated with Eurovision is two fold; one is to produce an act to represent Ireland in the biggest entertainment show in the world, to a standard that we can be proud of in front of an audience of 166 million viewers, the other is to provide over nine hours of live entertainment to an Irish audience who watch the competition in large numbers. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store