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Irish Independent
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Eurovision scoring revealed: Ireland received just 28 points, while Israel got maximum points from the Irish televote in semi-final
Austria won the competition last night for the third time with classically-trained singer JJ and his pop-opera song Wasted Love, while Israel's Yuval Raphael's came second with her song New Day Will Rise. The details of the televoting and jury voting can now be revealed, with the Irish entry failing to break into the top ten in the second semi-final on Thursday night. Ireland finished in 13th place and received 28 points in total – drawing with both the Serbian and Georgian entries – with a country having needed at least more than 51 votes to surpass Armenia's entry Survivor to make the grand final. Israel qualified in first place with 203 points, having received the maximum 12 points from multiple country's televoters, including in Ireland. The Irish televote gave Israel 12 points in the second semi-final and 10 points in the final, while the Irish jury, which is made up of five industry professionals, gave Israel seven points in the Eurovision grand final. Qualifiers are revealed in no particular order on the night of the semi-final, with detailed voting results later showing how viewers and juries voted. Latvia earned the number two spot in the second semi-final, followed by Finland, Greece and Austria. Australian entry Milkshake Man by Go-Jo also failed to qualify on Thursday night in what was seen as a shock twist in the competition, with detailed voting results showing the song ranked 11 out of 16. Just ten songs were able to advance to the next stage of the competition. The Irish entry about the Russian space dog having a 'party in the sky' did not resonate with viewers as had been hoped, with Ireland receiving seven points from the UK, six from Malta, four from Latvia, two from five countries, including Australia, and one point from the rest of the world. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more In the second semi-final, Irish televoters gave 12 points to Israel, 10 points to Lithuania, eight to Latvia, seven to Finland, six to Austria, five to Denmark, four to Malta, three to Australia and Czechia, two to Luxembourg and one point to Greece. In the final, Irish televoters gave the Polish entry its coveted 12 points, while Israel received 10 points. They gave eight to Lithuania, seven to Ukraine, six to Estonia, five to Finland, four to Austria, three to Latvia, two to Sweden and one point to Spain. The Irish jury voters, which included Dermot McEvoy, Edward Porter, Kofi Appiah, Helen Jordan Guthrie and Tara Murray, gave winners Austria 12 points. The Netherlands received 10 points, France received eight and Israel received seven points from the Irish jury vote, the results of which were announced by Westlife's Nicky Byrne. Malta received six points from the Irish jury, Sweden received five and Finland received four. Three points went to Greece, two points went to the UK and one point went to Armenia. It was a dramatic final in Switzerland, with just 79 points separating the Austrian and Israeli entries. There had been calls for Israel to be excluded from the competition, with protests taking place in Basel throughout the week – including on the streets last night. A small number of protesters attempted to disrupt the Israeli singer's final performance but were blocked by security officials. RTÉ director-general Kevin Bakhurst met with the European Broadcasting Union last week to raise concerns about Israel's inclusion in the contest.
Irish Independent
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Revealed: Ireland received just 28 points in Eurovision semi-final and Irish televoters gave Israel maximum points
Austria won the competition last night for the third time with classically-trained singer JJ and his pop-opera song Wasted Love, while Israel's Yuval Raphael's came second with her song New Day Will Rise. The details of the televoting and jury voting can now be revealed, with the Irish entry failing to break into the top ten in the second semi-final on Thursday night. Ireland finished in 13th place and received 28 points in total – drawing with both the Serbian and Georgian entries – with a country having needed at least more than 51 votes to surpass Armenia's entry Survivor to make the grand final. Israel qualified in first place with 203 points, having received the maximum 12 points from multiple country's televoters, including in Ireland. Irish voters gave Israel 12 points in the second semi-final and 10 points in the final, while the Irish jury, which is made up of five industry professionals, gave Israel seven points in the Eurovision grand final. Qualifiers are revealed in no particular order on the night of the semi-final, with detailed voting results later showing how viewers and juries voted. Latvia earned the number two spot in the second semi-final, followed by Finland, Greece and Austria. Australian entry Milkshake Man by Go-Jo also failed to qualify on Thursday night in what was seen as a shock twist in the competition, with detailed voting results showing the song ranked 11 out of 16. Just ten songs were able to advance to the next stage of the competition. The Irish entry about the Russian space dog having a 'party in the sky' did not resonate with viewers as had been hoped, with Ireland receiving seven points from the UK, six from Malta, four from Latvia, two from five countries, including Australia, and one point from the rest of the world. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more In the second semi-final, Irish televoters gave 12 points to Israel, 10 points to Lithuania, eight to Latvia, seven to Finland, six to Austria, five to Denmark, four to Malta, three to Australia and Czechia, two to Luxembourg and one point to Greece. In the final, Irish televoters gave the Polish entry its coveted 12 points, while Israel received 10 points. They gave eight to Lithuania, seven to Ukraine, six to Estonia, five to Finland, four to Austria, three to Latvia, two to Sweden and one point to Spain. The Irish jury voters, which included Dermot McEvoy, Edward Porter, Kofi Appiah, Helen Jordan Guthrie and Tara Murray, gave winners Austria 12 points. The Netherlands received 10 points, France received eight and Israel received seven points from the Irish jury vote, the results of which were announced by Westlife's Nicky Byrne. Malta received six points from the Irish jury, Sweden received five and Finland received four. Three points went to Greece, two points went to the UK and one point went to Armenia. It was a dramatic final in Switzerland, with just 79 points separating the Austrian and Israeli entries. There had been calls for Israel to be excluded from the competition, with protests taking place in Basel throughout the week – including on the streets last night. A small number of protesters attempted to disrupt the Israeli singer's final performance but were blocked by security officials. RTÉ director-general Kevin Bakhurst met with the European Broadcasting Union last week to raise concerns about Israel's inclusion in the contest.
Wales Online
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Eurovision 2025: Why do Australia compete in the European song contest?
Eurovision 2025: Why do Australia compete in the European song contest? Eurovision 2025 is taking place in Basel and will see 26 nations from across Europe compete to win the song contest - but why can Australia also compete when the country is not in Europe? Go-Jo is Australia's entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. As Eurovision 2025 gears up to take place in Basel, Switzerland, fans and artists from across Europe are set to descend on the city. This will be the 69th Eurovision Song Contest as it returns to the country where it first originated. Countries across the continent battle it out to win the singing competition, however, for some reason, Australia can also participate in the song contest, despite its geographical location outside of Europe. Their involvement in the Eurovision Song Contest dates back to 2015 when, in celebration of the contest's 50th anniversary, they were invited to compete. This followed an invitation in 2014 for Australia to perform during the contest's semi-finals interval. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . The performance by Australia in 2015 left such a positive impression on Eurovision bosses that they extended an invitation for the country to become a permanent participant. As part of their participation, Australia must qualify for the competition through the semi-finals like the other countries competing, although this doesn't include the Big Five and the host country. Additionally, there's a policy stating that should Australia triumph, it must select a European co-host to organise the event, sparing fans the lengthy trip down under. Article continues below This year, Australia are sending Go-Jo with the song Milkshake Man to the Eurovision Song Contest. They have already amassed 1.8 million views on YouTube. Unfortunately for them, Go-Jo did not qualify in the second round of semi-finals and will not be competing in tonight's grand final. Interestingly, other countries not geographically located in Europe, including Israel and Azerbaijan, also participate in Eurovision. The contest is organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which comprises various broadcasters from countries across Europe and beyond. The BBC, RTE in Ireland, Rai in Italy, and SVT in Sweden are all members of the EBU. The European Broadcasting Union boasts a membership of 73 stations from upwards of 56 nations, all entitled to enter acts into the Eurovision Song Contest should they choose to. This also happens to be the reason why Wales can't enter the competition independently. In January of this year, MSs discussed a petition that was created by calling for Wales to compete in the competition. Bakel Walden, from the EBU, wrote: "As the BBC continues to participate, and remains the rights holder in the United Kingdom, this means an entry from the individual nations of the UK is therefore not possible at the Eurovision Song Contest." Article continues below This is because only one broadcaster in the UK is allowed broadcasting rights and as it stands that is the BBC. In the case of Junior Eurovision in 2018 and 2019, the BBC didn't want the rights and instead S4C took the job, meaning Wales was able to compete singlehandedly with Welsh language songs. The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place tonight, Saturday, May 17. You can watch it on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 8pm.
Daily Mirror
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Who is the favourite to win Eurovision 2025?
It has arrived in Basel in style as this year's Eurovision song contest takes place in Switzerland and the bookies have a clear favourite in this year's edition The anticipation is reaching a fever pitch. After a rollercoaster ride of national selections, rigorous rehearsals, and two nail-biting semi-finals, the Grand Finale of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is set to dazzle us all in Basel, Switzerland this evening. Semi-Final 1 was dominated by Claude's 'C'est la vie' representing the Netherlands, which has now catapulted into the top five favourites. However, it was a night of high drama as much-touted entries from Croatia and Belgium were unexpectedly eliminated. On a brighter note, Albania's Zjerm electrified the crowd with its high-octane electro-folk tune. Meanwhile, Iceland's Róa and Portugal's NAPA defied predictions to secure their berths in the grand showdown. The second Semi-Final saw Latvia's Tautumeitas earning their ticket to the finale for just the third time in their history. They were joined by surprise qualifiers from Denmark and Armenia. However, the night's biggest shocker was Australia bowing out prematurely despite strong support from bookmakers for Go-Jo's viral sensation 'Milkshake Man'. In stark contrast to previous years where victories for acts like Loreen (2023) and Kalush Orchestra (2022) seemed almost preordained, this year's contest is teetering on a knife-edge. The stage is set for surprises, upsets and perhaps even a historic first victory for a novelty act. Who is the favourite to win Eurovision? Sweden stands tall as the bookmakers' favourite, with AKBets offering odds of 21/20. Their entry, "Bara Bada Bastu," is a vibrant fusion that celebrates the beloved Scandinavian sauna culture through an irresistible pop lens. Sung entirely in Swedish—a refreshing change from recent trends—this track has taken the streaming world by storm, amassing over 44 million plays on Spotify and topping charts throughout Scandinavia. Sweden's edge in this year's contest isn't solely due to the song's widespread appeal. The country's rich Eurovision history is a formidable factor, boasting seven victories, with notable wins as recent as 2012 and 2023. This track record of success is reflected in their current performance, as "Bara Bada Bastu" leads fan polls like OGAE and Eurovisionworld, dominates social media conversations, and enjoys widespread backing from fans and bettors alike. Gamble responsibly Reach plc is committed to promoting safer gambling. All of our content and recommended bets are advised to those aged 18 or over. Odds are subject to change too. We strongly encourage our readers to only ever bet what they can afford to lose. For more information, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit
Daily Record
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Why is Australia in Eurovision and why does the UK automatically qualify?
Australia has been involved in the Eurovision for over 10 years and their entry every year causes a stir because Australia is clearly not in Europe, so how do they qualify to compete? This week, the iconic song contest kicked off in Basel, Switzerland, and once again Australia is taking part. The first semi-final took place earlier this week which saw Slovenia, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Croatia and Cyprus missing out on a place in the final. Earlier this week Australian singer Go-Jo had his shot at qualifying with his single Milkshake Man. He was up against competitors from Ireland, Denmark, Greece, Austria and more. Despite not making it through, what allows him to participate when Australia isn't geographically part of Europe? For the last 10 years, Australia has been sending entries to Eurovision as they have huge interest in the competition. The singing competition first aired on the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), an associated member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), back in 1983 and has been broadcast annually ever since. SBS's coverage has enjoyed immense success from the outset, and Australia has provided its own commentators for the show since 2001. Between 2010-2014, SBS even conducted their own televote for Australian viewers, although this did not contribute to the overall result. 2015 was the first year that Australia actually competed, despite their first appearance at the song contest occurring two years prior. In 2013, during the Eurovision contest in Malmö, Sweden, SBS aired a pre-recorded video titled Greetings from Australia (also known as Why Australia Loves Eurovision) to celebrate three decades of broadcasting the show. The following year, Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) allowed Australian singer Jessica Mauboy to perform during the second semi-final's interval in Copenhagen. The 2015 contest in Vienna, Austria, marked Australia's official debut performance at Eurovision. American Idol winner Guy Sebastian represented the country and secured an impressive fifth place with his song Tonight Again. Both the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster ORF decided to allow Australia to participate directly in the final, bypassing the semi-finals, in honour of Eurovision's 60th anniversary. This decision was made to minimise the risk of eliminating countries within Europe. However, it was confirmed by both EBU and SBS that if Australia were to win, they would not follow suit with hosting the following year's contest. Australia has continued to compete in Eurovision ever since, though they failed to qualify for the final in 2021, 2024 and also have failed to qualify this year. Their most successful entry came just a year after their debut, when singer Dami Im clinched second place with her song Sound of Silence at the 2016 final in Stockholm, Sweden. Why does the UK qualify automatically? France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom are given a pass straight to the final. These nations are referred to as the "Big Five" and, along with the Host Country (aka the winner of the year previous), they automatically advance to the Grand Final. The concept of the Big Five in Eurovision is detailed by the competition's official website, which clarifies: "The Big Five are the participating broadcasters from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom - the group of countries who, via their broadcasters, make the biggest financial contribution towards the organisation of the contest." Who is in the final this year? 1. Norway | Kyle Alessandro – Lighter 2. Luxembourg | Laura Thorn – La Poupée Monte Le Son 3. Estonia | Tommy Cash – Espresso Macchiato 4. Israel | Yuval Raphael – New Day Will Rise 5. Lithuania | Katarsis – Tavo Akys 6. Spain | Melody – ESA DIVA 7. Ukraine | Ziferblat – Bird of Pray 8. United Kingdom | Remember Monday – What The Hell Just Happened? 9. Austria | JJ – Wasted Love 10. Iceland | VÆB – RÓA 11. Latvia | Tautumeitas – Bur Man Laimi 12. Netherlands | Claude – C'est La Vie 13. Finland | Erika Vikman – ICH KOMME 14. Italy | Lucio Corsi | Volevo Essere Un Duro 15. Poland | Justyna Steczkowska – GAJA 16. Germany | Abor & Tynna – Baller 17. Greece | Klavdia – Asteromáta 18. Armenia | PARG – SURVIVOR 19. Switzerland | Zoë Më – Voyage 20. Malta | Miriana Conte – SERVING 21. Portugal | NAPA – Deslocado 22. Denmark | Sissal – Hallucination 23. Sweden | KAJ – Bara Bada Bastu 24. France | Louane – maman 25. San Marino | Gabry Ponte – Tutta L'Italia 26. Albania | Shkodra Elektronike – Zjerm
