Sam Ryder did an incredible job at Eurovision 2022 by finishing in second place, but some fans of the show were left with a bitter taste in their mouth after the public vote changed everything.
Favourites at the bookies, Ukraine, stormed the televote with a monumental 439 points, which led to them winning the competition with 631 points. Essex-based Sam finished second on 466.
But calls for a change of format are still ringing in our ears after overall winners Ukraine, who performed their folk-rap song Stefania, jumped from eighth to pole position after the televote, reports Chronicle Live. Earlier in the show, once the scores from the jury vote had come in, 32-year-old Sam was primed to be crowned the winner after finding himself at the top of the leaderboard.
But some UK-based fans feel that Sam was "robbed" of his victory after the televote was added in, with the public seemingly showing love and support to Ukraine after Russia's invasion. Commenting on a BBC Eurovision post on Twitter, one reacted: "UK won, sympathy votes shouldn't count."
A second tweeted: "Eurovision was rigged. Moldova got the biggest public vote besides Ukraine and no one country gave them 12 points. It's a shame even a music contest gets turned into a propaganda machine."
A third commented: "Surely this result should make them look closer at how the jury vs public vote is conducted. The public supported Ukraine, not necessarily for the music but more for solidarity. I agree that politics should play no part in who wins."
However, in the midst of a conflict against Russia, others came to Ukraine's defence and said that the war-torn country winning was the "right thing" to happen.
