For nearly 40 years, Sir Terry Wogan's pithy commentary and delightfully funny comments poking fun was one of the main reasons for tuning into Eurovision.
Which is one of the many reasons why, on the eve of the 2023 contest coming from Liverpool, presenter Lorraine had a subtle tribute to him in the studio during her ITV show on Friday, May 12.
The first part of her morning programme was dedicated to the contest with a live piece from roving reporter Tyler West and an interview with A1 star Ben Adams who has been 'exposed' as one of Norway's Eurovision contestants from last year. And on the table beside her was a framed photograph of the famed Irish presenter who commentated on the show from 1971 to 2008. They also played a clip of when Lorraine delivered the British vote, giving 12 points to....Ireland.
Read more: All the Welsh Eurovision acts ever and the one that actually won
Sir Terry, who died in 2016, once said: “I don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s a major musical event. I love the Eurovision Song Contest and it will continue long after I’m gone. Just please don’t ask me to take it seriously.”
Poland, Australia and Cyprus were the latest countries to qualify for the 2023 grand final as it emerged Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had been blocked from making an address. Sixteen countries competed on Thursday night for the 10 remaining spots in Saturday's showdown in Liverpool.
Those who won over the voting public also included Albania, Estonia, Belgium and Austria. Lithuania, Armenia and Slovenia were also voted through. But Greece, Denmark, Georgia, Iceland, San Marino and Romania failed to qualify.
It came as the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which produces the contest, said it had declined Mr Zelensky's request to address the event's audience on Saturday.
The contest is this year being held in the UK with the BBC on behalf of war-torn Ukraine, which triumphed in Turin last year following a wave of support from the voting public.
A statement from the EBU said: "The Eurovision Song Contest is an international entertainment show and governed by strict rules and principles which have been established since its creation. As part of these, one of the cornerstones of the contest is the non-political nature of the event. This principle prohibits the possibility of making political or similar statements as part of the contest.
"The request by Mr Zelensky to address the audience at the Eurovision Song Contest, whilst made with laudable intentions, regrettably cannot be granted as it would be against the rules of the event."
Read next:
- Fans react as BBC cancels Welsh comedy The Tuckers
- Philip Schofield issues statement after report of rift with Holly Willoughby
- UK Eurovision singer Mae Muller says song contest training 'like bootcamp'
- Huge listed townhouse for sale on the water in secret Welsh coastal gem
- Popular Secret Garden Café in Cardiff set to close this summer
