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Liverpool Echo

Christopher Megrath

More than three million people watched first Eurovision 2023 semi-final held in Liverpool

Eurovision 2023 Eurovision BBC One

The first Eurovision Song Contest semi-final brought in millions of viewers across the United Kingdom.

The BBC moved the broadcast from its standard home on BBC Three to BBC One for the first time in the show's history. The shift saw a peak of 3.4m viewers with 394,000 more tuning in on BBC iPlayer, making it the most viewed semi-final in the UK ever.

Last year, the semi-final brought in an audience of 545,000, showing a growth of 623%.

READ MORE: Ultimate guide to everything happening during Eurovision 2023

The contest itself is just one part of the BBC's Eurovision programming. The Turquoise Carpet and National Lottery Eurovision Party highlights were broadcast on BBC One alongside other specially commissioned shows looking at the contest, its music and deep dives of the artists' careers.

Liverpool actor Sunetra Sarker, comedian Jason Manford, and Eurovision commentator Rylan Clark are just some of the famous faces who helped host parts of this year's contest.

The second semi-final airs on Thursday, May 11, followed by the Grand Final on Saturday, May 13.

Get all the latest Eurovision 2023 news straight to your inbox

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