Ukrainian Eurovision winner Jamala has said next year's song contest should be held in the UK if her home country is unable to host it.
The singer, 38, who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016 with her tune 1944, fled Kyiv in March following the Russian invasion. Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra went on to win this year’s contest in Turin, but the European Broadcasting Union said it was in talks with the BBC to “potentially host” the 2023 event after concluding next year’s contest cannot be held in Ukraine.
“It’s really sad the EBU decided to take away all this chance and all this hope,” Jamala told the PA news agency. "But I really understand that it has to be in a peaceful place for participants and for everybody. Great Britain came second in the competition, so if Ukraine is unwilling to host the event for whatever reason, it would be fair to hold it in one of your cities.”
The EBU put out a statement regarding the staging of next year's contest last week. It said: "The EBU fully understands the disappointment that greeted the announcement that the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest cannot be staged in Ukraine, this year’s winning country.
"The decision was guided by the EBU’s responsibility to ensure the conditions are met to guarantee the safety and security of everyone working and participating in the event, the planning of which needs to begin immediately in the host country. At least 10,000 people are usually accredited to work on, or at, the Eurovision Song Contest including crew, staff and journalists. A further 30,000 fans are expected to travel to the event from across the world. Their welfare is our prime concern.
"Alongside the security concerns, the continued conflict in Ukraine makes delegations and participants reluctant to travel to the country. We also noted the comments made by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, that the war in Ukraine 'could take years'.
"Taking all of this into account the EBU, with regret, made its decision to move the event to another country and will continue discussions on finding a suitable location for next year’s Eurovision Song Contest."
Jamala said she considered the decision to be “premature”, and added the EBU’s conclusion was “very painful” as a Ukrainian. She spoke about her time spent touring Europe to spread the message of anti-war, including an appearance at Glastonbury, where she said she saw what a “treasure” it was to be human. "You don’t even know how important it is. We have a voice, we have strong voices… We have our vision and our followers, we have our fans. And we can really do something to talk about this because we can stop this evil only if we are united, only if we are together.”
Jamala admitted she might be a “dreamer” but said that Europe was more united than many thought. “And I know that the British open their houses to invite refugees, they collect money for medicine and so on… We are all connected.”
The singer added that she was “happy” that UK may host 2023’s Eurovision Song Contest as British entrant Sam Ryder was “really, really, really good.”
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
Find recommendations for eating out, attractions and events near you here on our sister website 2Chill
Find recommendations for dog owners and more doggy stories on our sister site Teamdogs
