Eurovision 2025 final live: Israel takes to the stage to ‘mixed reception’ as Pro-Palestine activists march on song contest – with UK entry appearing to impress the crowd

Next up we have Claude from the Netherlands singing C’est La Vie.

The song is a tribute to his mother and is very beautiful.

I’m not sure why Claude is singing half of his song in French. It’s very nice and emotional I will admit – a classic chansong but it’s not giving: The Netherlands.

A perfectly acceptable entry – I’m obviosuly way out here as the bookies have Claude down as winning 45/1.

No we’re not in a voodoo ceremony and I don’t think those are witches although you could be forgiven for the confusion with the strange chanting in the darkness.

Tautumeitas from Latvia are singing Bur Man Laimi and I must admit I feel transported to a fairy kingdom by the girlband whose song is deeply rooted in Latvian traditional music.

Am I wowed by it? Yes. Will I remember it after the next song or two/? Probably not.

It would make a good film soundtrack though.

A Palestinian flag was spotted in the crowd directly opposite israel’s Yuva Raphael as she performed.

The protests comes after crowds gathered outside the stadium in Barfüsserplatz holding signs calling for ean end to the conflict in Gaza.

Remember Monday’s Eurovision performance with their song What The Hell Just Happened has received a varied response from both those watching at home and in the crowd.

MailOnline’s Hayley Minn, reporting live from the crowd in Basel, said that there was ‘great reception for the UK’, while social media users described the performance as ‘amazing’ and the ‘best vocals of the night so far’

However, others online appeared less convinced by the girl group’s highly anticipated performance, with one dubbing the group ‘like Little Mix from Poundland’.

Next up is Iceland with VÆB (pronounced vibe) performing RÓA.

All I can say is it’s incredible.

If you’re wondering what’s happening, the stage has been rushed by the Icelandic version of Jedward complete with platinum hair and identical outfits.

But the brothers, Hálfdán and Matthías are certainly balls of energy jumping around the stage to their their distinctly piratical song in full silver tracksuits.

The duo formed VÆB after posting a comedy song on TikTok and it did so well they actually released it as a single.

The bookies have got them as the least likely to win but they could be dark horses – I’ve already got it stuck in my head.

Warning: this contains flashing imagery and strobe effects glaore.

Wasted Love by JJ for Austria is an usual song.

JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, is a countertenor with an usually high voice for a man and this song certainly shows it off.

When he’s not taking to the Eurovision stage he’s performing at the Vienna State Opera and perhaps that’s where his talents lie.

I feel nervous and seasick just watching him flail about on a dingy with the wind machine on its maximum speed.

A frenetic and dramatic performance, it’s unlikely to have the same success as Rise Like A Phoenix performed by Conchita Wurst more than ten years ago.

For those watching in the UK, it has become tradition to raise a glass to the memory of Terry Wogan when song number nine hits.

Because the former host advised his successor Graham Norton not to have a drink until he’d hit song nine.

The late Wogan provided witty commentary for the BBC from 1980 until 2008 and even co-hosted the show in 1998 with Ulrika Jonsson.

Even if you enjoyed Remember Monday’s song What Just Happened, remember that UK viewers are still unable to vote for their entry.

Any votes from the UK for the three-piece girl group will not count

The rule is done out of fairness, meaning that UK voters can vote for any other nation in tonight’s grand final.

And now it’s the time we’ve all been waiting for – Remember Monday has taken to the stage for the UK.

The country pop band, made up of Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele, all 30, left fans impressed with their performance during the semi-finals.

And it seems they’ve done it again.

With an R&B take on ABBA but with Bridgerton/Regency dresses, maybe some Queen and some impressive harmoniziing, could we finally be in with a chance?

It had everything Eurovision usually loves – a de-skirting, a key change and some seriously camp staging curtesy of a huge chandelier.

And the crowd seemed ot enjoy it too!

As Israel’s act Yuva Raphael took to the stage, UK presenter Graham Norton said at the end of her performance: ‘I’m not sure what you can hear at home. Slightly mixed reception here in the hall.’

A Palestinian flag was pictured held up in the crowd, while others watching from home took to social media to express their outrage at the performance.

It comes as dozens of former participants have called for Israel to be excluded over its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza.

And it seems we’ve been taken back in time to the 70s with Ziferblat, a three man group from Ukraine.

And while they may be new to the Eurovision stage, they are no strangers to Eurovision royalty.

In 2019 they appeared on Ukrainian X Factor and were mentored by none other than Andriy Danylko otherwise known as Verka Serduchka!

Singing Bird of Pray, the trio mainly sing in Ukrainian but in case anyone wants to sing along, there’s an English chorus.

Confusingly the song veers between chanting and melodic singing as Ziferblat all pace about the stage in smoke with eccentric hot pink or blue suits designed by Beyonce’s go-to Ukrainian designer.

I’m on the fence about them and it seems so are most, with odds of winning at a dismal 175/1.

For Spain is Melody, 34, a veteran Spanish pop star with more than 25 years experience on the stage after her first number one at…aged 10.

Singing Es Diva, you might be able to guess what we’re in for.

Castanets and electronic beats are an interesting combination and Spain seems to be trying to fuse traditional Spanish sounds with more modern elements.

I’m a big fan of the tulle skirt and fedora which wouldn’t look out of place at Coachella – in case anyone wants some outfit inspiration.

The costume change was – something. For a split second I feared her backing dancers had rendered poor Melody naked with that flesh-coloured body suit.

Unfortunately, Melody’s performance is nothing new from Spain who typically send along a beautiful woman in a barely-there costume.

At least this one came in on a huge swing over the audience.

And taking to the stage next is Katarsis singing Tavo Akys for Lithuania.

The four-man experimental rock-band (grimaces) are opting for a Hunger Games-themed performance apparently with District 12 style tunics as they sing about someone’s… eyes.

Are they Eurovision performers or extras from a post-apocalyptic TV show? Who knows.

One thing is for certain lead singer Lukas Radzevičius’s curatin bangs are outrageous.

There’s definitely an energy to them but alas I think they’ll struggle to make much of an impression on voters.

They might some new fans among moody pubescent teenagers though.

Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival in 2023, is performing New Day Will Rise.

A controversial entry, the song was initially called to be banned with dozens of former participants demanding for Israel to be excluded over its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza.

But on the stage Yuval seems to have put all that behind her with a dramatic solo performance dressed in a black cape and belting out the emotional ballad at the top of a crystal-covered staircase.

While the song is no doubt a tear-jerker, the staging and costume remind me of the kind of boudoir a spurned mistress might have in 1980s.

Israel have previously won four times and I’m not sure this will lead to a fifth victory.

Up next is a fan favourite and a potential contender for the Eurovision crown.

Espresso Macchiato sung by Tommy Cash is everything this song contest is about – ridiculous staging, a silly song and a catchy hook.

Taking to the stage in front of a red curtain with nothing but an espresso cup, Tommy Cash tempts fate with his staging including a ‘Winners cafe’ but his confidence is not misplaced.

The audience are not as enthusiastic as they were in the semi-final where they clapped along as Tommy squirmed and shimmed on stage flanked by statuesque bouncers who camply dance around the singer but ti’s sure to do well with the public vote.

Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso may have been a song of the summer but it has nothing on this catchy earworm from Estonia.

Statistically performing second is the fastest way to kill all hope of lifting the coveted Eurovision trophy but no doubt the Luxemburg entry is hoping to break that curse.

The music teacher was apparently in the middle of teaching a class when she got a text asking her to send a demo in to Eurovision.

Her song choice is an homage to the 1965 Eurovision winning song ‘Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son’ sung by 17-year-old French singer France Gall.

Unfortunately Luxemburg’s version is unlikely to have the same impact on Eurovision history but it’s a preppy upbeat song and Laura’s vocials are pitch-perfect and htere’s even a high kick – what more could you want?

Norway is the first to take to the stage, starting off Eurovision 2025 with less of a bang and more of a splutter with their typical Scandinavian moodiness.

Kyle Alessandro performing Lighter has employed not a costumier but a medieval knight who has put him in a suit of armour it appears.

With a fire-themed song and background visuals, Kyle wouldn’t look out of place in a TATA steelworks, smelting away with the best of them.

The 19-year-old is putting his all in to the performance as he reassures the audience he is his own lighter but with odds at just 400/1 according to PaddyPower it looks like his spark could be extinguished early on.

Nevertheless, it’s a catchy start to a long evening and the crowd loved him.

Presenter Graham Norton is the iconic voice of Britain for tonight’s Eurovision finale, having provided the BBC’s commentary at every contest since 2009.

However, the grand finale set in Basel itself tonight is being hosted by three Swiss celebrities: Hazel Brugger, Michelle Hunziker and Sandra Studer.

For British Eurovision fans unfamiliar with the three hosts, this is what they have to offer to the highly anticipated singing competition:

Sandra is well accustomed to Eurovision having represented her home country, Switzerland, back in 1991.

The Swiss TV presenter, 56, and singer wowed audiences with her rendition of the song Canzone Per Te.

Sandra sang in Italian under the name Sandra Simó and came fifth place.

Since impressing on the Eurovision stage, she has built a career for herself in television and acting.

In 1994, she returned to Eurovision as Switzerland’s spokesperson and commentator.

Sandra has featured on a range of Swiss programmes including Takito, Traumziel, Swiss Award, and einfachluxuriös, while also appearing on screens in Germany and hosting several shows there too.

The 48-year-old Swiss and Italian TV presenter and model, born in Switzerland, shot to fame in the 90s and over the years has played herself and taken on characters in various productions.

She’s starred in a number of films, including The Protagonists, Alex l’ariete, Madagascar, Natale a Rio and Amore nero.

Some of her most famous TV programmes include I misteri di Cascina Vianello, La forza dell’amore, Love Bugs and Idol x Warrior Miracle Tunes.

She’s also presented and been a contestant in Buona Domenica, Superstar, Telegatto, All Together Now and Striscia la notizia.

An award-winning Swiss-American comedian, slam poet and presenter, the 31-year-old was born in San Diego, California, to a Swiss father and German mother.

Now a star of the German-speaking comedy scene, she has toured widely to do stand-up, with her show Tropical premiering on Netflix in December 2020.

This year, she is set to tour with her fourth comedy stage show, Still Awake.

Hazel has also often taken part in Wetten, dass…?, a German Saturday-night TV show which British game show You Bet! was based on.

Hazel is also known for her work on LOL – Last One Laughing, a German game show which sees comedians locked in a room for six hours to see who can stay serious – while also making everyone else laugh.

She has won various awards throughout her career, most recently the German Kleinkunstpreis for ‘Best Stand-Up Comedy’ last year – the jury of which dubbed her ‘the queen of wit’.

Lines are now open and will close later on in the show but hold your horses – you haven’t heard any of the acts yet.

You have two and a half hours and 20 votes so use them wisely.

The flag parade is underway and all 26 acts are strutting out on to the stage in the order they will be performing in.

The parade was added in 2013 and is part of a long preamble.

For those waiting for an actual song they’ll have to sit tight for almost 20 minutes but don’t worry, host Graham Norton is already in full swing with his characteristic witty remarks.

Tonight remains an important night for the two most victorious nations in Eurovision history, Sweden and Ireland. Both nations are tied for the most wins, having achieved a respective seven victories over the course of the last 68 competitions.

Sweden’s most recent win was in 2023 with their entry Loreen, who became the second act (and first woman) to win the hot competition more than once.

The nation also won with iconic pop group ABBA in 1974, alongside scoring wins in 1984, 1991, 1999, 2012 and 2015.

Meanwhile, Ireland achieved their first win in 1970 with Dana’s All Kinds of Everything before Johnny Logan achieved a victory with the 1980 contest, performing his song What’s Another Year.

Logan also won for his home country again in 1987 with Hold Me Now.

Ireland then went on to make three successive wins in 1992, 1993 and 1994, achieving another momentous win in Oslo in 1996 with Eimear Quinn’s The Voice.

Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands and the UK have all won five times.

Last year’s winner Nemo took to the stage with an impressive rendition of The Code – the song which clinched the win last year for Switzerland.

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

Pro-Palestine demonstrators have been pictured setting light to both the US and Israeli flag ahead of tonight’s Eurovision final in Basel, Switzerland.

It comes as droves of protesters have today flocked to Barfüsserplatz in the heart of the Swiss city, which is hosting this year’s Eurovision contest, as one protester is seen with blood smeared across her face and a prop, which is said to represent a body bag.

Ahead of tonight’s much anticipated grand final, crowds of Palestinian supporters held signs which read ‘boycott Israel apartheid’ and ‘no stage for genocide’, as they waved flags and released flares into the sky.

The music contest, whose motto is ‘united by music,’ has been roiled for a second year by disputes over Israel’s participationm with dozens of former participants also calling for the nation to be excluded over its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza.

Around 4,000 musicians, artist and music industry pros from five Nordic countries signed an open letter denouncing the Middle Eastern country’s entry in the 69th Eurovision song contest in Basel.

Those who signed the statement, including some previous Eurovision winners, dubbed Israel’s involvement in the competition as a bid to ‘whitewash and divert attention’ from the Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza strip.

Raphael, 24, is set to represent Israel with her song New Day Will Rise at this year’s contest, after surviving the horrific October 7 attacks just 18 months ago.

Despite the ongoing tension, her song is currently among the favourites to win, according to bookmakers.

Each participating nation in Eurovision has until mid-March to choose their song and artist to perform it, with the selection of the song and artist done through a televised national selection show, internal process, or via any other method.

Successful participants will then compete at the annual singing competition, with the contest usually comprising of three live shows: The First Semi-Final (Tuesday evening), the Second Semi-Final (Thursday evening), and the Grand Final (a Saturday night spectacular).

On the Saturday night Grand Final, participating acts who have qualified will join the ‘Big Five’ broadcasters: the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy, alongside the winners from the previous year (For 2025, this is Switzerland)

The main rules of participation are the following:

1. Song must be original and no longer than three minutes in length.

2. Lead vocals must be performed live.

3. There can be no moer than six performers on stage during any one performance.

Then, after each show, each competing country will give two sets of points (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12) to their all-time favourite songs.

One set of votes is given by a jury of music industry professionals from that paticular country, while another is given by viewers who are watching the show in that country.

You are not allowed to vote for your own country.

In the semi-finals, only those countries who took part in that specific show, alongisde non-participating countries, can vote (along with two or three of the ‘Big Five’ already in the Grand Final).

In the Grand Final, all of the competing countries and the ‘rest of the world’ can vote.

At the end of the Grand Final, the Eurovision winner is decided by the song that has received the most points.

Viewers watching Eurovision tonight can vote via telephone, SMS, and through the official app.

Hopes are rising that music legend Celine Dion could make a surprise appearance tonight.

Celine, who won for the Swiss in 1988 with Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi, could take to the St Jakobshalle stage, amid her stepping back from touring due to health issues.

She did appear during the first semi-final on Tuesday, where she sent a video message saying she wants ‘nothing more’ than to be in Basel, and recalling her triumph as a ‘life-changing moment’.

At a press briefing on Saturday, Eurovision director Martin Green, from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), commented on Celine, saying: ‘My answer was going to be, Father Christmas exist, you’ll have to wait and see.’

But fans are convinced she will be there in some capacity after her private jet was spotted after reprotedly flying in to Switzerland from Paris.

The UK’s Eurovision entrant Remember Monday have been dealt a significant blow ahead of tonight’s grand final.

The country pop band, made up of Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele, all 30, left fans impressed with their performance during the semi-finals.

However, while theories had previously surfaced that the group might take home the trophy of the 69th iteration of the annual contest, it appears that the odds are not in their favour as they are more likely to finish in last place rather than first, according to Ladbrokes.

In a crushing blow to their chances of success, they have been ranked at just 66/1 to take home the trophy by bookies, with nine other countries soaring ahead of them.

Their odds of coming in last place are much closer at just 3/1, while the chance of them scoring ‘nul points’ has been ranked at 12/1.

The UK’s entrant for this year are Remember Monday, a country girl band comprising of trio of best friends Laura Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steel, all 30.

They are the first girl group to represent the UK since Precious in 1999.

Having earned a reputation for their strong vocals and perfectly blended harmonies, the girl group from Farnborough, Hampshire, have entered their song What The Hell Just Happened? for this year’s competition.

The group first gained prominence after entering The Voice UK in 2019, where they were coached by Jennifer Hudson and made it to the show’s quarter-finals.

Since their launch, Remember Monday have released two EPs and 12 singles with their biggest hit yet being What The Hell Just Happened?, the tune which fans will be eager to see them perform at the Eurovision final.

Tonight, after countries such as Luxembourg, Israel, Lithuania and Spain hit the stage, Remember Monday and the UK are eighth in line and so likely to be performing around 9pm BST.

Ahead of the big night, the group previously teased a performance full of ‘drama and theatrics’ overseen by creative director Ace Bowerman, who has worked with stars like Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, Ed Sheeran, and Blackpink.

It marks the biggest performance of the band’s career to date.

Outside the St Jakobshalle arena on Saturday afternoon, British fans are keeping their fingers crossed for Remember Monday.

Devon-based Gary Turner, 50, dressed in an union flag suit alongside his two friends, was cautiously hopeful for the ‘middle’, or ‘left-hand’ side of the rankings board, which would place the UK act far from the bottom.

Ben Bevan, 19, from Grays in Essex, praised the trio, and said: ‘It’s like an earworm getting stuck in your head, you can’t get it out, and I think at first I was a bit sceptical, but it’s really growing on me now so yeah, it’s definitely one of my faves.’

‘I love that we have, finally, someone that can sing,’ said Sam Bate, 32, from London.

‘I feel like we’ve had some issues, we haven’t had the whole package, but I feel we’ve got the whole package this year.’

Finland and Sweden are well-known foes but their rivalry is usually limited to sporting arenas.

Now, it seems, it has spilled over to the Eurovision stage.

The rivalry has taken on a new dimension as Finland’s president Alexander Stubb has said he will not be endorsing his own country’s entry.

Rather than waving the Finnish flag for Ich komme (I’m Coming) by Erika Vikman, Mr Stubb will instead be supporting Sweden’s offering, Bara bada bastu (Just Sauna), performed by KAJ, who are in fact from Finland.

According to The Times, the president said: ‘If KAJ wins Eurovision, in the end it is Finland and Vora that win,’ when asked who he wanted to life the trophy.

As we get closer to the start of the highly anticipated grand finale, bookies are saying that the music contest is now a two-horse race between Sweden and Austria.

The top favourites for this year’s competition are as follows:

Sweden: KAJ – Bara Bada Bastu

Sweden have been the favourite since late February and even moved to odds-on for a record eighth Eurovision triumph last month with dance-pop trio KAJ.

Their entry single, ‘Bara Bada Bastu’ is the group’s first chart-topper, and the first song sung in Swedish entered by Sweden since 1998.

KAJ are the first Finnish act to represent Sweden at the Eurovision, hailing from the coastal town of Vörå, where Swedish is still the main language.

Austria: JJ – Wasted Love

A groundswell of support for Pop-Opera soprano Johannes ‘JJ’ Pietsch has seen Austria come in from 3/1, and Sweden drift to 10/11.

Despite Austria’s finishing position of 24th last year, JJ seems to have captured the hearts of fans, and the country has now been bestowed 11/4 odds.

The 24-year old’s entrant song ‘Wasted Love’ has gained traction for its artistry, ‘beautiful vocals’ and ‘captivating performance’ according to fans.

France is coming up third place in the betting, with pop-ballad soloist, Louane, going from 10/1 to 9/1.

Maman is technically a sequel to a 2015 song of the same name, written in the depths of Louane’s despair. ‘I’ve lost my taste for fun / I can’t find meaning’, Louane sang.

The Netherlands: Claude – C’est La Vie

The Netherlands has a 12/1 odds on their 21-year-old pop star representative Claude.

Initially, the country asked for their entrant from last year, Joost Klein – who was barred from the final after an alleged altercation with a camera operator — the chance to come back for 2025.

Although he’d already written a song for the contest, he declined, saying his disqualification still “stings’.

It could shape up to be unfortunate news for British fans, with statistics suggesting that pop girl group Remember Monday is unlikely to win the competition at 66/1 odds.

The band has recently been warned by the BBC and their own team to steer clear of any controversial topics after old social media posts of theirs backing the Black Lives Matter movement resurfaced.

Tommy Cash is a rapper, singer, visual artist and all-round showman from Estonia.

Previous projects have included going through a McDonald’s drive-thru on horseback and turning up to Paris Fashion Week in pyjamas and a large duvet.

He’s worked with the likes of Charli XCX and even performed at Glastonbury but now the Estonian entry has got himself in to hot water with some Italians who have demanded his song be banned from the competition.

Codacons, the Italian association responsible for consumer rights, has demanded the song be disqualified, calling it offensive and stereotyping.

And politician Marco Centinaio, another among the song’s critics, has said: ‘Those who insult Italy should stay out of Eurovision’.

But it seems not everyone is upset and the performer said his performance was greeted with applause when he took tot he stage on the popular Italian channel LA7.

He said: ‘They loved us. I had so many Italians come up to meet in the street after saying ‘you’re a legend!’

Despite Eurovision’s inception in 1956, the United Kingdom has only won the popular song contest a grand total of five times, with the last victory taking place in 1997.

Past winners of the international song competition who later went on to achieve international stardom include Sweden’s 1974 entry ABBA and Switzerland’s 1988 entry Celine Dion.

The previous UK winners of Eurovision are as follows:

Sandie Shaw – Puppet On A String (1967)

Sandie Shaw, 77, was the first British entry to ever win Eurovision with her song Puppet On A String in 1967, earning her 47 votes.

The Dagenham native, went on to earn thousands from her music and was one most successful British female singers of the 1960s.

She performed her song barefoot at the contest in Vienna, something that was a trademark of hers during the swinging sixties.

After her Eurovision win, she continued making music and even appeared on a lot of British TV programmes such as Ready Steady Go! and Top Of The Pops.

Lulu – Boom Bang-a-Bang (1969)

Lulu was the second British Eurovision winner, who took home the crown just two years after Sandie Shaw in 1969 with her song Boom Bang a-Bang in Madrid.

She shared the crown with Lenny Kuhr from the Netherlands, Frida Boccara from France, and Salomé from Spain, after the voting led to a four-way tie.

The Scottish singer and actress, who was born Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie, went on to have a glittering career spanning six decades.

Her success began before the contest, with her first single hitting the UK Singles Charts in 1964.

Brotherhood of Man – Save Your Kisses For Me (1976)

In 1976, Brotherhood of Man became the first British group to take the Eurovision crown home for the UK with their song Save Your Kisses For Me.

The hit tune became the biggest-selling Eurovision-winning song to date and earned the group some international tours.

Original members of the group included Nicky Stevens, Lee Sheriden, Martin Lee and Sandra Stevens.

Before the competition, which took place in The Hague, they initially found success with their single United We Stand, which was also the name of their debut album – it became a top 20 hit in the UK, Canada, Australia and the US.

They released some more successful singles, including Oh Boy (The Mood I’m In) and Angelo, as well as a second album called B for Brotherhood.

However, going into the eighties, their popularity began to deplete and the hits dried up, before the group eventually split in the 1980s.

Buck’s Fizz – Making Your Mind Up (1981)

In 1981, pop group Bucks Fizz won the competition for the UK, with their catchy song Making Your Mind Up.

Bucks Fizz were formed specially for the Eurovision Song Contest and as a result, they became one of the best-selling UK pop acts of the 80s.

The group was comprised of vocalists Mike, Bobby G, Cheryl Baker and Jay Aston – their banger catapulted to Number One in the UK charts and sold four million copies worldwide.

After winning the contest, they went on to release more hits, including Piece Of The Action and One Of Those Nights, The Land Of Make Believe, and My Camera Never Lies.

Katrina and the Waves – Love Shine A Light (1997)

Rock band Katrina and the Waves were the most recent UK winners of the international competition, having taken home the trophy in 1997 with their song Love Shine A Light in Dublin.

They scored an unprecedented 227 points, giving the band their biggest hit since Walking on Sunshine.

Before the competition, the band had found success with a string of hit singles in the 1980s and 1990s – however Love Shine A Light became their most popular.

The band had toured worldwide with artists such as The Beach Boys, Wham and Fleetwood Mac.

However, things went downhill from here as the group failed to produce another hit and their lead singer Katrina Leskanich, now 64, left in 1998 after some disagreements with the band.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators take to the streets in Basel ahead of the Grand Final tonight.

Crowds gathered at Barfüsserplatz with signs reading ‘no stage for genocide’ and ‘end the genocide’.

Other protesters carried fake baby body bags covered in red paint as they shouted and walked through the streets.

Flares were let off and masked protestors carried alrge banners and waved Palestinian flags.

The protests through Switzerland’s capital city comes after Israel’s entry Yuval Raphael, saw her preview show interrupted by six pro-Palestinian demonstrators carrying flags.

Under the arena rules, all flags are allowed but there are limits on size, and so the audience members were quickly ejected from the St Jakobshalle arena.

Israel’s participation in Eurovision has been a source of controversy since its invasion of Gaza in October 2023.

King Charles has given the UK’s Eurovision entry the royal seal of approval with a heartwarming video shared on the Royal Family’s official X account.

In the post the king and Queen Camilla shared a clip of the Band of the Irish Guards playing a rendition of their pop trio’s song What The Hell Just Happened? outside Buckingham Palace in the glorious sunshine.

Alongside the video they wrote: ‘ THIS just happened. Wishing Remember Monday the very best of luck in the Eurovision final in Basel this evening!

The Eurovision 2025 Grand Final is live from Basel, Switzerland, on BBC 1 from 8pm BST tonight, hosted by Hazel Brugger, Michelle Hunziker and Sandra Studer.

Hazel Brugger and Sandra Studer also hosted the previous semi-final competitions.

Graham Norton, 62, will return to his long-standing role as BBC 1’s commentator during the final of the popular music competition.

The presenter has been a staple of the Eurovision Song Contest since he began presenting it for the BBC back in 2009.

However, the popular host recently revealed he had undergone major surgery ahead of this year’s final, having been seen with a black sling around his arm while attending the BAFTA Television awards.

He told the Scott Mills Radio Show on BBC Radio 2: ‘This is my left shoulder’s first appearance on radio, (it’s) a brand new shoulder. It’s less than two weeks old.

‘It feels a bit new, it’s a little owie (painful), but forgive me, I’m on many, many medications right now, so if I say anything bad, it’s not my fault!’

The presenter did not elaborate on what caused his shoulder problems.

Hola, Bonjour and Willkommen!

Welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland.

Twenty-six nations will compete in tonight’s final in St Jakobshalle, Basel, to get their hands on the cherished glass microphone, otherwise known as the Eurovision trophy.

The UK will be represented this year by Remember Monday, made up of Lauren Byrne, Charlotte Steele and Holly-Anne Hull, with their song What The Hell Just Happened?

The Hampshire-based trio are the first girl group to perform on behalf of Britain since 1999 when Precious performed in Jerusalem with their song Say It Again.

They will hope to go much better than the country’s entrant last year, Olly Alexander, who finished in a disappointing 18th place with zero points from the public.

Stick with us as we bring you the latest Eurovision news, gossip and reaction throughout the evening plus the most eye-catching pictures and videos.