Entertainment
Ukrainian creatives will play central role in producing Eurovision 2023 after UK confirmed to host-Robert Oliver-Entertainment – Metro
The UK will host Eurovision 2023 due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Kalush Orchestra won Eurovision for Ukraine in 2022 (Picture: Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty)
Ukraine will still have a key role in producing the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in the United Kingdom, after winning the competition last year.
Ukraine won the competition thanks to the Kalush Orchestra’s victorious song Stefania, but were deemed unable to host in 2023 due to Russia’s ongoing invasion into the country.
The UK finished as runners-up in 2022 with Sam Ryder’s Spaceman and the BBC has now confirmed it will host Eurovision 2023.
Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s chief content officer, had already promised that Ukraine would feature heavily in the UK’s show. Now Ukraine’s Minister of Culture and Information Policy, Oleksandr Tkachenko, has repeated the message.
Speaking to Ukrainian TV show Vikna (‘Windows’ in English), Tkachenko said: ‘The Ukrainian flag, videos of Ukrainian cities, Ukrainian presenters, and a Ukrainian creative group will become an integral part of the show in Great Britain.’
Ukraine were crowned 2022 Eurovision champions (Picture: Rolf Klatt/REX/Shutterstock)
Sam Ryder managed to secure second place for UK in Eurovision 2022 (Picture: AP)
Moore also solidified her promise to Ukraine in an email that was sent around to BBC staff last week.
It read: ‘We will work closely with our colleagues at the Ukrainian broadcaster, UA:PBC and will showcase Ukrainian culture and music as a key part of the event.
‘I’m grateful for the brilliant work that Kate Phillips, the entertainment commissioning team, BBC Radio, and BBC Studios did this year to make the UK’s entrant so successful.
‘9.5million people across the country viewed Eurovision this year, and I hope it will be even bigger next year when it’s hosted in the UK. Kate will lead the event for us.’
Timur Miroshnychenko hosted Ukraine’s Eurovision coverage from a bunker earlier this year (Picture: Instagram/@suspilne.eurovision)
The bookies’ favourite for the UK show’s live presenter is Ukrainian TV host and Eurovision commentator Timur Miroshnychenko, alongside Graham Norton.
The presenter broadcasted his coverage of Eurovision 2022 from a bunker in Ukraine when the competition took place earlier this year.
As for which UK city will host the competition in May 2023 – that is a matter still to be decided.
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Glasgow remains the bookies’ favourite, but previous hosts London and Birmingham, as well as Manchester, are all hoping to be the winning city.
No official date has been given yet for when the announcement will be made, but with only nine months to go, it should be very soon.
The Eurovision Song Contest returns to BBC One in 2023.
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