It wouldn’t be Eurovision without Graham Norton’s commentary, and the broadcaster has delivered plenty of chuckles with his funny remarks, as well as a few covert digs at some of the performances.
Since taking over for Terry Wogan in 2009, the Irish comedian, 60, has served as the contest’s British commentator.
Since then, he’s given talks in Moscow, Oslo, Dusseldorf, Baku, Malmo, Copenhagen, Vienna, Stockholm, Kyiv, Lisbon, Tel Aviv, Rotterdam, Turin, and now Liverpool.
His ties to the programme have become so well known that he played a fictionalised version of himself in the 2020 Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, starring actors Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams.
This year, in addition to commentating, Graham co-hosted the grand final with Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham, and Ukrainian vocalist Julia Sanina.
Mel Giedroyc jumped in to aid when Graham was needed on stage and was ready to take over when Graham was needed.
Here are our selections for the finest remarks Graham tossed out this year, regardless of whether he was in the booth or not.
On Cyprus entry Andrew Lambrou’s outfit:
‘He’s been here a week and has run out of laundry because he is wearing half a shirt on stage.’
On the brother of Albania’s entry Albina, who performed with her entire family:
‘He doesn’t look happy to be there.’
‘There are red flags towards the end of this performance…there are many…it’s a Christmas tantrum.’
‘If they don’t do well you just know the brother is getting the blame.’
On Italy’s act Marco Mengoni glittery get-up:
‘He’s dressed like the wife of a man at a dinner dance … and at the back there’s also a children’s soft play area.’
On Armenia’s Brunette’s choice of fashionable footwear:
‘She’s wearing heels- she’s 21 though. I guess young people can do these things.’
On Moldova entrant’s Pasha Parfeni’s staging:
‘If there isn’t a human sacrifice by the end of this I’ll be very disappointed.’
On the Norwegian song Queen of Kings, performed by Alessandra:
‘This song is catchy – it will be stuck in your head…until you die.’
On general life musings:
‘I am just an ageing homosexual in a commentating booth.’
On Germany’s Lord of Lost’s song Blood and Glitter:
‘As long as they don’t win. Not that I don’t want them to win, I just don’t want to hear that again.’
On Slovenian band Joker Out and their 60s inspired outfits:
‘They’ve styled themselves like The Beatles or maybe the cast of Scooby Doo…there is certainly a mystery afoot.’
The Eurovision Song Contest is streaming on BBC iPlayer.
