With Liverpool announced as the host city for Eurovision 2023, attention now turns to who will host the event. According to a recent interview, long-serving commentator Graham Norton has already ruled himself out.
In an interview on This Morning last week, Graham Norton confirmed that we would not be hosting Eurovision 2023, but hopes to continue commentating. He has been the BBC’s Grand Final commentator since 2009, when he took over from predecessor Terry Wogan.
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield – co-hosts of ITV’s This Morning – also ruled themselves out, due to the contest being broadcast by the BBC. When Norton was raised as the obvious choice, he affirmed his wish to continue as commentator instead.
I don’t want to give up the commentating. If I stop the commentating, someone else will do it and they might be better than me and then I’ll lose that job …Well, I might wander on and wave, and then run back to my rabbit hutch and put my ear things on.
Graham Norton on Eurovision 2023
The Radio Times article goes on to name semi-final commentators Rylan Clark-Neal and Scott Mills as potential names, with Love Island winner Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu as an additional curveball option. However, none of these have been substantiated as potential candidates to host.
What to expect from Eurovision 2023
The first important information is that Ukraine will automatically qualify to the Grand Final. The UK will also qualify as a member of the Big Five. We shall thus return to a Grand Final with 26 countries competing for the win.
The shows will be organised by the BBC, but Ukraine’s UA:PBC will send representatives to help the British hosts “develop Ukrainian elements” in the production of the contest. The logo, which features the Ukrainian flag, reflects the unique circumstances behind this special hosting arrangement. It is the first time since 1980 that the contest will be held outside the winning country.
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