13/05/2022
The sixty fifth Eurovision Song Contest final takes place on Saturday 14th May, with the United Kingdom’s hopes pinned on Sam Ryder. With its message of peace through music, the contest’s presence this year is more poignant than ever before. Held this time round in the Italian city of Turin, the contest will be televised by BBC-1 in the UK and RTE-1 in the Republic of Ireland and by national broadcasters the world over. LGBTQIA media have been heavily covering the build up to the contest with many podcasts and broadcast outlets celebrating the glories of Eurovisions past and present. Worthy of a special mention is this week’s Saturday Afternoon Live, with Steffi Barnett and her team playing tribute to the rich history of Eurovision with many classic tracks. It goes out on Medway Pride Radio, Trans Radio UK and The Wave Community Radio for Weston Super Mare. The UK has won the Eurovision Song Contest five times. They won in 1967 with Sandie Shaw’s Puppet On A String, in 1969 with Lulu and Boom Bang-a-Bang (a four-way tie with France, Spain and The Netherlands), in 1976 with Brotherhood of Man and Save Your Kisses for Me, in 1981 with Bucks Fizz and Making Your Mind Up and in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves and Love Shine a Light.