The BBC, the British national broadcaster, have announced additional programming that will air alongside the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, in Liverpool.

Get Your Eurovision On! – BBC iPlayer

BBC Eurovision Commentator for over 10 years Scott Mills loves the annual song contest and in this special compilation he is joined by EastEnders’s star, Natalie Cassidy for a celebration of the pure joy, unity and downright banging tunes that is… Eurovision.

They will delve in to some of the most iconic performances and look back at incredible staging, memorable moments and of course costume.

Between them, Scott and Natalie will celebrate some of the biggest Eurovision moments of the past 20 years, and beyond, while looking forward to this year’s competition in Liverpool.

Whether a diehard Eurovision fan or new to the competition, Get your Eurovision On! will have audiences bopping away to some of the best moments from the greatest show on earth.

Eurovision Song Contest’s Turquoise Carpet – EBU YouTube, Sunday 7 May

The Turquoise Carpet Opening Ceremony is a highly anticipated event in the lead up to the Eurovision Song Contest, and this year’s promises to be no exception.

Hosted at Liverpool’s historic St George’s Hall, the event will see Liverpool’s own Sam Quek and Ukrainian Eurovision legend Timur Miroshnychenko welcome all 37 acts to the city. Exclusive coverage is available on EBU YouTube on Sunday 7 May, and highlights will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer the following evening, Monday 8 May. The event is the perfect introduction to the upcoming week of festivities.

Sam and Timur will be on hand to get to know the performers and share the latest backstage gossip, making this a must-watch event for Eurovision fans around the world.

Eurovision Welcomes The World – BBC One / BBC iPlayer, Monday 8 May

Join hosts Rylan and Liverpool born actress Sunetra Sarker as they kick off the week of the Eurovision Song Contest.

The pair have an access all areas pass to the Turquoise Carpet Opening Ceremony plus they will bring audiences highlights of The National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome – a one of a kind outdoor event to mark the start of Liverpool’s big Eurovision week taking place on Sunday 7 May.

Over this hour long show there will be a chance for audiences to get to know the acts competing to follow in 2022 winners Kalush Orchestra’s footsteps, plus there will be music and jaw-dropping performances as the city kicks off the Eurovision celebrations with the specially curated outdoor spectacular.

Eurovision Calling: Jason and Chelcee’s Ultimate Guide, BBC One / BBC iPlayer, Monday 8 May

Comedian Jason Manford and singer-songwriter Chelcee Grimes present Eurovision Calling: Jason and Chelcee’s Ultimate Guide. This entertainment programme will see the pair explore why the Eurovision Song Contest is the greatest show on Earth. Using a mix of fascinating archive footage and revealing interviews with fans, experts and competitors, this one hour film will delve into the story of how the Contest has become the world’s largest live music event, creating global superstars and leaving an impact on the lives of many.

Sharing their own exclusive personal experiences of the Eurovision Song Contest with Jason will be Sam Ryder who came second in 2022’s contest and Katrina Leskanich from Katrina and the Waves, the UK’s last Eurovision Song Contest winner from 1997, plus Jason meets Mae Muller who is representing the UK in Liverpool.

Liverpudlian singer-songwriter Chelcee will join forces with Jason to provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the Eurovision Song Contest preparations, as well as revealing some little-known facts about the event. Chelcee will take audiences to Liverpool to meet the team getting the arena ready for Eurovision 2023 and visit Sweden to find out just how popular the Contest is there. Plus Jason meets a family from Newcastle who tell them just what the contest means to them and a group of LGBTQI fans from Manchester who talk about the impact the contest has had on them.

Eurovision: Everyone’s A Winner – BBC One / BBC iPlayer, Friday 12 May

From Liverpool’s world-famous waterfront, Fleur East presents a special Top 20 Eurovision Countdown – songs that missed out on the big prize but still went on to become monster hits.

Compiled by combining worldwide online streaming and viewing figures, Fleur reveals the Eurovision entries watched and listened to in their millions.

Sam Ryder’s Space Man came second in the 2022 Contest but will it make our countdown? All is revealed to studio guests, UK 2018 entrant SuRie, BBC Radio 1’s Dean McCullough and ‘Dr Eurovision’ Paul Jordan who, incredibly, has a PhD in Eurovision Studies. Plus a host of Eurovision super-fans including Scott Mills, Claire Sweeney and Owain Wyn Evans, join the fun as the hits keep coming.

Featuring sultry pop divas from Cyprus and Spain, a tender tearjerker from Germany, a dancing ape from Italy and a surprise Number 1, it’s the show where, thanks to the amazing power of Eurovision, everyone’s a winner.

BBC Breakfast

BBC Breakfast will be live from Liverpool from Tuesday 9 May until Sunday 14 May. There will be reporters live from the waterfront, soaking up the atmosphere at the Eurovision Village and Liverpool Arena ahead of the live shows. The famous red sofa will be on location outside the Liverpool Museum on Friday 12 May and Saturday 13 May , with Charlie Stayt co-presenting from the city. In addition, there will be a special live event planned at a Liverpool music venue with Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg, and weather presenter Carol Kirkwood will be giving the forecast from the Liver Building and the River Mersey.

Morning Live

Morning Live will be helping the audience get in to the Eurovision spirit with a mix of stories, lives on location and a very special Eurovision takeover of Strictly Fitness, headed up by Ukrainian Strictly star Nikita Kuzmin. In addition to teaching Eurovision fitness each morning, Nikita will be presenting filmswhich explore how Eurovision Song Contest is bringing communities together. He’ll be meeting Ukrainians who have settled just down the road from the host city in Stalybridge and he’ll be chatting to fans ahead of each semi-final. Fresh from the Eurovision Turquoise carpet on May 7th, Sam Quek is co-hosting alongside Gethin Jones as we go live to various locations across the UK to see how the nation’s getting ready for the musical extravaganza. Plus we’re also filming with students and staff  at a Liverpool school which helped the city in their hosting bid. The pupils there will be treating us to a special performance of “Imagine” and looking at how the deaf community will be enjoying the music event.

The One Show

The One Show will be relocating to Liverpool to become the official opening act for Eurovision!

Every night from Tuesday 9 May through to the Saturday night Grand Final on 13 May. The One Show will have a special week of Eurovision programmes – presented by Alex Jones and Ronan Keating from Tuesday to Thursday titled The One Show at Eurovision, followed by Alex and Rylan on Friday, raising the curtain with a brilliant mix of guests on the sofa, exclusive behind the scenes action, films shot around the UK, and live link ups to fans across the country. In a special one-off, The One Show will be broadcast live on a Saturday evening as Eurovision Countdown with The One Show is broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, Saturday 13 May from 7.30pm.

EastEnders

Cheryl Baker, who rose to fame alongside her fellow members of The Fizz (formerly known as Bucks Fizz) after they were crowned winners of the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1981, is set to arrive in Walford as herself as the residents of Albert Square celebrate the highly-anticipated arrival of the contest in the UK, but why she ends up in Albert Square is yet to be revealed…

Speaking on her guest appearance, Cheryl said: “I was so thrilled to be asked to take part in an episode of EastEnders. It’s a British institution, for goodness sake! As a real-life ‘Eastender’, I have loved the show since day one and I literally can’t wipe the smile from my face.”

Bargain Hunt

On the red team is Cheryl Baker, who shot to stardom in a skirt ripping performance of Making Your Mind Up with Bucks Fizz back in 1981. Cheryl is paired with 2018 entrant SuRie who put in an impressive Eurovision performance with her song Storm.

Battling against them on the blue team are Carrie Grant, who was part of vocal trio ‘Sweet Dreams’ at Eurovision 1983 and has since headed up the UK’s Eurovision jury. She’s joined by The X-Factor finalist and soul singer Andy Abraham, who represented the UK in 2008.

Each team has £300 to spend at Sandown Park Antiques fair in Surrey where, guided by experts Charles Hanson and Thomas Forrester, they must choose three items to sell at auction. Who will make the most profit and win this Eurovision extravaganza?

Saturday Kitchen

Saturday Kitchen Live join the Eurovision celebrations on the morning of the Grand Final with a special show. Host Matt Tebbutt will be joined by an international line-up of chefs from Eurovision Nations. Representing Ukraine is Olia Hercules, Niklas Ekstedt is flying the flag for Sweden and former Eurovision hopeful Donal Skehan is up for Ireland. They are all showcasing their home style delights, with plenty of mouth-watering recipes, perfect for any Eurovision party!

Olly Smith will be on hand with drinks from across Europe and maybe even something (Bucks) Fizzy to really get that party started. It’s a big douze points from us!

Pointless Celebrities: Eurovision Special

This Pointless Celebrities Eurovision Special features a host of Eurovision faces competing not only for a charity prize but to get their hands on that coveted Pointless trophy. The four iconic pairs taking on the Pointless column are Eurovision Handover and Allocation Draw presenter AJ Odudu and Radio 2’s travel presenter and Eurovision super-fan Richie Anderson; Icelandic competitor Daði Freyr and Swedish winner Måns Zelmerlöw; Irish winners Linda Martin and Eimear Quinn and Antony Costa from Blue (Eurovision 2011), a longtime friend of the show, with Jay Aston of The Fizz, who, as a member of Bucks Fizz took home the trophy in 1981.

The show is presented by Alexander Armstrong and Eurovision super-fan Richard Osman. Tune in to enjoy some nuggets of impressively obscure Eurovision trivia and see Eurovision royalty, Graham Norton, pop up with some special questions. Join us for this Pointless celebration of all things Eurovision.

The Hit List: Eurovision Special

The Hit List – returns for a very special episode to celebrate all things Eurovision! Marvin and Rochelle Humes host this exciting music quiz which is jam-packed with the biggest Eurovision and chart hits. Three teams will be hoping to avoid nul points, as they take on a range of Eurovision related rounds – from contest winning hits to tangentially themed tracks!

In a first for The Hit List, three celebrities will be teamed with Eurovision super-fans. Returning to The Hit List are former champions Scott Mills and Clara Amfo, who will be joined by fellow DJ Adele Roberts, along with their Eurovision loving teammates Coinneach, Katie and Amy. There’ll be Eurovision hits, trivia, and one epic battle across four nail biting rounds as the teams compete for the chance to win a whopping £10,000 for charity!

Between The Covers

Sara Cox is joined in each episode by a panel of four famous guests to discuss a newly published book which deserves to be put in the spotlight. The books are a carefully selected mix of genres that aims to include something for everyone. Each guest also has a BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) guaranteed to spark a discussion.

This year, as Liverpool and the UK prepare to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 on behalf of Ukraine, each episode of the series features a novel set in a Eurovision country. First airing in March, Between The Covers is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Eurovision Song Contest 2022 – A rewatch of last year’s sensational Turin Grand Final show on Friday 5 May to get everyone into the Eurovision spirit and building anticipation for a big week of Eurovision fun.

Then BBC Three have all you need to get into the Eurovision spirit the eve of the 2023 Grand Final (Friday 12 May) with a flurry of watch again treats.

First broadcast in February, Rylan and AJ Odudu launch 2023’s exciting Eurovision journey with Eurovision Song Contest: Handover Ceremony And Draw. The A-Z of Eurovision, first broadcast in 2020, sees Rylan narrate a guide to all things Eurovision as he takes a sideways look at the greatest singing contest on the planet. The Big Eurovision Party presented by Eurovision legend Edsilia Rombley, with the UK’s very own Rylan taking everyone back stage. Acts performing include 2022 winners Kalush Orchestra, Norway’s Subwoolfer, Greece’s 2021 entry Stefania and TIX from Norway. Flashing lights and strobing warnings throughout. Sam Ryder: Road To Eurovision, first broadcast in May 2022. Sam became a viral TikTok star during the pandemic, reaching a huge fanbase of 12 million people. Here, we follow his journey as he represents the UK at the 66th Eurovision Song Contest. Then closing Eurovision eve on BBC Three is Eurovision 2023: Meet the UK Act, Scott Mills meets Mae Muller, the artist representing the UK at this year’s Contest.

Storyville Live

The BBC’s renowned Storyville strand will be bringing Storyville Live to the Euro Festival taking place in Liverpool in May. Storyville, the BBC’s landmark feature documentary strand, will be showing the very best of international feature documentaries, a curation of new and classic music documentaries as well as films showcasing Ukraine’s rich cultural heritage and stories from the frontline of the war with Russia.

Blue Peter and Newsround

Junior Eurovision 2022 UK representative Freya Skye will be reporting for Newsround from Liverpool during Eurovision week. She will also be live in the Blue Peter studio on the 12th May looking ahead to the Grand Final and giving her predictions.

Eurovision Live Lesson

Primary schools across the UK will be invited to take part in a Eurovision-themed Live Lesson providing the perfect warm-up for the Grand Final on Friday 12 May. Following the United by Music theme, MOBO award winning musician and composer YolanDa Brown will help children create their own Eurovision song and big names from the world of Eurovision will drop in to share their top tips.

The programme, available to watch on CBBC, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Teach website, is filmed on location at Liverpool’s iconic St. George’s Hall. Lauren Layfield and Tyler West host, along with the help of a local children’s choir, including sign-language singers.

Eurovision Piano Party

For the past seven years, award-winning BBC Correspondent Steve Rosenberg has marked Eurovision by taking requests from audiences and playing fan favourites on his piano.

With the UK hosting this year, on behalf of Ukraine, Steve – who knows every winning song from memory on the piano – will be joined by a live audience and some very special guests for his hour-long Eurovision Piano Party special in Liverpool. Airing on the BBC News channel, BBC News website, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.

BBC Northwest Tonight

BBC Northwest Tonight will be live in Liverpool for the week leading up to the Eurovision final with a special programme on the eve of Eurovision. As well as covering the spectacle and everything a Scouse Eurovision brings, they will be telling the stories of Ukrainians in the Northwest and sharing the experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community. In the true spirit of collaboration every film we make will be shared with our colleagues in BBC Ukraine so that the country can what Liverpool is doing to support them.

BBC Ukraine

From the Eurovision Festival in Liverpool through to the all important live semi-finals and the final, BBC News Ukraine will deliver a comprehensive coverage of the Eurovision week from Liverpool – via the service’s website bbc.ua, social-media channels on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and TikTok, and the BBC News Ukraine TV news programme rebroadcast by Ukraine’s TV channels Espreso, Priamyj and 5 Kanal.  BBC News Ukraine will bring its audiences content that will focus on Ukrainians taking part in Eurovision in Liverpool.

A Song For Scotland

How do you write a great Eurovision song? How did a made-up band from Glasgow end up on stage in San Marino as part of their official Eurovision selection process? Part travelogue, part comedy entertainment with a dose of Scottish Eurovision history -this hilarious and irreverent film looks to answer those questions and more.

BBC Wales TV

REWIND: A thirty minute archive special celebrating 18 classic Eurovision performances, each with a Welsh connection – from Nicky Stephens of Carmarthen who sang with winners Brotherhood of Man, to Aimee Wadge responsible for writing last year’s “Spaceman”.

News

BBC Cymru Wales’s news outlets will cover the live build up from Liverpool and Wales on the eve of the final as well as meeting Welsh Eurovision superfans in the run up to the event.

Let us know what you think about the United Kingdom and the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest – either in the comments below or on our FACEBOOK and TWITTER pages.

Author: Richard Taylor

Source: BBC