LONDON, July 25 (Reuters) – Britain will host subsequent yr’s Eurovision Track Contest on behalf of winners Ukraine as a result of ongoing battle there, the competitors’s organisers stated on Monday.
Whereas decades-long custom dictates that the winner of the competition will get to host it the next yr, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) had stated security and safety causes meant runners-up Britain have been as an alternative invited to host.
The BBC will now stage the occasion, which usually attracts a tv viewers of near 200 million and was final held in Britain in 1998. Ukraine will robotically qualify to the grand remaining of the competitors, the EBU stated.
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“It’s a matter of nice remorse that our colleagues and buddies in Ukraine will not be in a position to host the 2023 Eurovision Track Contest,” BBC Director-Basic Tim Davie stated in a press release.
“The BBC is dedicated to creating the occasion a real reflection of Ukrainian tradition alongside showcasing the variety of British music and creativity.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated final month he believed Ukraine might and may host the 2023 competitors. learn extra
Johnson stated on Twitter he had agreed final week with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that “wherever Eurovision 2023 is held, it should have fun the nation and folks of Ukraine.”
“As we are actually hosts, the UK will honour that pledge straight – and placed on a incredible contest on behalf of our Ukrainian buddies,” Johnson, who has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine, added.
Britain’s entry to this yr’s Eurovision contest in Italy in Could got here second behind Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra, which rode a wave of public assist to say an emotional victory.
The BBC stated it could now start the method of discovering a metropolis to host the occasion.
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Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar, Modifying by Kylie MacLellan
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