Hannah Waddingham of Ted Lasso will co-host the Eurovision Song Contest alongside Alesha Dixon and Ukrainian artist Julia Sanina.
The presenting trio will host the semi-finals on May 9 and 11, and Graham Norton will join them for the final on May 13.
Globally, more than 160 million are anticipated to watch the competition.
The United Kingdom is hosting the event on behalf of the 2022 winner, Ukraine, which cannot host due to Russia’s ongoing invasion.
The Emmy-winning actress Waddingham stated that her participation was “a great honor.”
“It is one of the best music festivals in the world,” the Game of Thrones and Sex Education star continued.
“However, this year, perhaps more than ever before, it is a great honor to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, a nation that has carried itself with such strength and unity.”
Alesha Dixon, Britain’s Got Talent judge, and singer stated:
“There is something incomparable about the excitement and anticipation of a live performance. Eurovision provides this level of excitement, originality, and talent, but on a worldwide scale “.
She will appear on tonight’s The One Show alongside Waddingham, an accomplished West End and Broadway actor, and Julia Sanina, the lead singer of Ukrainian alternative band The Hardkiss.
Sanina exclaimed,
“I am so excited to showcase Ukrainian culture and creativity and to help put on a show that will make my country proud.” “I cannot wait to be in Liverpool and meet the fans and other Eurovision family members.”
It is an all-female lineup for the elimination rounds.
Graham Norton, a veteran Eurovision commentator, will join the three hosts for the grand final, hailing it as “the greatest event in the world.”
“Every year that I participate is a tremendous honor,” he remarked. This year is much more important, and I feel a heavy obligation to make our Ukrainian colleagues proud.
He will also co-commentate the final alongside actress and comedian Mel Giedroyc, who previously contributed to the BBC’s coverage of the semi-final.
The BBC, which agreed to replace Ukrainian broadcaster UA: PBC, has also confirmed that BBC Radio 2 hosts Scott Mills and Rylan will provide commentary for the semi-final.
Timur Miroshnychenko, who hosted Eurovision in Ukraine in 2017, will be participating in the live shows and hosting the opening ceremony, which will be webcast online alongside BBC One’s Morning Live host Sam Quek.
Alessandro Cattelan, co-host of Eurovision 2022, stated on Eurovisioncast, the BBC’s Eurovision podcast, that the secret to directing the competition is to immerse oneself in it.
“The atmosphere in the city for the three weeks preceding the performance was my favorite part,” he remarked.
It was a great honor to be on stage, and there was no stress because the focus was on the candidates.
Eurovision, like other large international events, incurs enormous costs, which are shared.
The local government in Liverpool has invested £4 million in attractions surrounding the competition in May. It will fund initiatives such as a fan village with large screens and stages for live music, in addition to other citywide events.
The UK government has also stated that it will contribute financially, but it has not specified how much it will contribute. It claims that hosting the event will generate a substantial profit.
Authorities in Turin paid approximately £10 million to host Eurovision in 2022 but received “seven times” that amount back, primarily from the hospitality business.
As host broadcaster, the BBC will bear the majority of expenses. It is projected that the company will pay between £8m and £17m to participate in Eurovision, a huge increase from its usual participation costs.
In the following weeks, it is anticipated that fans will be able to purchase tickets for nine Eurovision concerts (including rehearsals) and that additional information will be forthcoming.
There is around a month remaining for all 37 participating broadcasters to confirm the song and performer they will send to the song contest.
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