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I can't wait for Austria to get their "you have received, from the public............ 216 POINTS!" moment

I think it's well worth being an OGAE member, only £17 a year and it gets you access to the ballot, discounts on merch from the Eurovision online store, a quarterly magazine about Eurovision...but just for the ballot it's a bit of a long shot. They 'only' had 222 live show packages allocated to OGAE UK this year for the primary ballot (those who've been a member for at least a year or so - or maybe that was the figure for primary and secondary combined), and just over 1,300 people were included in said ballot. I guess that's still better odds than being stuck in a Ticketmaster queue that can only be as specific as saying there are 2000+ people ahead of you...

Anyone manage to secure any tickets? I've got live semi 1 which I'm delighted about as it's easily looking like the better semi-final.

I don't get what's a not really? I think the BBC want to turn around the image of Eurovision in the UK, and in particular want a respectable entry/result when we're hosting the contest. Not sure they want to aim to win this year though and have to deal with back-to-back hosting duties.

I really like the clip of "I Wrote a Song". The title gives "That's How You Write a Song" vibes but thankfully it sounds a lot better (even if I did ironically get into that by the time of the contest).

This aged. Three titles on the trot

It's fine, not bad but kinda just passes you by, especially on first listen. I think it'll be very borderline now that the juries aren't involved in the semi-finals (I think they settled on this entry before that voting change was announced), and it's in the same half as "Cha Cha Cha", "My Sister's Crown", Noa Kirel and likely Loreen, so it will be very easy for this to get lost.

Three matches this year that he's won now after being match point down, my goat Cameron Norrie won the title in Rio, after back-to-back finals against Carlos Alcaraz. Sounds like Alcaraz was unable to move well by the end, but either way it's nice to see Norrie get a win rather than going 0-3 in finals this year.

I listened to "Gladiator" earlier and didn't get the hype. This year needed something like "Solo", it's just sad that as good as it is, we're yet to get Margaret to Eurovision.

Theoz and Kiana are essential for me, my third pick would be Melanie Wehbe and then I'm less bothered, maybe Tennessee Tears. - "Mera Mera Mera" was robbed last night. Should've got the fourth spot instead of Mariette, otherwise it was the right qualifiers in a strong heat. I'll be rooting for Marcus & Martinus in the final but won't be mad when Loreen wins, this is leagues ahead of "Statements".

Great to see Andy Murray defeat evil on his way to the quarters.

I really like this, I think France could end up being my biggest glow-up of the year.

Julia Sanina (Vidbir judge, X Factor Ukraine judge), Alesha Dixon, and Hannah Waddingham from Ted Lasso have been announced as the hosts for all three live shows. Graham Norton will be joining them for the final (whilst still being on commentary duties, alongside Mel).

Ellie Goulding is due to be one of the headliners at a music festival in California on the day of the final, so I think we've thankfully avoided her this year.

YES This is alright, just a bit "oh, that Epic Sax guy seems popular, let's try that"

I would've preferred Sissi or Ollie, but at least this entry is giving 'professional' unlike some of the Super Saturday picks...

I think the fandom are reading too much into it, just because we've gotten used to Eurovision social media being very on the ball. The NF and the results were broadcast on the Eurovision YouTube channel, and it felt like they had more organisation in the NF (it was clearly aimed at an international audience rather than a Czech one given it was hosted in English, and would the Czech broadcaster really have got those two podcasters to do the artist interviews?), so would they have really let it get to this stage if the song or artist was going to be a problem? Anyway, if Czech Republic end up not competing with this entry, the EBU owe me the £8 I bet on this shortly after the song was released (split the bet over outright and each way) xx

This is very solid and I think they do a great job of selling it, I think strength of the live performance will see it into the final. The most interested I've been in Slovenia since "Hvala, ne", and this keeps growing with each listen so I may come to prefer it quite quickly.

This was my favourite in the selection. Pretty generic, but I think it's a song that will sound better in a big arena so I don't think they're totally without chance of making the final (in the smaller semi-final too).

01: Norway - Alessandra Mele - Queen Of Kings 02: Albania - Albina & Familja Kelmendi - Duje 03: Ireland - Wild Youth - We Are One 04: Slovenia - Joker Out - Carpe Diem 05: Belgium - Gustaph - Because Of You 06: Ukraine - TVORCHI - Heart Of Steel 07: Spain - Blanca Paloma - Eaea

I'm sad for Ulrikke, but this is still comfortably my favourite entry chosen so far this year, and will likely be round about my top 5 once everything is chosen.

Spain came top 3, only to return straight back to the bottom 3 x There is no other way to describe this other than very noisy. They saw France fail last year and said "yes, I want some of that".

I have never been on the verge of tears so much at a movie. The flashback scenes to young Otto were so good, I honestly don't know how I held myself together during the sequence where "This Woman's Work" was playing in the background.

1. A Man Called Otto (10th January) 9/10 2. M3gan (14th January) 9/10

Felt so bad for Rune the way that match ended. Garcia out, Pegula has to be the favourite now but think I'm here for Rybakina to win a Slam and have the ranking points to show for it