British commentator and host Graham Norton addresses the controversy surrounding Eurovision 2026 following Israel’s participation and calls for the contest to return to its original musical spirit.
As Eurovision 2026 approaches, set to take place this May in Vienna, the controversy surrounding Israel’s participation continues to resonate across Europe. Now, one of the voices most closely associated with the contest has joined the discussion – British commentator and Eurovision 2023’s grand final host Graham Norton, who publicly addressed the storm and the recent withdrawals of several countries.
In an interview on the talk show hosted by Lorraine Kelly, Norton was asked about the fact that ahead of Eurovision 2026 “countries are withdrawing for various different reasons”. His response was clear: “That’s what it started as”, he said, referring to the contest’s original idea as a festival of joy, music, and unity, adding that it’s “sad that we’re in this situation”.
Criticism and Concern for the Artists
Norton, who has been an integral part of Eurovision coverage on BBC since 2009, emphasized that those most affected by the political tension are the artists themselves. According to him, these are often very young performers, for whom Eurovision represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for international exposure and said:
“The people you feel sorry for are contestants, who are usually very young and this is an extraordinary kind of shop window for them, and now it’s very difficult”.
He also referred to difficult moments inside the arena:
“when you’re in the arena it’s very hard to see people being booed – it’s horrible”.
Nevertheless, Norton noted that he believes efforts are being made behind the scenes to improve the situation:
“I think they’re working behind the scenes to try to make things better, and improve things, so we’ll see what happens”.
Withdrawals from the Contest and Wider Implications
Norton’s remarks come in the wake of the decision by the EBU to keep Israel in Eurovision 2026 – a decision that led five countries to announce their withdrawal. Among them is Ireland, one of the most successful countries in Eurovision history, as well as Spain, a member of the “Big Five”, the group of countries that contribute significant funding to the contest and receive automatic qualification to the final. Slovenia, The Netherlands, and Iceland have also declared their withdrawal. The situation highlights just how challenging Eurovision 2026 has become: preserving the contest’s musical and unifying character while facing growing political and public pressure.
Norton’s comments reflect a stance increasingly voiced in recent weeks by figures from the cultural and media worlds – a call to bring music back to the center of the stage and avoid turning Eurovision into an arena for political confrontation. As May 2026 draws closer, it seems the key question will not only be who wins, but whether Eurovision can maintain its original identity as a space for connection, culture, and cooperation between nations.
United Kingdom at Eurovision 2025
The song “What The Hell Just Happened?” was performed by the girl group Remember Monday, representing the United Kingdom at Eurovision. The group finished 19th in the Grand Final with 88 points – all from the juries. While the juries ranked the group 10th, the public gave the Unoted Kingdom zero points, placing the song last.
Despite the United Kingdom’s storied Eurovision history, in the past 25 years, it has managed to reach the Top 10 only three times – in 2002, 2009 and 2022.
Eurovision 2026: This will be the 68th participation of the United Kingdom in Eurovision. The United Kingdom joined the competition in 1957 and has won it five times over the years. The United Kingdom’s last victory was in Eurovision 1997 with the song ‘Love Shine A Light’ performed by the band Katrina and the Waves.
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Neta Geffen is a respected journalist at Euromix, Israel’s leading news site for Eurovision coverage. Since 2010, Neta has been closely following the Eurovision Song Contest, bringing with him extensive experience, profound knowledge, and a broad understanding of the history, politics, and cultural influences that shape the event every year.
Neta publishes articles, analyses, and up-to-date reviews on all Eurovision developments, including musical trends, format changes, political influences, and audience reactions across Europe and Israel. Thanks to a deep connection to the contest’s history, Neta provides readers with wide-ranging context—from the impact of political events on results, to in-depth analyses of songs and languages within the competition. Neta specializes particularly in the Eurovision rock genre, Balkan ballads, and native language entries, with a special focus on Italian and Greek songs.
