Eurovision Suffers UK Ratings Dip Amid Controversy Over This Year's Contest
Eurovision suffered a considerable dip in viewing figures on Saturday night compared to the previous year’s competition, amid widespread controversy around the contest.
The lead-up to this year’s Eurovision was marred with a wave of controversy around Israel’s participation, due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
When the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) made it clear that Israel would be taking part as usual in 2024, many fans called for a boycott of the competition, as did the Palestine-led BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement.
The day after the final, Digital i reported (via The Guardian) that an average of 7.64 million people in the UK tuned in for Saturday’s live final, compared with the previous year’s 9.98 million, a dip of almost 25%.
It’s worth pointing out that, in addition to the controversy over Israel’s involvement, last year’s Eurovision was also the first time the competition had been held in the UK for a quarter of a century, with Liverpool hosting Eurovision on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine.
Olly Alexander represented the UK with his song Dizzy at Eurovision this year.
Prior to the competition, Olly faced pressure from fans, as well as the campaign group Queers For Palestine and the BDS movement, to pull out of the contest in solidarity with Palestine.
In response to this, the former Years & Years frontman said in March: “I wholeheartedly support action being taken to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the return of all hostages and the safety and security of all civilians in Palestine and Israel.
“I know some people will choose to boycott this year’s Eurovision and I understand and respect their decision. As a participant I’ve taken a lot of time to deliberate over what to do and the options available to me. It is my current belief that removing myself from the contest wouldn’t bring us any closer to our shared goal.
“Instead, I’ve been speaking with some of the other [Eurovision] contestants and we’ve decided that by taking part we can use our platform to come together and call for peace. I hope and pray that our calls are answered and there is an end to the atrocities we are seeing taking place in Gaza.”
The Eurovision final saw Dizzy finishing in 18th place of 25 acts, after being awarded 46 points by the international juries. However, he failed to secure any votes from Eurovision viewers.
Switzerland were crowned the overall winners thanks to Nemo and their song The Code, marking the first time a non-binary performer has come out on top in the Eurovision Song Contest.
This is also the first time Switzerland has won Eurovision since Céline Dion in 1988.
Nemo secured 591 points in total, surpassing runner up Baby Lasagne, representing Croatia.
