Saturday 23 May 2015

A half-naked WAG, a piano in flames, a British entry that is instantly mocked. It's the usual mix of the weird and wonderful (and bad) at the Eurovision Song Contest

A half-naked WAG, a piano in flames, a British entry that is instantly mocked... and an Australian: It's the usual mix of the weird and wonderful (and bad) at the Eurovision Song Contest 

  • UK entry Electro Velvet has been mocked by viewers worldwide, including Britons apologising to fellow Europeans
  • Australia will be trying to beat Europeans at their own game at the 60th annual Eurovision Song Contest tonight
  • The 27 contestants are battling it out in the live grand final at the Wiener Stadthalle in Austria's capital, Vienna
  • Representing the UK is Electro Velvet, but Ireland is absent after it failed to qualify in the second semi-final
The UK's entry to this year's Eurovision Song Contest has been mocked by viewers worldwide, prompting hilarious apologies from Britons to fellow Europeans. 
Australia was set to be in the spotlight as the competition's special anniversary guest, but it was the UK's entry, Electro Velvet, which set tongues wagging for all the wrong reasons.
Spanish entry Edurne Garcia, the 29-year-old girlfriend of Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea set pulses racing with her raunchy performance of the song Amanecer.
The band The Makemakes, representing last year's victors Austria, wowed with an explosive performance accompanied by a burning piano. 
Scroll down for video 
UK hope: The UK's entry is Electro Velvet sang a song called Still In Love With You at the Wiener Stadthalle, but have been blasted on Twitter
UK hope: The UK's entry is Electro Velvet sang a song called Still In Love With You at the Wiener Stadthalle, but have been blasted on Twitter
Electro Velvet
Electro Velvet
One Twitter user suggested the video clip of Electro Velvet performing at Eurovision could be attached to an EU resignation letter
Last year's winners: The band The Makemakes representing Austria perform the song 'I am Yours as a piano burns in the background
Last year's winners: The band The Makemakes representing Austria perform the song 'I am Yours as a piano burns in the background
Spanish entry Edurne Garcia, the 29-year-old girlfriend of Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea set pulses racing with her raunchy performance of the song Amanecer
Spanish entry Edurne Garcia, the 29-year-old girlfriend of Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea set pulses racing with her raunchy performance of the song Amanecer
Monika Linkyte and Vaidas Baumila representing Lithuania perform the song This Time during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest before embracing on stage 
Monika Linkyte and Vaidas Baumila representing Lithuania perform the song This Time during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest before embracing on stage 

EUROVISION 2015 RUNNING ORDER 

1 - Slovenia
2 - France
3 - Israel
4 - Estonia
5 - United Kingdom
6 - Armenia
7 - Lithuania
8 - Serbia
9 - Norway
10 - Sweden
11 - Cyprus
12 - Australia
13 - Belgium
14 - Austria
15 - Greece
16 - Montenegro
17 - Germany
18 - Poland
19 - Latvia
20 - Romania
21 - Spain
22 - Hungary
23 - Georgia
24 - Azerbaijan
25 - Russia
26 - Albania
27 - Italy

The UK duo sang a song called Still In Love With You at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, complete with electric violins, light-up dresses and backing dancers showing off a Charleston-inspired routine.
Their electro-swing track which was written by David Mindel and Adrian Bax White.  
Rank outsiders Alex Larke and Bianca Nicholas are desperate to pull off a memorable victory for the UK tonight.
Nicholas, who has cystic fibrosis, may be familiar as a former The Voice UK contestant, while Larke's day job is as a primary school teacher who moonlights as Mick Jagger in Rolling Stones tribute act The Rolling Clones.
But if the Twitter comments are anything to go by, the UK is unlikely to triumph.
A parody account by the name Elizabeth Windsor tweeted: 'Text from David Cameron: "If this wins, we'll stay in Europe".' 
Another user wrote: 'This is the point where Simon Cowell would hold his hand up and ask what else they've brought with them.' 
Rogan Devlin tweeted: 'Wow! On behalf of the UK I apologise to the rest of Europe for that... #Eurovision.'
And Graham Norton, presenting the coverage for the BBC, told viewers 'we're not above begging' for votes. 
Last year's victor Conchita Wurst is presenting the coverage from the green room and with the contestants backstage. 
Rank outsiders Alex Larke and Bianca Nicholas, known as Electro Velvet are desperate to pull off a memorable victory for the UK tonight
Rank outsiders Alex Larke and Bianca Nicholas, known as Electro Velvet are desperate to pull off a memorable victory for the UK tonight
The contest has a cult following in Australia, which has led to the special anniversary invitation to mark six generations of the show. Pictured: Guy Sebastian representing Australia
The contest has a cult following in Australia, which has led to the special anniversary invitation to mark six generations of the show. Pictured: Guy Sebastian representing Australia
Mans Zelmerloew of Sweden, wearing a pair of tight leather trousers, performs on stage during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest
Mans Zelmerloew of Sweden, wearing a pair of tight leather trousers, performs on stage during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest
Aminata representing Latvia
Karayiannis of Cyprus
Aminata representing Latvia performs the song Love Injected (left) and Karayiannis of Cyprus performs his song One Thing I Should Have Done
The finalists are made up of those who have qualified through the semi-finals, the big five who get an automatic pass for providing the most funding and last year's winner. 
The 2013 victor was Austria, while the special guest is Australia and the big five are the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. 
The contest has a cult following in Australia, which has led to the special anniversary invitation to mark six generations of the show.  
This year's semi-final winners are Armenia, Belgium, Greece, Estonia, Serbia, Hungary, Russia, Albania, Romania, Georgia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Norway, Israel, Latvia, Azerbaijan, Sweden, Cyprus, Slovenia and Poland.
Notable absentees this year include Ireland, who despite being the competition's most successful country with seven wins under their belt, failed to qualify in the second semi-final. 
Last year's winner victor Conchita Wurst opened the show and will present the coverage from the green room and with the contestants backstage
Last year's winner victor Conchita Wurst opened the show and will present the coverage from the green room and with the contestants backstage
Maraaya of Slovenia performs during the Eurovision Song Contest final on May 23, 2015 in Vienna. The final of the 60th Eurovision Song Contest with 27 nations competing takes place on May 23, 2015.  AFP PHOTO / DIETER NAGLDIETER NAGL/AFP/Getty Images
Maraaya of Slovenia performs wearing headphones during the 60th annual Eurovision Song Contest grand final with the song Here For You
Bojana Stamenov representing Serbia performed eighth during the Eurovision Song Contest final tonight
Bojana Stamenov representing Serbia performed eighth during the Eurovision Song Contest final tonight
Singer Lisa Angell of France performs the song N'oubliez Pas during the final of the 60th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria
Singer Lisa Angell of France performs the song N'oubliez Pas during the final of the 60th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria
Eurovision: This year's contestants are nervously waiting back stage and are raring to go ahead of tonight's live grand final
Eurovision: This year's contestants are nervously waiting back stage and are raring to go ahead of tonight's live grand final
Eurovision can be unpredictable and victory could potentially be anyone's on the night, but there are some front runners.
Serbia's entry from Bojana Stamenov, Beauty Never Lies, was hotly tipped to win after the first semi-final, thanks to its positive body image message, belting vocals and an unexpected dance break.
It also helped that her track was written by Charlie Mason, whose hit Rise Like A Phoenix saw Wurst storm to glory last year.
But then came the second semi-final and Latvia's Aminata suddenly made everything more interesting with her dance-inspired track Love Injected, which went down a storm with viewers across Europe. 
British fans hold a rainbow flag outside the venue before the start of the grand final of the 60th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna
British fans hold a rainbow flag outside the venue before the start of the grand final of the 60th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna
Fans of Australia pose for photos in the song contest park before the start of Eurovision in Vienna, Austria
Fans of Australia pose for photos in the song contest park before the start of Eurovision in Vienna, Austria


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3094296/All-eyes-special-guests-Australia-Eurovision-2015-grand-final-gets-way-27-countries-battling-glory.html#ixzz3b04fwyIM
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook