Eurovision Song Contest bosses have issued a statement after calls to ban national juries and scrap the jury vote altogether.
Follwing Ukraine’s victory with Kalush Orchestra, organisers of the Song Contest said “certain irregular voting patterns” were spotted in the results of six countries.
Votes from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania and San Marino were replaced with aggregate scores following the irregular patterns.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) stated: “In the analysis of jury voting by the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) pan-European voting partner after the Second Dress Rehearsal of the Second Semi-Final of the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, certain irregular voting patterns were identified in the results of six countries.”
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“In order to comply with the Contest’s Voting Instructions, the EBU worked with its voting partner to calculate a substitute aggregated result for each country concerned for both the Second-Semi Final and the Grand Final (calculated based on the results of other countries with similar voting records).
“This process was acknowledged by the Independent Voting Monitor.”
They continued: “The EBU takes any suspected attempts to manipulate the voting at the Eurovision Song Contest extremely seriously and has the right to remove such votes in accordance with the Official Voting Instructions, irrespective of whether or not such votes are likely to influence the results and/or outcome of the voting.”
Space Man singer Sam Ryder from the UK won the evening’s Jury Vote with 283 points – the highest from a jury since 2017.
It mean the UK ended the in the top three for the first time in 20 years.
Sam enthused: “There is so much gratitude, what an experience.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote later”Congratulations to Ukraine for winning the @Eurovision Song Contest 2022,” “It is a clear reflection of not just your talent, but of the unwavering support for your fight for freedom.
“Incredibly proud of @SamRyderMusic and how he brilliantly represented the UK tonight.”
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