T h e E u r o v i s i o n a r y

You have NO idea how happy this photo makes me! (©EBU) It's four o'clock in the morning, and we've just got in after attending Conchita's winning press conference and I've basically been a big sobbing mess for the past four or so hours!!! I'm FAR too excited and wound up to go to sleep -  I WANT TO CELEBRATE!!! For me this contest was always about two very fabulous ladies, my lovely, lovely Sanna - who did Sweden proud with a fantastic third place tonight, and Ms Conchita Wurst - whom I have loved since she narrowly lost out in the Austrian pre-selection two years ago... and just as well she did, because she not only came back with a stronger and better performed song, but tonight she became the first Austrian to win the contest since the year I was born, 1966.  48 years is a bloody long time to wait for your second win at Eurovision! Had The Netherlands, who finished second, won, they would have given their home nation their first win in 39 years! I...

Simon arrived last night and we took him out to Euroclub to see what our evening haunt for much of the past week was like. Today we went with Robin and Charlie to Tivoli Gardens, the world famous theme park right next door to our apartment in the very centre of Copenhagen.  There, we met up with David and Hass and also Howard and Anita... We had a grand walk round, and enjoyed trying on some wigs! We had a nice meal and all made our predictions for tonight's show. So here are so of the songs that I think will make the Top 10, but not quite the Top 3... Despite being the early favourite the vibe seems to have moved away from Armenia.  I still love the song, but I think lower Top 10 is likely. Ruth Lorenzo is performing brilliantly for Spain, and I'd love them to win, and I think Top 5 is possible. There is a HUGE vibe building around the Dutch country and western style song.  It's great, but would make a very downbeat winner.  The buzz is that...

OMG!  I met Hot Eyes yesterday... These guys (also known as Kirsten & Søren) represented Denmark 3 times in the 80's, most famously with Det Lige' Det in 1984.  They participated 5 times in the Danish final and then Søren also wrote Birthe Kjaer's song in 89. The guys did a mini concert and sang all 6 songs, plus a couple of others...  How completely fab! I was SO excited to get the chance to meet one of my all time fave Eurovision acts.  They were lovely and chatty and almost amazed at all these middle aged guys from other countries singing along with their hits from 30 years ago! Here they are in 1984...

Well, last night we saw Sanna being interviewed at Eurofan Café and then singing an acoustic version on Undo , which was superb!  I then joined the OGAE International party for a bit of a boogie to some fab Euro faves - including Bem Bom , which for those uninitiated, is my all time fave ESC entry - Portugal 1982.  In fact, it's so fabulous that you can listen to it right now... I bumped into lots of friends, icluding the lovely Guri and Astrid from Norway, who were completemting me on my Norwegian when I was on their Melodi Grand Prix in March! As I was leaving I bumbped into Thomas from Belfast and he insisted that I joined him and his mates for a late night drink at Never Mind (a whoopsie bar that plays non-stop Eurovision - how fab is that?). So I got home just before 4am... Anyway, beofre I get carried away, I best get on with my predictions for tonight's second Semi Final.  I fully exepct Greece to win this one by some margin, so strong is thier performan...

I went to see Emma Marrone's showcase on Monday evening.  She presented a set from her current album and I was right down at the front!  I've loved this fabulous Italian lady for three or four years now, and her first three albums are all superb, so I was ecstatic to have the opportunity so see her play a live gig! When she finished she came off stage and posed for pics with her fans.  My mate Jude couldn't get my iPhone to co-operate so Emma just grabbed the phone off her and took the most amazing selfie with me! Che Bella!!!

So... there's a lovely young lady parading around the press centre in a green tutu giving out cups of fresh tap-water. ...well, it would have been rude not to...

OK, so call me biased, but for me this is just about one of the best performances I have EVER seen on a Eurovision stage!  Sanna's performance was nothing less than SENSATIONAL!!! Those of you watching in the UK won't have seen this very funny short film about tourists in Copenhagen, with presenter Pilou as a tour guide. So, I got 8/10 with my predictions... Nobody here predicted the shock San Marino qualification, but absolutely delighted for Valentina and for them!  This will keep them in the contest.  Same with Montenegro... I'm gutted that we lost Latvia, though, as I loved the song and really thought it was in with a chance of qualifying.  Sadly, this means we're now probably going to lose Latvia from the fray...  They said this was their "make or brake" year. I'm also a bit sad that Portugal didn't go through, even though she hadn't been one of my predictions.  The reception she got in the hall was amongst the loudest of the n...

Morning folks!  I'm up bright and breezy today cos at 9.40am (UK time) I'm going to be on the radio, chatting live to the breakfast show presenters on Kingdom FM - Fife's main commercial radio station.  Now, this is usually Elaine Dove's stint, but being as she's well immersed in training for the Edinburgh Marathon in a couple of weeks, she's not in Copenhagen - so they guys wanted someone with the same amount of wit, charm and decorum to discuss drunken nights out at the Georgian party etc, which singers are a bit of a shag and what the general gossip is over here, by way of adding a bit of light to the proceedings. ...and they got me! Ah well,  let's see how this goes.   Do listen in if you can! I'll be back with thoughts about Sanna's fabulous qualification (and the other stories from last night's first Semi Final) later.

So, I mananged to get pictures with all 6 acts that I have Minipop Icons tshirts for... Ruth Lorenzo was the lastest one, but here are all the others too...

So there I was yesterday afternoon, quietly making my way over to the arena to watch the first full run through of the first Semi Final, when I bumped into Russell and Roy, two British friends who are part of the Macedonian delegation. As we walked into the hall Russell said "oh come on, let's sit and watch this from the Green Room" (which is right in the middle of the arena, and where all the artists sit as the votes are coming in).  We'd only just sat down when one of the production crew came up and asked us if we would mind being "stand ins" for the Albanian delegation at the end of the show, as the envelopes are being opened and the finalists are announced.  We were delighted to help out and then sat excitedly watching the show waiting for out big moment in front of the cameras... At the end of the show as the envelopes were opened we had to sit there looking all nervous and pensive, then the presenters said, "and the next country to qualify fo...

OK, for the very first time this morning I finally GOT the hype that's building around the UK's song!  For the past few days I've been amazed by the number of artists and delegation members that have said that the most likely winner this year is Molly! This morning I saw her rehearse for the first time (I missed her run through the other morning), and I was completely blown away by how good it sounded, and how great the staging was.  Then, during her second press conference, which she handled so eloquently and professionally, she had to draw to find out which half of the running order she will sing in...  The roar that erupted from the assembled fans and press as she revealed the slip saying "SECOND HALF" was deafening! So, let's see what happens on Saturday - we're now assured a great position in the running order, and she is moving further and further up the bookies' odds. OMG - Exciting!!!   Woo Hoo  #TEAMMOLLY

So, yesterday evening all of the delegations were invited to a swanky reception in Copenhagen Town Hall, and they all made their entrance via an Oscars-style red carpet.  Here are some of the fabulous frocks and glorious divas...(all pics in this section ©EBU) The Pollapönk boys from Iceland went all Conchita! Goddess!!! Conchita looking FIERCE!!!   Our Molly looked fab! My lovely Georgians - always happy and smiling! Dapper Axel and "Mother"! Vamos Ruth Lorenzo!!! For some reason Moldova tunred up dressed as Baroness Schröder from The Sound of Music! Goddess (again!!!) De Amaaaaayzin' Kasey from Oireland.  "Oi heard der was lots of men here so I put on me nails an' got me boobs out... It's just amaaaaaayzin!" We got to watch all the proceedings from the Euroclub, where many of the artists came after they'd drunk all the champagne and scoffed their canopés. Finally, for this update, I thoug...