AJ Odudu is set to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest after it was decided the contest will be held in Britain following this year’s triumph of war-torn Ukraine
- AJ Odudu has suggested her name as a possible presenter for next year’s Eurovision Song Contest
- Britain will host the 2023 music competition on behalf of Ukraine after its entry Kalush Orchestra triumphed this year, with organizers concluding the war-torn country could not hold the event for “security reasons”.
- TV presenter AJ, 34, is keen for the competition to be held at Media City in Salford, with AJ hosting the Greater Manchester jury voting this year
- Ukraine’s entry, Kalush Orchestra, won the annual competition just over two months ago with an emotional win in Turin, Italy
AJ Odudu has suggested her name as a possible presenter for next year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
Britain will host the 2023 music competition on behalf of Ukraine after its entry Kalush Orchestra triumphed this year, with organizers concluding the war-torn country could not hold the event for “security reasons”.
TV presenter AJ, 34, is keen for the competition to be held at Media City in Salford, with AJ hosting the Greater Manchester jury voting this year.
Dream big: AJ Odudu, 34, has suggested himself as a possible presenter for next year’s Eurovision Song Contest
She told the Mirror: “Just shouting ‘from Greater Manchester’ was incredible. When word got out that the UK would be hosting, I was thrilled.
“For it to come live from Salford this year, which has never happened before, and for me to be the face of it… just wow – that would absolutely be the icing on the cake.”
Ukraine’s entry, Kalush Orchestra, won the annual competition just over two months ago with an emotional win in Turin, Italy on May 14, and tradition has it that the winning country hosts the event the following year.
Making music: Britain will host the 2023 music competition on behalf of Ukraine after their entry Kalush Orchestra triumphed this year
But the European Broadcasting Union said last month that after a study it had concluded that the “security and operational guarantees” required to host the event could not be met by Ukrainian public broadcaster UA:PBC.
The BBC, the UK’s national broadcaster, which took second place this year with Sam Ryder’s Space Man, has been invited to act as host – and the company confirmed this week that it would be hosting the 67th competition. The event usually attracts a television audience of around 200 million and was last held in the UK in Birmingham in 1998.
AJ said: “We will make sure everything is about Ukraine. They’ve done fantastically well under the circumstances to even get there.
Born to perform: The British participant Sam Ryder came second with his song Space Man at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Turin on May 14th
Britain has held the Eurovision Song Contest eight times
Great Britain has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest more times than any other country in the following cities:
- 1960 – London (Royal Festival Hall)
- 1963 – London (BBC Television Centre)
- 1968 – London (Royal Albert Hall)
- 1972 – Edinburgh (Usher Hall)
- 1974 – Brighton (Brighton Dome)
- 1977 – London (Wembley Conference Centre)
- 1982 – Harrogate (Harrogate International Centre)
- 1998 – Birmingham (National Indoor Arena)
- 2023 – open
The BBC has now started searching for the host city. The broadcaster said in a statement: “It is very unfortunate that our colleagues and friends in Ukraine are unable to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
“To be asked to host the largest and most complex music competition in the world is a great privilege.
“The BBC will now begin the process of finding a host city who will work with us to deliver one of the most exciting events to come to Britain in 2023.”
Martin Osterdahl, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, added: “We are extremely grateful that the BBC has agreed to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in the UK.
“The BBC has hosted other winning countries on four previous occasions.
“We continue in this tradition of solidarity and know that next year’s competition will showcase the creativity and skill of one of Europe’s most experienced public broadcasters, while ensuring that this year’s winner, Ukraine, is represented throughout the event celebrated and represented.”
Mykola Chernotytskyi, Chief Executive Officer of the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC), confirmed that despite the move to the UK, the BBC and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are honoring Ukrainian culture and the Kalush Orchestra’s victory with the song Stefania will.
He said: “The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will not be held in Ukraine, but in support of Ukraine.
“We are grateful to our BBC partners for showing their solidarity with us. I am confident that together we will be able to bring Ukrainian spirit to this event and once again unite all of Europe around our common values of peace, support, celebration of diversity and talent.’
Throwback: The 1998 Eurovision Song Contest was last held in the UK in Birmingham, after Katrina and the Waves had won in Dublin the previous year with ‘Love Shine a Light’ (pictured posing after her win in May 1997).