Eurovision 2022 Ukraine entry Kalush Orchestra and the emotional meaning behind their song Stefania

In recent years, the UK's Eurovision Song Contest entrants have faced a barrage of negativity, nay-sayers and 'nul points' jibes. A country convinced it was a laughing stock, its accusations of 'political voting' cast a grey cloud over any hope of success.

Eurovision hero Sam Ryder brought the United Kingdom together as we dreamt of our first Eurovision win in a quarter of a century over the weekend. The 32 year old singer came out on top in the jury votes but was pipped to the crown by Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra when the public's scores were added. The Ukrainian act – who were given special permission to leave their war-torn country and perform at the contest – received 431 points from a maximum of 468 in the public vote, giving them an emotional victory in Turin, Italy, on Saturday night.

VIEWERS were caught by surprise when soap bosses made a few changes in Monday's EastEnders instalment. The long-running program is known to add in scenes that mention events happening off-screen.

UK Eurovision hero Sam Ryder closes the gap on Harry Styles overnight in the race to become this week's Official UK Number 1 single.After placing second to Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra and their winning track Stefania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 last weekend, Essex singer and songwriter Sam Ryder continues to rocket up the midweek Official Singles Chart with SPACE MAN.

Alan Carr and his ex-husband Paul Drayton enjoyed some quality time together over the weekend as they watched Eurovision today. Despite their shock split this year, the pair have remained good friends and in videos posted on social media, they were having a wonderful time as they joined the nation in watching the UK's entry Sam Ryder finish in second place. Paul, 50, shared some hilarious clips of the Chatty Man star parading around in a white kaftan-style dress paired with a long brunette wig.

Eurovision entry Subwoolfer have shared a ‘Jolene’ parody about their time in Turin.The duo, who comically donned yellow wolf masks in this year’s tournament, were 50-1 to win in Italy with their track ‘Give That Wolf A Banana’.They finished the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in 10th place with 182 points, some way off the winners, Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra and UK runner up Sam Ryder.Now, to mark their time in Italy they have posted a video of themselves, which you can view below, goofing around in Turin performing a parody of Dolly Parton‘s famous hit ‘Jolene’.The clip sees the duo on the streets of the city, changing the lyrics of the track to: “These yellow ears beyond compare, we’re breathing in Italian air, we’re eating pizza almost every meal / We’re saving grandmas everyday, we ate a few along the way but Italian grandma skin is hard to peel,” before they declare: “Turin, Turin, Turin, Turin, we’re begging of you – join us to the moon.”Meanwhile, UK Eurovision runner Sam Ryder, has announced details of a new 2022 London show at brand new venue Outernet on November 24. Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday (May 20) at 9am here.In Ukraine meanwhile, their win was said to bring “incredible happiness” to a country under invasion by Russia.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Instagram that the courage of the war-torn country “impresses the world” and congratulated Kalush Orchestra on their victory.He then went on to promise to host Eurovision in the future in a “free, peaceful and rebuilt” Mariupol, a city currently largely under Russian control.

Eurovision entry Sam Ryder has announced details of a new 2022 London show.Ryder came second during the weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, with Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra winning the event with a massive 631 points. It was the UK’s best performance result since 1997.Viral TikTok sensation Ryder went into the competition as the bookmakers second-favourite to win with his song ‘Space Man’.He will now play brand-new London venue Outernet in London on November 24.

He gave an absolutely stellar performance in the Eurovision final on Saturday but singer-songwriter Sam Ryder hasn't just been praised as a talented performer. Describing him as "positive, energetic and humble", his fans praised him in his latest TV appearance.

BirminghamLive reports that the singer today told BBC Radio 2: "I don't know just I felt so much, just encouragement and support and love from home. And not just home, but in the Eurovision community in general, because there's so much love, sitting in that arena is like being in a church, it is just incredible. READ MORE: Newcastle United set to confirm pre-season schedule for first overseas summer tour since 2019 "I can't explain it, and I can't even begin to do it justice, the feeling that you have when you're there.

Florence + The Machine and Kendrick Lamar are battling it out for this week’s Number One album in the UK.Florence Welch’s band’s fifth studio album ‘Dance Fever’ is currently ahead of Lamar’s ‘Mr Morale & The Big Steppers’ after clocking up over 26,000 chart sales so far in the midweek album chart, according to the Official Charts Company.The Black Keys are not far behind at Number Three with their new LP with ‘Dropout Boogie’ and Bear’s Den are currently at Number Four with ‘Blue Hours’.If Florence + The Machine do go to Number One it’ll be their fourth chart topper after 2009 debut ‘Lungs’ follow up ‘Ceremonials’ and 2015’s ‘How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful’.Reviewing the record, NME awarded it four stars and described it as “the triumphant sound of a singer reborn”.If Lamar scores this week’s Number One album, it will be his first since 2015’s ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’. His current record ‘Mr Morale & The Big Steppers’ his first in five years, was awarded a whopping five stars by NME and was described as a “cathartic, soul-bearing autobiography”.Welch also received a writing credit on the record for the song ‘We Cry Together’ for its use of a Florence + The Machine sample.Elsewhere, in the UK singles chart, Sam Ryder has climbed up to Number Three following his success in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022.

SAM Ryder received a hero's welcome as he arrived back in the UK waving a Union Jack after his Eurovision success. The 31-year-old ended decades of humiliation for us by coming runner-up to Ukraine - although at one point it looked like he'd go all the way.

WHILE the nation bit its fingernails as the final Eurovision votes came in, our hero contestant Sam Ryder was laughing and joking around with his girlfriend. Even being on the verge of becoming the first Brit to win the contest for a quarter of a century didn’t faze this hippy from Essex during Saturday night's memorable competition. Numerous setbacks have not quenched the 32-year-old singer’s two-decade long ambition to make it in the music industry.

Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, according to Italian officials.Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra beat UK entrant Sam Ryder to win the 2022 contest, picking up a massive 631 points – largely from the public vote – to overhaul the UK, who were winning after the jury votes.According to Reuters, the Italian government’s cybersecurity department blocked attempts from the ‘Killnet’ and ‘Legion’ groups to hack the competition’s voting systems.A further report in Forbes says ‘Killnet’ had threatened prior to the contest to “send 10 billion requests” to the competition’s online voting platform and “add votes to some other country” instead of Ukraine.In a statement to MailOnline, a Eurovision spokesperson said that the “voting system has a wide range of security measures in place to protect the audience participation from outside influences.”In Ukraine meanwhile, the win has brought “incredible happiness” to a country under invasion by Russia.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Instagram that the courage of Ukraine “impresses the world” and congratulated Kalush Orchestra on their win.He then went on to promise to host Eurovision in the future in a “free, peaceful and rebuilt” Mariupol, a city currently largely under Russian control.At the end of their performance at the show’s finale, Kalush Orchestra said: “I ask all of you, please help Ukraine, help Mariupol, help Azovstal right now.”Speaking to NME this week, frontman Oleh Psiuk explained how their taking part was a “huge responsibility”, given the ongoing war with Russia.“To represent Ukraine in the international arena is always a responsibility, but to represent it during the war is just the highest responsibility possible,” he said.“The song [‘Stefania’] was composed

Sam Ryder has detailed how he prepared for the hit singing competition Eurovision on Saturday 14 May, explaining that he didn't have a single drink in the lead up to the big event.The 32 year old TikTok sensation left the UK in a state of immense pride as he sang Space Man and came in second behind Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra, who played Stefania. Now, Sam has spoken out on how "laser-focused" he was in preparing to represent the UK as he told Radio X's Chris Moyles: "I didn’t drink whatsoever.

Sam Ryder's SPACE MAN continues it's exciting journey up the midweek Official Singles Chart post-Eurovision, breaking into the Top 5 and surging past its placement on yesterday's First Look.

The fun and games of Eurovision are over for another year, and what a night it was. If you decided to give it a miss because you thought that the UK would end up with “nil points” for yet another year, you really did miss out, as Sam Ryder and his hit Space Man ended up coming in second place to Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra.

Sam Ryder has said he "couldn't be happier" to return home after his record-breaking success at Eurovision over the weekend. 

Eurovision Song Contest runner-up Sam Ryder broke his silence on Monday after making history for the UK on the international talent show.MORE: How to get your hair like the stars of Eurovision - from the stylists who made themThe Essex-based singer, who became popular during lockdown with his impressive vocals, blew Europe away with his epic performance on Saturday night, scoring a staggering 466 points for his homeland.WATCH: Eurovision 61 years of contestantsTaking to his Instagram, the 32-year-old shared a jubilant snap of himself and Team UK. Captioning the photo, he wrote: "Still up in Space, Man!READ: Why Eurovision fans can't stop talking about Meghan Markle's hairSEE: Eurovision's most memorable contestants"Thank you all for blazing with love, positivity and kindness throughout this wild and euphoric experience.A post shared by SAM RYDER (@samhairwolfryder)Sam became a TikTok sensation during the pandemic"We completely felt your support and we so deeply appreciated it.

Sam Ryder said he felt “fantastic” and that he would have a family curry as soon as he arrived home as he touched down in the UK a day after coming second in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Ant and Dec are set to snatch a £30million golden handcuffs deal with ITV, according to a new report.  The alleged contract would see the famous presenting duo, both 46, stay at the network for another three years, with their current arrangement set to end next year. Per The Sun, ITV are keen to keep bids from streaming giants Netflix and Amazon at bay, as the successful duo remain a huge hit at the helm of I'm a Celebrity.

Graham Norton has shared the moment he met a delighted Sam Ryder backstage after his Eurovision triumph. The UK's Eurovision Song contest host tweeted a video of the celebrations in Turin, Italy, as a jubilant Sam entered the room after coming in second place after Ukraine on Saturday night.

scored a landslide victory from the televote after performing their song Stefania. While the winning country usually hosts the next year’s competition, doubts have been cast on whether Ukraine will be able to host in 2023 due to the ongoing war with Russia. However, when asked about President Volodymyr Zelensky’s claim that Eurovision will be hosted in Ukraine, Kalush Orchestra star Oleh Psiuk said: ‘If the President said it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.

Rylan Clark has quipped that he’s “just about alive” after celebrating the UK’s success at Eurovision yesterday, Saturday 14 May. The TV presenter, 33, hosted the contest’s BBC coverage with Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, Italy. Sam Ryder represented the UK at the world renowned song contest, and came in second place to Ukraine – the highest the UK placed at Eurovision in over two decades.

3 min read Kalush Orchestra have won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest for Ukraine with their song ‘Stefania’. After the jury scores were tabulated, the United Kingdom’s entry Space Man by Sam Ryder was leading the pack with 283 points, with Sweden and Spain close behind with 258 and 231 points.

The winner of Eurovision 2022 was last night revealed as Ukraine. Sam Ryder represented the United Kingdom, and it was clear from the off that he was going to score big as twelves were awarded continuously to the UK by countries across Europe. An elated Sam could be seen smiling as at the half way point of voting the UK were still leading with 195 points, but after all the votes were cast it was Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra who scooped the top prize.This has led many to question where the 2023 Eurovision will take place, giving Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia.

Celebs flocked to Old Trafford cricket ground for a glam evening with Dragons' Den star Steve Bartlett. Coronation Street, The Apprentice, Love Island and The Real Housewives of Cheshire stars had flashbulbs popping as they headed to The Point at Old Trafford cricket ground for the Isoclean Presents Steven Bartlett event.

LIVE – Updated at 09:28The Eurovision 2022 final proved to be one of the liveliest and most competitive in recent memory. While the atmosphere was still good-humoured, the sheer quality of the 25 countries competing this year presented voters with some tough decisions. Ultimately, though, favourites Ukraine and their entry Kalush Orchestra were crowned the winners, leaving many to wonder if the country will be able to host the contest in 2023.