The 2022 grand final is fast approaching and fans are preparing for a night of singing, dancing and all round chaos.
After James Newman became the only act to not pick up a single point, all eyes are on star Sam Ryder, who will .
Both the semi-final shows and the grand final will be streamed on the official Eurovision TikTok account, and will combine the official broadcast with backstage clips.
There are 40 countries competing this year, after was removed from the contest, with 35 of them set to do battle in two semi-finals tonight and May 10.
As we prepare for Saturday’s grand finale, here’s everything you need to know about the semi-final.
What times does the Eurovision semi final start?
The first Eurovision semi-final kicks off tonight, with Rylan Clark and Scott Mills providing the commentary from 8pm.
It was also revealed last month that had been selected to announce the nation’s scores to the rest of Eurovision.
A tweet from the official Eurovision Song Contest account confirmed: ‘Ciao Italia, this is SALFORD calling! AJ Odudu will be the first Eurovision spokesperson to present the UK jury’s douze points from the North West.’
32-year-old Sam, who has more than 12 million followers on TikTok, will be hoping to impress with his track after being hailed as our best entry for years.
No pressure Sam.
Ahead of the contest, the singer enthused: ‘Having been a fan of Eurovision since I was a kid l I am so honoured to have been presented with the opportunity to sing at an event alongside some of Europe’s most talented creatives, performers and songwriters.
‘I hope to sing my head off in a way the UK can be proud of and to showcase a song I wrote with my friends last summer makes the whole experience even more special. See you in Turin legends!’
How to watch the Eurovision semi final in the UK?
UK viewers can stream the show as it happens on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer, however the grand final will air on Saturday at 8pm on BBC One.
The Ukrainian act is favourite to win Eurovision 2022 with odds of 21/20, according to Betfair Exchange.
Hip hop act Kalush Orchestra, whose song Stefania blends modern rap and classical Ukrainian folk music, could triumph amid the Russian invasion of their country.
Ukraine last won the contest in 2016 and therefore hosted the 2017 event in its capital of Kyiv.
While the UK is tipped to come fourth with odds of 12/1.
Chanel is representing Spain with SloMo and has odds of 25/1.
Also in the running, according to Betfair Exchange, are Greece, Poland and Norway with odds of 80/1 or less.
The Eurovision semi-final airs tonight at 8pm on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.
