Graham Norton says Eurovision 2021 will go ahead despite the pandemic

It’s great news for Eurovision fans, as Graham Norton has confirmed that the singing content will be going ahead in 2021, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The BBC presenter, famous for his snarky and comedic commentary on the Eurovision Song Contest, confirmed the news, explaining that acts not able to travel to the contest will be allowed to perform via the video calling app, Zoom.

‘There’s definitely going to be a Eurovision this year’

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Norton, now presenting on Virgin Radio, told Sirius XM radio: “There's definitely going to be a Eurovision this year, the competition element is going to happen.

"I think they're ready for any eventuality. If some countries can't travel, they can Zoom in a performance. I doubt we'll be in a stadium full of 20,000 people.

"I feel like the minute we can [get back to normal], people will leave their houses in droves. And Eurovision, it's a joyous thing."

The 2020 Eurovision Song Contest was cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak. The 2021 contest will take place in Rotterdam, where the 2020 event was scheduled.

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Fans of the global performance contest were treated to a selection of alternatives in 2020. The Eurovision Song Celebration allowed all 41 participants to perform their songs in a non-competitive format, as a replacement for the semi-finals.

The Eurovision Home Concerts were broadcast in April, and featured planned and past entrants performing Eurovision hits from their own homes.

Data suggested that the 2020 event would have resulted in a draw between Italy and Iceland, with both countries achieving a score of 71 out of 100, via fans listening through streaming services.

The UK would have reached an unprecedented high of tenth place, with entry My Last Breath by James Newman.