London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2026

Eurovision 2023: Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham and Julia Sanina's responsibility to Ukraine

Eurovision 2023: Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham and Julia Sanina's responsibility to Ukraine

Eurovision co-host Alesha Dixon says May's contest is "so much more than a competition", as Liverpool prepares to stage the event on Ukraine's behalf.

"It's very important. We feel that sense of responsibility, to do it with joy, love," she said.

The Britain's Got Talent judge will present alongside Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian musician Julia Sanina for the semi-finals.

Graham Norton will complete the line-up for next month's final in Liverpool.

Sanina, who is the front woman of Ukrainian rock band The Hardkiss which will open the first semi-final, says this year's contest is a "big deal" for her country.

"Even last year, when people were watching Eurovision from bomb shelters, lots of them were still voting and wanted to win," she added.

"We have to always balance the joy and the love with what Julia just said," Waddingham said. "People voting from the bomb shelters hits me more than anything and there's the reason I wanted to get involved."

Normally the country that wins Eurovision then hosts it the following year, but organisers decided that due to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine it was too dangerous to stage one of the world's biggest events.

The presenters will front the song contest at three live shows - two semi-finals on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May.

The BBC's Eurovision commentator Graham Norton will then join the trio for the final on Saturday 13 May, splitting his time between the stage and his commentary booth he's sharing this year with Mel Giedroyc.

More than 160 million will watch the song contest over the three live shows


Rehearsals for the hosts, as well as for the 37 acts competing, will begin at the beginning of May and Waddingham tells BBC News she's looking forward to the results the most.

"It's the age-old Terry Wogan and Katie Boyle saying 'Good evening Portugal' - that literally gives me shivers of excitement," she said.

"My 12-year-old self couldn't belief I'd ever be saying that. Honestly it makes me quite emotional".

As this year's host broadcaster, the BBC has announced extensive plans for its Eurovision coverage over the next three weeks including an appearance from Cheryl Baker in EastEnders, and special shows dedicated to the contest from Bargain Hunt to Pointless.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Labour Adviser Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for China Held Privileged Access as Top Party Donor
Turkish Parliament Passes Landmark Bill Granting Conditional Amnesty to Disarmed PKK Members
Donald Trump Warns FIFA Against Ousting Gianni Infantino Amid Revolt by Global Football Leaders
Jeff Bezos Joins Investor Group Closing In on $6 Billion Liverpool FC Stake
Police Conduct Cross-Border Raids Against Northern England Drug Network
Nicola Sturgeon Protested at Edinburgh Festival Fringe Event
Major UK Retail Chain Enters Administration With One Hundred Fifty-Four Stores Set to Close
Heathrow Renews Call for Runway Expansion After Losing Europe’s Busiest Airport Ranking
Government Condemns One Million Pound Thames Water Executive Bonus Amid Drought
NHS England Says More Than One Hundred Thousand Hepatitis C Patients Have Been Cured
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Calls for End to West Bank Settler Violence
UK Prepares for Deepest Partial Solar Eclipse Since Nineteen Ninety-Nine
UK Heatwave Triggers Amber Health Alerts as Economic Losses Reach Four Point Four Billion Pounds
UK Offers Electricity Bill Discounts to Communities Hosting New Power Infrastructure
Bank of England Expected to Hold Interest Rates at Three Point Seven Five Percent
UK Government Moves to Ban Subscription Traps and Misleading Retail Discounts
Andy Burnham Gives Councils New Powers to Block Betting and Vape Shops
UK Councils to Receive Sweeping Planning Powers to Ban New Vape and Betting Shops
Nicola Sturgeon Says She Has No Contact With Estranged Husband After SNP Embezzlement Case
Police Arrest Two Men After Aberdeenshire Defense Technology Office Break-In
Greater Manchester Councils Gain Powers to Restrict New Vape and Betting Shops
Coroner Finds Treasury Workplace Failures Contributed to Personal Assistant’s Suicide
English and Welsh Courts Ban Meta Smart Glasses Over Recording and Privacy Risks
Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Double UK Inflation and Trigger Recession, Forecasters Warn
UK Expands Global Talent Visa Scheme to Support Research-Intensive Companies
UK Equity Funds Suffer Record One Point Six Billion Pound Outflow Amid Capital Gains Tax Fears
Three-Quarters of England Enters Drought as Fifth Summer Heatwave Raises Economic Risks
UK Hiring Stabilizes for First Time Since 2022 as Employers Adjust to Higher Payroll Costs
UK Chancellor Orders Whitehall Spending Cuts as Public Debt Exceeds Three Trillion Pounds
UK Manufacturing Output Records Fourth Straight Month of Growth
UK Condemns Russian Torture of Ukrainian Prisoners and Recruitment of Foreign Nationals
Long-Lost Royal Navy Warship HMS Tiger Found in English Channel After 118 Years
Northern Ireland Finance Minister Seeks Urgent Treasury Talks Over Regional Budget Pressures
UK Government Targets Subscription Traps and Misleading Discounts in New Consumer Rules
Alleged Cartel Boss Daniel Kinahan Extradited From Dubai to Face Criminal Charges
AI Chatbots Challenge Traditional News Consumption and Raise Job Concerns
Andy Burnham Government Promises Crackdown on Exploitative Business Practices
UK University Funding Model Faces Growing Pressure From Unsustainable Student Debt
Government Urged to Subsidise Energy Bills for Vulnerable UK Households
UK Military Spending Plans Threaten to Deepen Infrastructure Funding Gap
Israeli Government Rejects US Peace Framework for Gaza
New Labour Government Signals Closer Economic and Strategic Ties With European Union
Amber Heat-Health Alerts Issued Across England as Temperatures Threaten 36 Degrees
UK Economy Expected to Grow Despite Energy and Supply Chain Shock From Iran Conflict
Foreign Social Media Accounts Drove Disinformation During Belfast and Southampton Riots
Record Number of Migrants Cross English Channel in Single Vessel as Smugglers Deploy Mega-Dinghies
Russia’s A7 Builds a State-Linked Payments Network Beyond Western Sanctions
Reports of Mark Zuckerberg-Linked Superyacht Declining Rescue Assistance Draw Maritime Scrutiny
Preserving Three Banksy Artworks in London Has Cost Taxpayers Nearly £150,000
Four Ugandan Athletes Disappear From Delegation After UK Sporting Events
×