London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

Eurovision 2023: King Charles tells Mae Muller he will be 'egging you on'

Eurovision 2023: King Charles tells Mae Muller he will be 'egging you on'

King Charles III has told the UK's Eurovision entrant Mae Muller he will be "egging" her on and watching next month's contest "with great interest".

The King and Queen Consort met the singer when they visited the venue in Liverpool and unveiled the event's set.

Camilla said "no pressure" to Muller, who replied: "It feels like a good energy this year, no nil points."

She added: "As long as I can get up there and say it's the best I've ever done it, I'll be pleased."

The venue will stage the first semi-final in less than two weeks, as the UK hosts the annual competition on behalf of last year's winners Ukraine.

The grand final will take place a week after the coronation.

"We'll be watching with great interest, egging you on," the King told Muller.

The King and Queen Consort also met Julia Sanina, Rylan Clark, Hannah Waddingham and Scott Mills


The King and Queen Consort also met co-hosts Hannah Waddingham and Julia Sanina, commentators Rylan Clark and Scott Mills, and members of the production team.

"They were very lovely, so chatty," Clark told BBC Radio 2 afterwards. "And Queen Consort Camilla was like, 'I hear you've been in The Archers," referring to his appearance in a special Eurovision episode of the Radio 4 soap.

Clark went on to tell the King he would have to "behave himself this year" because Eurovision is in the UK, Mills said. "I won't be able to roll around Italy like I normally do," Clark added.

"That did get a Royal laugh," noted Mills.

The King and Queen Consort also pushed a button to officially light up the arena for the first time.

The venue has been fitted with more than 2,000 specialist lighting fixtures, with a pink, blue and yellow colour scheme to match this year's Eurovision logo.

The cabling for the lighting, sound and video could reach eight miles if rolled out.

The King and Queen Consort pressed a button to switch on the lights on the Eurovision set

This year's stage was designed to symbolise the UK offering a hug to last year's winners Ukraine

The semi-finals will take place on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May, before the final on Saturday 13 May.


Around 6,000 fans will be in the arena for each of the shows, with an estimated 160 million viewers watching the final around the world.

Tickets have sold out, but there will be a Eurovision Village fan zone for thousands to watch the event on big screens, and a two-week cultural festival in the city will also run alongside the competition.

BBC director general Tim Davie said: "It is an honour that His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort have come here today to reveal the fantastic staging for our Eurovision Song Contest programming.

"This set will be the focal point for all of the celebrations and we cannot wait to see it lighting up Liverpool and TV screens across the world."

Last month, stage designer Julio Himede told the BBC's Eurovisioncast podcast the set at the M&S Bank Arena was "very adaptable".

"It was an interesting creative challenge to come up with a design that felt big enough in the arena and big enough on camera," he said.

"Creatively, me and my team had to think about how we could give the stage an identity that says Eurovision - one of the biggest music shows in the world."

Around half of the 37 participants wil use the catwalk that extends from the main stage during their performances, he added.


Who pays for Eurovision?


As this year's host broadcaster, the bulk of the cost to put on the three live televised shows falls to the BBC.

The total is expected to be between £8m and £17m, but the corporation hasn't released its budget for the event.

Malta's The Busker will compete in the first semi-final on Tuesday 9 May


Each year, the 37 competing broadcasters all pay a fee to enter, which in recent years has totalled a combined sum of about £5m.

The BBC, which is the UK's participating broadcaster, does not make its contribution public.

There is also £10m coming from the UK government, which includes an undisclosed amount being given to assist with the BBC's spending for the event.

However, officials say the majority will be spent on ensuring "the inclusion of Ukrainian culture".

Finally, local authorities in Liverpool have pledged £4m for the event.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×