London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 11, 2026

Eurovision winner passes drug test after video sparks speculation

Eurovision winner passes drug test after video sparks speculation

The singer for Italy’s Eurovision winning rockers Maneskin has tested negative for drugs, the contest’s organisers have said.

The singer for Italy’s Eurovision winning rockers Maneskin has tested negative for drugs, the contest’s organisers have said.

Eurovision bosses said the competition winner would be drug tested after speculation sparked by a backstage video that went viral.

Singer Damiano David, whose band Maneskin won Saturday night’s competition, denied taking drugs during the event after footage of him leaning over a table.

A statement from Eurovision released on Monday read: “Following allegations of drug use in the Green Room of the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final on Saturday 22 May, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), as requested by the Italian delegation, has conducted a thorough review of the facts, including checking all available footage. A drug test was also voluntarily undertaken earlier today by the lead singer of the band Måneskin which has returned a negative result seen by the EBU.”

The EBU said it was "alarmed that inaccurate speculation leading to fake news has overshadowed the spirit and the outcome of the event and unfairly affected the band".

During a press conference following Maneskin's win, David denied that he used drugs and said he bent over because another band member had broken a glass at their feet

An earlier statement by the organisers said: “We are aware of the speculation surrounding the video clip of the Italian winners of the Eurovision Song Contest in the Green Room last night.

“The band have strongly refuted the allegations of drug use and the singer in question will take a voluntary drug test after arriving home.

“This was requested by them last night but could not be immediately organized by the EBU.

“The band, their management and head of delegation have informed us that no drugs were present in the Green Room and explained that glass was broken at their table and it was being cleared by the singer.

“The EBU can confirm broken glass was found after an on-site check. We are still looking at footage carefully and will update with further information in due course.”

Singer David told reporters at a press conference: “I don’t use drugs. Please, guys. Don’t say that really, no cocaine”.


Måneskin, who had been favourites to win the Eurovision Song Contest, took top prize with their song Zitti e buoni.

The band also issued a denial on their Instagram account, saying they had “nothing to hide” and would do a drugs test to prove their innocence.

They said: “We really are AGAINST drugs and we never used cocaine”.

More than seven million people in the UK tuned in to watch James Newman score nil points in the final.

It was a disappointing night for the British hopeful, who was the only contestant to scored zero points from the jury vote and from the public vote, coming bottom on the leaderboard.

Newman took his defeat in good humour, drinking a beer and standing up to applause from the live audience in the arena.

The singer, who is the older brother of pop star John Newman, had hoped to win over viewers with his rendition of upbeat track Embers, which was inspired by the end of lockdown.

He performed in front of a crowd of 3,500 fans at the Ahoy arena.

On stage after the band’s victory, David shouted into the microphone: “We just wanted to say to the whole of Europe, to the whole world, rock and roll never dies.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
English Councils to Gain Power to Introduce Tourist Taxes by 2028
Kemi Badenoch Reshuffles Conservative Shadow Cabinet
Firefighters Make Progress Containing Major Wildfires in South Wales
John Lewis Partnership Reports £124 Million Loss
Study Says UK AI Data Centres Will Create Only a Quarter of Forecast Jobs
UK Government Considers Higher Industrial Water Prices Amid Supply Pressures
Andy Burnham Holds First Call With Donald Trump as UK Prime Minister
NHS Records Busiest Summer on Record as Heatwaves Drive Hospital Admissions
Home Secretary Orders Police Crackdown on Far-Right Anti-Migrant Vigilantes
UK Supreme Court Rules Northern Ireland Religious Education Curriculum Breaches Human Rights Standards
Markets Price in Four Bank of England Rate Rises by Next Summer
House of Commons Prepares Free Vote on Assisted Dying Bill
UK Government Bans Trade With Israeli Settlements in Occupied Territories
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Artificial Intelligence Investment Supports Expansion
Andy Burnham Becomes UK Prime Minister After Keir Starmer Resigns
John Lewis Partnership Loss Widens to £124 Million
UK Government to Put White Working-Class Social Mobility at Centre of Equality Policy
McLaren Plans £450 Million Technology Investment Creating 1,000 UK Jobs
UK Chancellor Faces Calls for Wealth Taxes and Public Ownership in Autumn Budget
English Mayors to Gain Powers to Impose Uncapped Overnight Tourist Taxes
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Warns UK Government Against Bank Windfall Taxes
UK Air Traffic Control Outage Cancels More Than 2,000 Flights
UK Imposes Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements in the West Bank
UK Borrowing Costs Surge as Middle East Tensions Push Long-Term Gilt Yields to Highest Since 1998
Buckingham Palace Says Prince Harry and Meghan Will Not Resume Official Royal Duties
UK Treasury Faces Calls to Scrap £100,000 Childcare Support Threshold
Trades Union Congress Urges Labour Government to Rewrite Migration Policy
Riot Police Deployed After Anti-Migrant Protests Turn Violent in Portsmouth
UK Considers Replacing Some Disability Cash Payments With Direct Services
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Warns UK Chancellor Against Higher Banking Taxes
UK Announces New Sanctions Targeting Israeli Settlements in West Bank
Metropolitan Police Investigate Alleged Illegal Donations to Reform UK
UK Charges Wiltshire Man With Assisting Russian Intelligence
UK Orders Urgent Review After Air Traffic Failure Cancels More Than 2,000 Flights
Merz Rebukes AfD Expansion in Saxony-Anhalt
King Charles Confirms Prince Harry and Meghan Will Remain Private Citizens
Labour Selects Former Child Refugee for By-Election in Keir Starmer’s Former Seat
Foreign Private Equity Accelerates Takeovers of London-Listed Industrial Companies
NHS Maternity Care Faces Scrutiny Over Support for Mothers After Caesarean Births
BBC Warns Staff Strikes Are Likely Amid Job Cuts and Programme Cancellations
English Housing Affordability Improves to Best Level in More Than a Decade
UK Health Commission Proposes Framework for Wider AI Adoption Across NHS
Labour Faces Pressure for Wealth Tax Ahead of Autumn Budget
Metropolitan Police Open Criminal Investigation Into Alleged Foreign Donations to Reform UK
UK Police Deploy Riot Officers After Anti-Immigration Unrest in Portsmouth and Dover
UK Defends Sanctions on Israeli Settlements Despite Diplomatic Retaliation
UK Air Traffic Control Failure Cancels More Than 1,000 Flights and Disrupts 65,000 Passengers
Compass Urges £10 Million Wealth Tax and Public Ownership Ahead of UK Autumn Budget
UK Government’s Devolution Plans Face House of Lords Scrutiny
Maldives Seeks New Chagos Sovereignty Talks With UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham
×