Liverpool recently welcomed the news that the city would be serving as the host for the Eurovision Song Contest in May next year - the first time the UK has hosted the contest in 25 years. The eagle-eyed amongst you might have noticed a link to the School of Medicine when the announcement was made on the BBC’s ‘The One Show’ last Friday.
The final decision as to who was to host the contest on behalf of Ukraine, due to the ongoing conflict in previous winner’s homeland, was between Glasgow and Liverpool. Tensions mounted as Graham Norton read the results to a simulcast of gathered fans in both hopeful cities, and our very own Faye Sharpe from the Technology Enhanced Learning team was delighted to be a part of the Liverpool crowd!
Faye is our e-portfolio Administrator in the School’s Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Team, supporting academic and medical professionals, and making sure that students are progressing through each academic year and meeting all of their requirements for their clinical placements.
A self-professed Eurovision ‘superfan’, she was shocked to receive a call late on Friday 7th October, asking her to be in the crowd for the big reveal:
“I was finishing work for the weekend, and had been excited all day to find out where Eurovision was going to be held as rumours had been buzzing around social media all day on which city would be crowned the winner!
As a member of OGAE UK, which is the official Eurovision Fan Club, I had been contacted by the President of the club to see if I would be interested in going down the British Music Experience to be in the audience for the reveal and, being such a huge Eurovision fan, I thought to myself ‘why not go and part Eurovision history!’, so it was very much last minute”.
Much to her surprise however, Faye was spotted by the show’s producers and, owing to her connections with the OGAE, was asked if she would appear in an interview segment during the broadcast, along with Sonia and Sam Quek:
“I wasn’t there long, and then the next thing I know, I am being asked if I am happy to be interviewed as a ‘Eurovision Super Fan’ and having a mic attached to me!
We rehearsed the timings a few times and then it was time to go live! The atmosphere was full of excitement and nerves. Eurovision is such a huge part of my life, it has been bigger than Christmas in my house for as long as I can remember! Having Liverpool host Eurovision for 2023, means everything to me, and is something which I never through I would get to experience.”
Thrilled by the news that Liverpool had been successful in their bid, fending off no less than 19 other cities, Faye was also keen to impress the importance of the symbolism the contest represents, and that the reasons for the change carried with them very significant reasons:
“It is not just a ‘cheesy song contest’, I promise! Eurovision symbolises unity of people across Europe and the World, both fans and artists coming together to support each other. This was clearly very true of Eurovision 2022, with the Ukraine winning the contest.
It is important that we remember that this is not our party, we are just inviting the Ukraine to host it in our house! Liverpool is the perfect place for this to happen, we are a city full of diverse cultures and people. We are friendly, open, and know how to have a good time! And on top of all that Liverpool is actually twinned with the Ukrainian city of Odesa”.
We did it!
— Joanne Anderson (@MayorLpool) October 7, 2022
Liverpool is honoured to be hosting #Eurovision 2023 on behalf of Ukraine.
Huge well done to the bid team and thanks to everyone who has supported us – now begins the work on organising the party.
#AllYouNeedIsLove@EBU_HQ @Eurovision @BBCTheOneShow @CultureLpool pic.twitter.com/4VNIxjMmS9
This spirit was echoed by Mayor Joanne Anderson, with the city announcing it will run a cultural programme that “represents modern Ukraine – a progressive, creative and ambitious country” and open a Eurovision “village” around the M&S Bank Arena. The core of the city’s programme will be an artist exchange and co-production between Ukrainian and Liverpool-based artists, working closely with Odesa.
You can catch the announcement, as well as Faye’s interview, on BBC iPlayer here (link)