After months of speculation, the Eurovision 2023 hosts are confirmed. Graham Norton, Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian star Julia Sanina will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool this May.
The trio of ladies will host the semi-finals, with Graham joining Alesha, Hannah and Julia to assist present the final.
Rumours have swirled about the presenters of the Liverpool edition of the song contest since October. Suggested names included Rylan Clark and AJ Odudu. But now, fans can put those rumours to rest.
Fans initially cast Graham Norton out of the race after the Irish presenter suggested he’d rather keep his commentating gig. However, the BBC appears to have reached a deal with the long-time voice of Eurovision. Former Bake Off host Mel Giedroyc will join him in the commentary booth during the final. She’ll be there to plug in any gaps while he’s running to the stage or on it.
The announcement comes after mounting speculation surrounding the Eurovision host gig. On Sunday 19 February, The Daily Star reported Alesha Dixon was offered a “big money deal” to host the contest.
Ukrainian presenter Timur Miroshnychenko, who co-hosted Eurovision 2017, had also been speculated as a potential host for this year’s contest. But although he won’t be up on the main stage during the three live shows, he will still be popping up from time to time. Timur has been given the role of “Eurovision correspondent”, appearing at points during the programme and providing live insights from Ukraine’s commentary booth.
Timur is also set to host the Opening Ceremony on the official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube Channel. For this he’ll be joined by former field hockey player and now TV presenter Sam Quek, who hails from host city Liverpool.
Graham Norton
Graham Norton, 59, is an BAFTA-winning Irish presenter, broadcaster and comedian. He is best known as the host of late-night chat show The Graham Norton Show and as the UK’s voice of Eurovision, providing commentary for the BBC since 2009.
Graham is known for his innuendo-laden comedy. He first found fame in the UK at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, performing as a dragged-up Mother Theresa. After a number of appearances on comedy radio and TV chat shows, he had a brief acting stint in award-winning sitcom Father Ted as Father Noel Furlong. More recently, he returned to acting as the voice of Moonwind in Disney Pixar’s Soul.
Although most of his work occurs behind the commentary booth, Mr Norton is no stranger to the Eurovision stage. In 2007, he hosted the first edition of the ill-fated Eurovision Dance Contest. In 2015, also hosted the Eurovision Song Contest Greatest Hits 60th anniversary celebration show in London, alongside Swedish comedienne Petra Mede.
Alesha Dixon, 44, is a singer and dancer from Hertfordshire. She rose to fame in the early 2000s as part of hip-hop group Mis-Teeq, bagging a string of top ten hits including “All I Want“ and “Scandalous”. The group disbanded in 2005 and Alesha found solo success. She won the fifth series of Strictly Come Dancing and subsequently became a judge on the long-running BBC primetime show.
In 2008, Alesha Dixon scored a worldwide hit with her cheeky jazz track “The Boy Does Nothing”. The song charted in number one in Czechia and Hungary, number two in France, Finland and Spain, and broke the top ten in Sweden, Italy, and Australia. In 2010, Alesha Dixon picked up a BRIT Award nomination for Best Single for her track “Breathe Slow”.
Elsewhere, Alesha Dixon is a regular judge on Britain’s Got Talent and has appeared on several international versions as a guest judge. In 2021, she appeared as a guest judge on the third series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
Hannah Waddingham
Hannah Waddingham is an actress, singer, and musical theater performer from London. Star of stage and screen Hannah, 48, is best known for her role as Septa Unella in Game of Thrones and as Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso.
A graduate of the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, Hannah quickly found success on the West End and Broadway theatre scenes. From 2006-2008, she played the Lady of the Lake in Monty Python’s Spamalot on Broadway. Then in 2011, she joined the cast of The Wizard of Oz during its run at the London Palladium, portraying Miss Gulch and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Julia Sanina
Julia Sanina, 32, is a singer-songwriter from Kyiv, Ukraine. She’s best known as the frontwoman of alt-rock band The Hardkiss.
Julia said i’m so excited to showcase Ukrainian culture and creativity, and to help put on a show to make my country proud. I can’t wait to get to Liverpool and meet the fans and the rest of the Eurovision family.”
