The National Lottery is drawing to a close, the crisps have been laid out and we are all poised to bring you our liveblog coverage of Eurovision 2009. Bring it on……
2000 GMT Te Deum is sounding decided 21st Century these days, and ooooooh look, we are in Moscow. Time for Graham Norton to make his debut……
2001 Cirque de Soliel kick things off, telling the story of how last year’s winner Dima Bilan went off round the world seeking his fortune and became a star. Russian dolls and weirdness abound.
2003 There are peasant women and fireeaters on stage. Am scared.
2004 They’ve gone. And heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere’s Dima, flying in on wires. He is going to sing a souped-up version of Believe by the sound of it. Spectacular stuff.
2007 Dima is singing Believe. Ooooooh, we like this one, can we vote for it?
2009 Dima has more than six people on stage with him. We seem to recall this is not allowed under the rules of Eurovision…..
2010 Our hosts Alsou (who came second for Russia in 2000) and Russian celebrity Ivan Urgant take to the stage. She looks like one of those dolls you stick over toilet roll holders
2012 The first song! It’s Lithuania. A huge cheer greets him. But we still don’t like it.
2017 Time for Israel now. Singing second is traditionally the kiss of death and as hard as they’re trying we can’t see this changing things……still nice to see them in the final.
2020 Patricia Kaas. Claaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasy lady.
2024 Sweden. Still not convinced by this one live but sounded a bit better than it did on Tuesday.
2028 Croatia. Next!
2032 Portugal are on and this song is growing on us soooooooo much. It is as cute as anything. A good outside bet for a top ten place we think.
2037 It’s another beautiful performance from Iceland. This has to be reckoned with a chance at victory.
2041 Greece take to the stage. Sounded a bit shouty but who cares, it’s Sakis and few performances this year as as showy as this one. Still can’t quite work out why he’s striding atop a giant stapler however.
2044 Armenia. And it’s another thumbs up for the Jan Jan ladies.
2047 We get our first glimpse of Russia’s entry. And – yes! as in rehearsals she is wearing a bedsheet. This is doing absolutely nothing for us except to convince us that here is a country who really doesn’t want to host again next year.
2051 Azerbaijan, who are as infectious and likeable as on Thursday night. Top five for sure.
2055 And time for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Gosh, how do we love this song, let us count the ways. Ladies and gentleman, your winner. Possibly.
2059 Here in the UK we don’t have a commercial break since it is shown on the BBC so we are treated to video footage of Russian policemen singing. Meeps?
2100 Moldova next. Still utterly love this, what a joyous performance. Reckon it could be a dark horse for the top five.
2104 We were expecting brilliance from Malta and Chiara didn’t disappoint. Surely it’s about time she won this thing?
2108 Hurrah! Estonia have taken to the stage for their first final since 2003. And what a classy performance, scuppered for us only by the fact we noticed how much the violinist sitting down looks like a young Anthea Turner…..
2112 Denmark next. Are you Ronan in disguise? We are beginning to wonder, Mr Brinck. Very nice song however…..
2115 Time for us to see Germany for the first time this year. Good Lord, what is Oscar wearing? Why do we think he snuck into the Hungarian dressing room and half-inched those trousers the second they got knocked out on Thursday. Oh, now Dita Von Teese is on stage and Oscar’s shirt is falling off. ENOUGH!
2119 Germany have frankly left us speechless, so it’s down to Turkey to try and redress the balance. They are giving it some but does she sound ever so slightly out of tune or is it just us?
2122 Albania, we loved this on Thursday and we are loving it now, although getting ever so slightly excited about the imminent arrival of the pixie…..
2127 The pixie is here. And thank the Lord he is miles better than he was on Thursday night. We are beginning to think they may have this one in the bag……but then we haven’t yet seen Jade.
2131 Ukraiiiiiiiiine! Who once again are so awful that they are actually brilliant.
2135 Sorry but Romania still isn’t doing it for us. And besides, we are already thinking about what is coming next……
2139 Jade nearly got bonked in the face by a violinist. That aside she was ACE. So proud of our girlie…..
2144 Finland actually sound better than they did t’other night. But they still ain’t gonna win it.
2147 And finally…..it’s Spain. They’re in trouble for not broadcasting the second semi final that they were voting in and – OMG, what has happened to the intro? Ah, that’s better. Good lively end to the main part of the show.
2152 What does Yuri Gagarin have to do with Eurovision?
2211 Interval act. We don’t get it.
2218 The voting has begun and the UK got 10 points from Spain!!!!!!!!!!! That is 10 points more than we got in Riga…..
2226 Oh my goodness the UK is in second place. I rather think we may be going to Oslo however……
2230 Hmmmmm, Norway in the lead by 50 points.Anybody think they might win it?
2238 Duncan James from Blue is delivering our result. Pourquoi?
2239 We gave seven points to Germany?????????? Does someone want to explain that one to us?
2241 There is a break in the voting for some Russian folksters to play a song by Tatu. Well it ain’t as if it’s close and tense…..
2245 Greece have given the United Kingdom 12 points! Hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2251 Do we think Norway might win it?
2252 Cyprus have given their 12 points to Greece. Quelle surprise. What a shame Greece couldn’t return the favour…..
2255 Norway have broken 300. And are now officially the biggest winners ever in Eurovision history. In other news, look how well France are doing…..:-)
2258 Moldova just got 12 points from Romania. And now Ireland are voting. Wonder where their 12 will go??????
2259 No!!!!!! They gave it to Iceland! But 10 is good, hurrah!
2302 It is overrunning, and the Slovenian juror has called for a moment of silence. ENOUGH!
2302 So……will Norway break 400?
2304 Russian lady is wearing a hairnet in the green room. Well it is 2am in Moscow……
2307 It is all over, and Norway have won. Why are we not surprised…….?
2310 Lys Assia is about 102, surely? We are on a high here. We love pixie’s winning song and the UK has had its best result in years. Soooooooooooo proud of our Jade. And with that in mind we are off for a nice cup of tea and a sit-down. Bring on 2010!