"Biased" jury and drug use accusations: what darkened the final of Eurovision-2021

On the night of May 23, Rotterdam hosted the 2021 Eurovision final.

The show passed without incident, but the audience still had questions to its organizers.

In particular, the so-called block voting (or neighbor voting principle), which, according to viewers, was guided by the professional jury of many countries, is being discussed on social networks.

In particular, Greece and Cyprus exchanged 12 points.

Serbia received the highest rating from North Macedonia, Moldova (for which Philip Kirkorov's ward Natalia Gordienko played) - from Russia and Bulgaria.

The judges of Russia and Ukraine, in turn, did not award each other a single point - although within the framework of the audience vote, Russia gave the Ukrainian team Go_A 7 points, and Ukraine awarded 4 points to Manizhe Sangin.

On Sunday, a member of the Ukrainian professional jury, Igor Kondratyuk, said at all that the organizing committee of the competition should decide to ban Ukraine and Russia from evaluating each other's performances.

“As for me, the Eurovision organizing committee should adopt the experience of UEFA and deprive Ukraine of the opportunity to evaluate the performances of the participants from the aggressor country, and Russia - to evaluate the participant from Ukraine,” Kondratyuk wrote in his column.

- Music can be outside politics, musicians and singers - never (we are talking about those of them who have brains and honor). "

Music critic and TV presenter Ilya Legostaev, in an interview with RT, noted that there have not yet been cases in history related to the deprivation of any country of the right to evaluate competitors at Eurovision.

“It seems to me that if a country participates in a competition, it should accept the rules of the game, which are the same for everyone, and not demand any preferences for itself.

But here, again, everything remains at the discretion of the organizing committee ... The ball is now on their side, and I would very much like this situation to be resolved as prudently as possible, ”Legostaev said.

He stressed that everyone would like to leave music outside of politics, but today it is very difficult.

“One way or another, the entire news agenda puts a lot of pressure on music - both on artists, and on critics, and on those who promote music as well.

Similar situations have arisen and will continue to arise, because the situation has recently been quite tense in international relations, there is no getting away from this, ”the critic said.

In his opinion, in matters relating to the assignment of marks to Eurovision participants, it is reasonable to give the right to establish the rules to the organizing committee of the competition.

“They have to figure out how to steer this wonderful competition ... and understand what would be ideal for people to watch, participate in it, enjoy it and, if possible, try to abstract themselves from the hot news when they listen to music and watch music festivals, ”Legostaev said.

It seems to me that if Eurovision really should serve the goal of uniting Europe, then the jury voting should be cut out.

-% username% (@NovostiMagazina) May 22, 2021

The scandal around the winners of Eurovision-2021, the Italian group Måneskin, is also widely discussed on the network.

During the broadcast, the band's lead singer Damiano David bent over the table, which caused some viewers to suspect that he was using drugs.

During a press conference following the results of the competition, David hastened to explain that he was only collecting fragments of a glass, which was broken by his colleague Thomas Raji.

However, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) made an official statement on the matter.

“We are aware of the speculation surrounding the video of the Eurovision Song Contest winners from Italy, recorded last night in the Green Room.

The group has vehemently denied drug allegations, and the singer in question will undergo a voluntary drug test upon returning home.

The corresponding request came from their side last night, but the European Broadcasting Union could not immediately organize such a check, ”the statement says.

The EBU stressed that the team, their manager and the head of the delegation assured the organizers of the competition that there were no drugs in the “green room”.

“The European Broadcasting Union can confirm that broken glass was subsequently found during an inspection of the scene.

We continue to carefully study the video materials and will promptly provide further information, ”they promised the viewers.

Some of you are such SORE LOSERS, you can CLEARLY see he's just celebrating with his fists clenched, he's definitely not doing drugs.

You can't even let us celebrate in peace.

Embarrassing.

# Eurovisionpic.twitter.com / KN5WBxNzba

- Andrea (@ANDREAESCIT) May 22, 2021

And the British media are discussing the behavior of the TV presenter Amanda Holden, who announced the voting results from the UK, at the competition.

In her speech, Holden focused on herself, and also uttered a phrase that caused the outrage of netizens.

"Bon Soir.

Goedenavond, - the TV presenter greeted.

And then she continued her speech in her native English.

"It's" Good evening "in French and Dutch, although I have no idea where which one is."

Compatriots criticized her behavior.

“The main fiasco in the competition was not zero points, but a clear demonstration by Amanda Holden of why Europe considers us an arrogant nation that greatly overestimates its own importance, and why no one will ever vote for us,” said actor Tristan Gemmill.

UK representative James Newman, who performed with the song Embers, did not receive a single point either from the professional jury or from the audience vote.