Eurovision is ‘our World Cup’, says Scott Mills ahead of semi-finals

BBC Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills has said the Eurovision Song Contest is “our World Cup”, ahead of the semi-finals.

Days away from the 2025 winner being crowned, the DJ will be commentating during the live semi-finals for BBC One on May 13 and May 15 alongside presenter Rylan Clark.

He said: “Eurovision is like a melting pot and we’re all there for the same reason and everyone can chat and talk about what songs they like and what they don’t like.

“Sometimes it can turn into a bit of a heated discussion and you get into the real nitty gritty of, like, ‘Well, why do you think their staging is better than this?’ and ‘Why is their song better?’

“It’s a bit like what people do with football but with songs, and for us fans we absolutely adore it, it’s our World Cup. I look forward to it so much and that’s what’s magical about it. Everyone’s there for the same reason.

“The world can be a horrible place, but for a week you can go somewhere you’ve probably never been before and you can shut out the world and it’s just happy, happy, joy, joy and love.

“There is no bad news at Eurovision and it’s all you think about and all you talk about and all you hear when you’re there all week. And that is sometimes a welcome switch-off from the world.”

The UK will be represented this year by all-female trio Remember Monday with their song What The Hell Just Happened?

The UK has won the contest on five occasions – three times with groups: Brotherhood Of Man (1976), Bucks Fizz (1981) and Katrina And The Waves (1997), and twice with solo acts: Sandie Shaw (1967) and Lulu (joint winner in 1969).

Singer Sam Ryder finished second behind Ukraine in 2022 with his song Space Man.

The semi-finals will feature performances from the “Big Five” countries (United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, France, Italy) as well as former Eurovision performers from the host country, Switzerland, including a tribute to last year’s winner, Nemo.

Fans can also tune into BBC Radio 2 for live commentary from broadcasters Richie Anderson and Sara Cox. In addition, Clark and Mills will also be providing commentary for the Eurovision Grand Final on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.

The final will take place in Basel, Switzerland, on Saturday May 17 and can be watched on BBC One and iPlayer from 8pm.