Not even a big fabulous talent show is safe from the repercussions of rising tensions in the East... we begin this year's look at the show by noting that the Ukrainian entry, which only won the nomination this past Saturday, has been forced to withdraw over claims she travelled to Crimea in 2015, a trip that would have been illegal under Ukrainian law if she had journeyed through Russia. The withdrawal comes ahead of an official investigation into the trip, so make your mind up on that. As the deadline for entry selection hasn't passed, the Ukrainian broadcaster is free to find an alternative act. We'll see how that, and indeed Russia's selection, pan out.
So with all that said, how is the rest of the competition shaking up with 3 months to go? Well, the UK traditionally unveils their song at the last minute, so no news there. Apparently a whole new team of people is in charge of the selection this year, although it's still an internal affair rather than a public vote. Other than that, nothing spectacular, surprising or silly to report yet. Lithuania seem to be channelling classic French music, whilst Estonia's gone cowboy-themed. Sure. Could work.
We're at that stage where every Saturday evening for a month across Europe there are 4-5 grand finals for national selection, so the roster is going to fill out pretty soon!
