Forget the protests – it’s Eurovision’s polish that will be its ruin

After another bad night for the UK, Will Gore says the annual celebration of Euro pop is losing its way

Nemo wins the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo (AP)

In the event, the controversial run-up to this year’s Eurovision didn’t spoil Saturday’s grand final.

The preceding weeks had been dominated by protests against Israel’s participation in the show, with the original lyrics of its song deemed unacceptable by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) but a rewritten version allowed in. When Eden Golan performed during the semi-final on Thursday, boos rang around the arena but she made it through nonetheless. With protesters marching in Malmo ahead of the final, organisers must have feared a serious interruption. The BBC had reportedly made contingency plans to cut off its live feed were it all to kick off.

By then, the contest had been plunged into a further row, after the Netherlands’ entry was disqualified following claims of intimidatory behaviour. The Dutch broadcaster Avrotros proclaimed itself “shocked” by the decision and refused to read out its national results on the big night.