Months of auditions and absolute secrecy: how Yulia Sanina became the host of Eurovision 2023 and what is known about her British colleagues

In less than a week, the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 semi-finals will begin in Liverpool, UK, and Euro fans will be able to get to know not only the participants but also the four hosts of the show. Their selection, as it turned out, was also not easy, so each star deserves the attention of the audience.

The Hardkiss frontwoman Yulia Sanina has already arrived in Liverpool from Ukraine, and she even managed to meet the King and Queen Consort of the UK. OBOZREVATEL decided to tell you how her audition went and what is known about Sanina's fellow Brits (to see the photo, scroll to the bottom of the page).

How Yulia Sanina became a presenter

In an interview with 1+1 Breakfast, the artist shared that she was not the only Ukrainian star to apply for the prestigious position of Eurovision 2023 host. To be chosen among the others, Yulia Sanina had to go through online auditions and then fly to London for a TV casting. All this lasted several months.

"It was a long process that I couldn't tell anyone about because it was a huge secret. Only my family knew. Even the guys in the band didn't know. I was not allowed to tell anyone," the star said.

By the way, she will be assisted by TV presenter Timur Miroshnichenko, who will not only talk to the artists backstage, but also broadcast live from the Liverpool arena.

What we know about the other presenters

Yulia Sanina will host the grand finale of the show on May 13 this year in the company of British stars Graham Norton, Hannah Weddingham and Alicia Dixon.

Irish comedian and presenter Graham Norton hosts his own talk show, The Graham Norton Show, on BBC One, for which he has won five BAFTA TV awards. He has been commentating on Eurovision since 2009. By the way, Norton is gay, which is interesting in the context of the news about a possible ban on the broadcast of the contest on Russian TV due to "LGBT propaganda".

The British actress Hannah Weddingham is known to the audience for her roles in the TV series Game of Thrones, Sex Education, Ted Lasso, The Wizard of Oz and many others. She also has a successful music career.

Alicia Dixon, a dancer, model, singer and participant of many TV shows, completes the four hosts of the Grand Final. Her biography is rich in victories, participation, awards and judging in the field of dance. Alicia will be able to professionally assess and comment on the staging of the participants' performances, which also plays a significant role in Eurovision.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported:

• Ukraine will be represented by the TVORСHI duo with the English-language track Heart of Steel, written under the influence of the war. According to the performers, they were inspired to create the song by the unbreakable spirit of Azovstal's defenders.
• Find out when the first semi-final will take place, where to watch it and who will perform here. Similar information about the second semi-final can be found here.
• Bookmakers have decided on the likely winner of the show. This artist has significantly pulled away from her competitors and is claiming the second Eurovision victory in her life.

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