Eurovision Song Contest breaks BBC record

The BBC's coverage of Eurovision attracted an average audience of 9.9 million people.

Eurovision

The Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool was the most-watched grand final in BBC history.

The broadcaster has confirmed that the live show - which was staged at the M and S Bank Arena in Liverpool - attracted an average audience of 9.9 million people and the BBC's broadcast peaked at 11 million viewers.

Kate Phillips, the BBC's director of unscripted, said in a statement: "What an incredible contest. It was unforgettable, unmissable event television on a scale never seen before delivered by the BBC to viewers across the UK and millions more watching around the world."

Swedish pop star Loreen claimed the Eurovision crown, on a night when Ukraine and the country's ongoing struggles were put at the heart of the show.

Elsewhere, British entrant Mae Muller finished second-from-bottom on the leaderboard.

Kate added: "Sweden took home the trophy in spectacular style and 2022 winners Ukraine were at the heart of the show. Liverpool welcomed the world’s biggest singing competition with open arms and embraced it beyond all of our expectations.

"The fact that so many millions of people tuned in reflects just how significant Eurovision has become and truly underlines the theme behind this year’s contest, United by Music. We really hope we did Ukraine proud."

The BBC's previous Eurovision landmark was set in 2011, when 9.5 million people tuned in to watch the show, while in 2022, the event attracted an audience of 8.9 million people.

Meanwhile, Mae has taken to social media to insist that she's proud of herself, despite falling to win the Eurovision crown.

The 25-year-old singer wrote on Twitter: "i just want to say thank u x i know i joke a lot but we really put our all into the last few months, not the result we hoped for but so proud of everyone and what we achieved on this journey. Congrats to all the countries, I’ll never forget this journey and I love you all. [heart emoji] (sic)"