🟥 RECAP: AUSTRIA WIN EUROVISION, Sauna songs, ballads and chaos, Eurovision 2025 delivering on drama

As the glitter settles on this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, the contest is proving to be as outrageous, emotional and unpredictable as ever.

And that's a wrap for this years Eurovision commentary and updates, as Austria and JJ win the contest.

JJ is reprising his winning song.

And the WINNER of Eurovision 2025 is Austria

The Top 3 countries are:

1. Austria
2. Israel
3. Estonia

JJ, a 24 year old singer has taken the crown in Basel with Wasted Love, a powerful ballad that transforms into a full blown club anthem by the end. 

This is Austria’s third Eurovision win, joining Udo Jürgens (1965) and Conchita Wurst (2014) in the history books.

Next year, all eyes turn to Austria. Looks like Vienna might be getting the glitter and gays back in 2026!

0 points from the public for the United Kingdom. 

Israel is the new leader with 357 points with the public vote.

And that's it for the jury points. We now go to what you, the public, have voted.

We are currently 10th.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor just announced that the UK jury gave 12 points to Latvia

There’s been a last-minute change to who’s giving out the UK’s jury points tonight.

Actor Ncuti Gatwa was meant to do it, but had to drop out because of “unforeseen circumstances.” The BBC hasn’t said exactly why.

Taking his place is Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who’s a big fan of Eurovision and sequins.

In recent years, the UK’s scores have been read out by people like Catherine Tate, Amanda Holden and AJ Odudu.

Italy gave the UK 12 points. 

That’s the magic of Eurovision, one minute you’re questioning your life choices as to whether you should get the tub of ice cream out of the freezer, the next you’re typing, “a cartoon mouse from Italy has just unexpectedly given the UK 12 points.”

Honestly, no other show on Earth could make that make sense.

We've now got 6 points, at least we've got some! 

This is just the beginning of the votes, the public votes have yet to come.

The points are now starting to come in, the UK doesn't have any points yet.

... and the lines have now closed, the voting has now ended.

How to Vote for Eurovision 2025

• You can’t vote for your own country (nice try, though).
• You can vote up to 20 times, but only once per act per method (app, phone, etc.).
• Everyone watching in participating countries can vote, plus viewers from the “Rest of the World”.
• Even if your country didn’t make the final, you can still vote in it!
• The Rest of the World vote is counted as one extra set of points, like it’s its own country.

So pick your favourites and get voting!

These bowl cuts are back, aren’t they? Not sure what’s bolder, the song or the hair. Here comes Nemo with Unexplainable.

The outfit is making me feel a little overdressed as well. 

The beginning of Nemo sounds exactly like Flowers from Miley Cyrus, but in the meantime, Nemo, please stop singing.

DAB... I'll wait for those jackets to appear in the clearance aisle of TK Maxx next week.

We are waiting for all of the votes to come in to get the counting started.

As Billy at Breakfast would say on weekdays, I'm off for a brew, I'll be back in two.

Eurovision 2026 will be on at this rate.

Some of the borough’s favourites tonight, gathered from your WhatsApp messages at home and a few picks from our news desk team too. Here they are in order of appearance, not in order of preference:

• Estonia (03)
• Israel (04)
• United Kingdom (08)
• Iceland (10)
• Latvia (11)
• Finland (13)
• Malta (20)
• Denmark (22)

Let’s see how they do when the votes come in!

This is it, we have now seen the winner of Eurovision 2025 from the 26 contestants that have performed so far this evening.

Who do you think it will be?

Send us a WhatsApp message, 0161 764 9200, or click here: https://rochvalley.radio/whatsapp  

You can also vote for another country, but you cannot vote for the UK, you can vote up to 20 times.

The final song tonight is Albania with Shkodra Elektronike and their song Zjerm. The duo take their name from their hometown, Shkoder, and their sound blends traditional Albanian music with heavy electronic beats. It kicks off with a haunting string melody before building into something darker and more intense. 

Song 25 is from San Marino, and they’re represented by 52-year-old Italian DJ Gabry Ponte. The track’s called Tutta L’Italia, it was originally made as the theme for a big music festival in Italy.

This DJ made it through the semi-finals, and is trying to bring some party energy, and in fairness, it's a good performance for Eurovision.

On now with song 34, it’s France. The entry is Maman by Louane, a reflective track all about time, and how quickly it passes. 

There’s been some grumbling backstage, France took way longer than the usual 35 seconds to set up, with one rehearsal pause lasting five minutes. The delay’s down to some dramatic staging involving real sand swirling around Louane and why there was a cut to the other stadium and a karaoke singalong of ABBA.

But the song, Maman, is a powerful ballad about losing her mother and becoming one herself. You can even hear her daughter’s voice at the end.

Now it’s Sweden, the bookies’ favourite this year, though it’s still too close to call.

The act is KAJ, a band technically from Finland, but from the Swedish speaking region. Their song Bara Bada Bastu has already made a huge impact, racking up an eye watering 43 billion streams.

Let’s see if they can turn those numbers into points tonight.

Now it’s Denmark’s turn, and they’ve brought us a proper Eurovision classic, a big dance anthem.

This is Hallucination by Sissal, and it’s an absolute banger.

One for the Spotify playlist, no question.

And judging by the crowd, they’re loving every second of it, and what a very Tory blue costume.

This one is worth a vote!

THE WIND MACHINE IS BACK!

Next up is Portugal with song number 21. The band is called NAPA by a group of lads from Madeira, and their song is Deslocado. 

It's a really good song, BUT, it's not a Eurovision winner.

Song 20 comes from Malta, and this one’s a proper fan favourite. Mirlana Conte is absolutely adored, and honestly, it’s easy to see why. The song’s called Serving, and it’s a full on club anthem. Big, bold, and completely out there.

The crowd? They’re loving every second of it.

Malta’s song made a big splash online when it was first released in January, and not just because of the music.

It was originally called Serving Kant, which raised some eyebrows. In Maltese, “kant” means “singing,” but when said out loud, it sounded a bit like a rude English word. The singer, Miriana Conte, said it was totally innocent and simply meant “I’m serving singing.” Nothing more.

Broadcasters, including, reportedly, the BBC, thought it crossed the line. The Eurovision organisers stepped in, and Miriana had to change it. Now, instead of the original lyric, there’s just a big dramatic sigh.

Next up is Switzerland with song 19. Representing them is Zoë Me, from Basel, with her track Voyage. Let’s see where this one takes us.

I feel it should be a song on a John Lewis, Christmas advert.

Song 18 is from Armenia, and it’s got everything you’d expect from a proper Eurovision entry, a giant treadmill, a ton of strobe lighting, and just the right amount of drama. The singer is PARG, and the track is called Survivor. It ticks all the classic Eurovision boxes really and honestly, the song is doing really well.

There are ten people credited with writing the lyrics, and from what I can tell, the chorus goes: “I’m a survivor, lai-la-la-lai-la-la-lai, survivor.” feels like they all work in the council.

Ten acts left, and next up it’s Greece. Klavdia’s on stage with her song Asteromata.

Simple, emotional stuff, keeping it simple.

This one takes a bit of time to get going. The video screen does most of the heavy lifting early on, while Klavdia keeps things fairly still, maybe a bit too still. The song itself is about the bond between mother and child, and the connection refugees feel to the lands they’ve had to leave behind.

Next up, it’s Germany, another of the big 5, and they’re bringing some serious sibling power this year. Representing them are brother and sister duo Abor and Tynna, with their track Baller. It’s a full on club anthem, big beats, big energy.

You’ll all be singing it tomorrow... La Lalala la

Baller has already made a splash, it hit number 1 on Spotify with over 10 million streams.

This is how Germany got us feeling: 

Can we have a break now? I'm knackered.

Song 15 comes from Poland, and it’s a bit of a throwback! Justyna Steczkowska is back on the Eurovision stage, she first represented Poland all the way back in 1995, 13 contests ago. Now at 52, she’s returning with Gaja, showing the kids how to do it. Let’s see what she’s got for us this time around.

This song is pure Eurovision.

Next up, it’s Italy with song number 14. Representing them this year is Lucio Corsi.

This is the only performance so far with subtitles on screen, not quite sure why, Itality said they thought it important that you knew what was being said, but hey, we’ll take the help! As for Lucio… either the white balance is off, or he’s genuinely that pale and could do with a bit of sunshine.

Oh, and that harmonica solo? It’s the first live instrument played on the Eurovision stage since 1999. 

Now we’re heading to Finland with song number 13, and it’s another big fan favourite. Erika Vikman is bringing the heat with Ich Komme, and it starts as it means to go on: bold, loud, and completely unmissable.

Let’s be honest, once it starts, you can’t take your eyes off the screen. Buckle up, or...

The crowds went absolutely wild for this one, Erika is a fantastic performer.

Now it’s the Netherlands, and this one’s already made waves, Claude has been a hit in over 15 countries. The song is C’est La Vie by Claude, and it’s a heartfelt tribute to his mum.

Heartfelt, a ballad, 

Latvia’s up next, and their entry is rooted in traditional wedding songs, with a modern twist. It’s all about reconnecting with nature, and the lyrics say it best “Others are making a bridge of steel, I’m helping an oak to grow… The bridge of steel turns to rust, my oak grows evergreen.”

Not sure on this one to be honest, I guess it's one of the stereotypical Eurovision ballads.

Next up at number 10, we’ve got Iceland, and just like that, we’re about a third of the way through tonight’s performances.

These lads are brothers (not twins, but definitely twinks), and they’re bringing us ROA by VAEB. Word is, those outfits have been going strong for over a week, no judgement, just dedication to the look! Can't be any worse than walking through the town centre on a Saturday afternoon.

A very catchy song! 

This is the Iceland act 10 years ago.

Now it’s Austria’s turn, with 24-year-old JJ bringing us Wasted Love. It’s heartfelt, very high-pitched, and full of emotion. Let’s see if this one sticks with the voters or just leaves them feeling… well, a bit wasted. 

Reminds me of the opening credits from the BBC programme, what's it called, Silent Witness.

Now the United Kingdom.

Charlotte, Holly, and Lauren, better known as Remember Monday, are making history as the first girlband to represent the UK at Eurovision since 1999. It’s been a long time coming, and they’re here to bring some serious girl power back to the stage.

Slightly more simply than the other acts we have seen so far but we are LOVING the melodies on Remember Monday!

Did Rodney from Only Fools and Horses drop that chandelier off himself?

REMEMBER THE RULES, WE CANNOT VOTE FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM.

The worst mexican wave we have ever seen!

She sounded better than rehearsal, but it gave me a chance to go to the toilet.

The moment we have all been waiting for!! Here we go…

Up next is Ukraine with Bird of Bray from the band Ziferblat. It’s actually a really beautiful song, let’s see if they’ve brought out the wind machine for this one.

Oh wow… that is very pink. And the look? Somewhere between Jedward and Thatcher, if you can imagine that combo. Eurovision never disappoints.

Bird of prayer? More like a seagull stuck in a gutter, we love Ukraine's entry all the same.

David Bowie called and asked for his look back.

We’re into the Big Five now, starting with Spain — and they’ve shown up meaning business. They’re hoping to bring it home like it’s 1969, with Esa Diva by Melody. It’s song number six, and it’s got all the drama you’d expect from someone aiming for that trophy.

Is this Shania Twain?!

With the silhouette, it looked like Melania Trump

We are loving the sparkles on Melody, human glitter balls!

... I'd vote for this...

Next up, it’s Lithuania! This one’s all about someone’s eyes — the song’s called Tabo Akys, and the lead singer is Lukas, performing with the band Katarsis.

Now, I’ve got to say… it looks like they didn’t quite finish cutting his hair. Bit of a half job, really. Speaking of which, note to self, book that haircut for Monday afternoon.

Katarsis - when you have Eurovision at 8 but have to go and be a dental hygienist at 10

Lithuania discovered Nirvana. Who knew grunge would make a comeback.

OK, seriously we are going to take a shot every time someone switches on the wind machine.

Song number 4 is from Israel. It’s been a controversial one this year, with a lot of mixed opinions, but the fact is, they’re here tonight because the public voted to keep them in. 

Israel may be controversial, but oh my can Yuval Raphael sing! The wind machine is in full swing tonight

This one’s a classic Eurovision power ballad, no surprises there. It’s written by Keren Peles, who also had a hand in last year’s Israeli entry. Israel’s won the contest four times before, but I’m not convinced this will be the one to make i