Neil Smith
Entertainment reporter

Image source, Getty Images

You want yodelling? And rapping? And big glittery cannons? Well, you have come to the right place.

Romania were barred from Eurovision last year but are certainly back with a bang in 2017.  

Singer Ilinca Bacila describes herself as the only yodelling artist in Romania - come on, there must be some competition - while Alex Florea does The X Factor and The Voice when not balancing on cannons.

During his time in Kiev, he's had time to add another to his collection.

Here is the very, very blonde Levina singing 'Perfect Life.' She certainly looks like she has the perfect life; she would not look out of place in an Alpen advert. Or in a Robyn video, external.

Here's another song that sounds an awful lot like a carbon copy of a Top 40 chart hit. If you're wondering why that shuddering string entry made your ears prick up that's becuase it sounds IDENTICAL to David Guetta's Titanium:  

David's lawyers will be in touch. 

At this point I want to highlight, yet again, that this song is already extremely popular with international tennis champion SERENA WILLIAMS.

Yes, this is actually happening. Serena took time out of her day of thwacking tennis balls and winning armfuls of trophies to do a short cover of the song's chorus:

Ken Bruce
Presenter, BBC Radio 2

Here is Ilinca ft. Alex Florea blasting their way through the descriptively named song - 'Yodel It!' 

YOU MISSED A TRICK THERE DIDN'T YOU NATHAN TRENT FROM AUSTRIA!

Cyprus' competitor this year is Hovig who clearly loves nothing more than a good trust fall. Here's hoping his backing dancers don't drop him, otherwise he's going to learn the real meaning of 'Gravity' very swiftly indeed. 

Many people have piped up and said that this song is uncomfortably similar to Rag n' Bone Man's song 'Human.' Hovig says that he is ignoring these comments. 

Have a listen to Rag n' Bone Man's song why don't you and let us know what you think on @BBCEurovision, external:

(Spoiler alert: the similarities are absolutely shriek-worthy)

Cyprus' song was written by none other than Thomas G:son. No that wasn't a typo, his surname is actually G:son.I'm going to write that again just to let it sink in; G:son. 

Mega fans out there might recognise this (*ahem*) colon from 2012. He actually wrote the song 'Eurphoria' which won Sweden's Loreen the trophy in 2012. He also had 12 OTHER SONGS in the competition that year. Gee whizz G:son. Sitting atop all that song-writing talent is an astounding head of hair. Here he is in the studio, sporting the smile of someone who has just cranked out 15 Eurovision songs in a morning. 

Lucie absolutely blew everyone away in rehearsals earlier this week:

And if we scream loud enough she might just go all the way. GO ON LUCIE! DO IT FOR BRITAIN!!!

Lucie's song tonight 'Never Give Up On You' was co-written by Emmelie de Forest who won Eurovision for Denmark in 2013 and Lucie took time out of her busy preparations to do a haunting duet of 'Chasing Cars' with her to say thank you. Get some tissues ready because it's punch-to-the-gut amazing: 

Since leaving the X Factor Lucie has cultivated an incredible musical theatre career, with roles in Les Miserables, We Will Rock You, Ghost and RENT but she says her favourite ever job (apart from Eurovision, obvs) was whipping on a fabulous blonde wig to play Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Here she is posing outside her latest role in RENT in a rather jaw-dropping dress:

Neil Smith
Entertainment reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It's been 20 years since the UK last won Eurovision. Could Lucie Jones be the one to bring the contest back to our shores?

The 26-year-old certainly gives a committed performance of Never Give Up On You, an emotional ballad co-written by 2013 Eurovision winner Emmelie de Forest.

The song begins with Jones in a golden gown, reflected in mirrored panels that create a striking prism effect.

After a quiet beginning, the song builds to a dramatic crescendo that’s reflected by the firework effects that fill the screen behind her.

Brexit or no Brexit, it's one of our strongest efforts in years. Indeed, it might change the minds of some of those who feel the UK should pull out of Eurovision altogether.

Despite all the gags everyone might be throwing around about 'nul points' and Scooch (our toe-curlingly lacklustre entry in 2006, external), the United Kingdom is actually the most successful country at the Eurovision Song Contest. 

No, really. We've won the competition an impressive 5 times in 1967, 1969, 1976, 1981 and 1997.

We've also come second 15 times. So put that in your fluffy hygge pipe and smoke it Scandinavia. 

As you might have guessed from those EARTH-SHATTERING vocals (go Lucie!), Whitney Houston is one of Lucie's biggest idols. 

She also has a bit of a soft spot for Zac Efron. Here she is chatting to us about her favourite Eurovision song of all time and the iconic moment she actually met her idol Whitney Houston in person:

British citizens around the world. Please be up-standing and raise a glass to the one and only LUCIE JONES! 

Lucie is the 60th entrant ever from the United Kingdom. She hails from Pentyrch - a small village in Cardiff, Wales. She first came to prominence on the X Factor in 2009 and was mentored by Australian superstar Dannii Minogue. Here she is all those years ago auditioning for Simon Cowell:

You'll be surprised that although Norway is usually one of those irritating Scandinavian countries that's good at absolutely everything one thing they absolutely do NOT excel at is Eurovision. 

They are actually the LEAST successful country in Eurovision history and have come last a grand total of 11 times. 

Perhaps the deep-rooted shame associated with this is the reason the JOWST has put on that mask. And why their drummer has shrouded his identity away in a hoodie like a moody teenager and is doing basically everything he can to ensure none of his mates spot him on TV. 

Anyone want to see what JOWST looks like without his mask? Oh go on then. He's the rather dashing one on the left...

Image source, Eurovision

Neil Smith
Entertainment reporter

Acts at Eurovision always perform to a backing track as there's simply not enough time to plug in instruments and have a soundcheck in the brief handover between songs.

Yet some still go through the charade that they're doing an actual concert, bringing on equipment and behaving as if they've just walked on stage at Glastonbury.

Norway’s JOWST is a case in point - though with that scary mask on, maybe DJ Joakim With Steen really DOES think he's at Glastonbury.

There was some disquiet in the run-up to the contest over the way Aleksander Walmann's vocals had been digitally altered and incorporated into the playback of their song, Grab the Moment.

The instruments may be for show, but the singing is supposed to be completely live.

Image source, Getty Images

Norway's entry this year is called JOWST which stands for Joakim With Steam (yeah, me neither). They're performing a rather mysterious song called 'Grab the Moment.' 

In case you're wondering, the jolly man at the front is actually called Aleksander and his pre-show ritual includes singing an unspecified Ed Sheeran song to get him in the zone. One can only imagine that tonight it'll be 'I See Fire' given the level of pyros being thrown about the stage this evening. 

JOWST himself is actually that man in the LED mask bopping up and down on the DJ decks. Here is the Norwegian LED collander moments before he went on stage in the semi-final on Thursday night (he looks jolly excited about it):

Speaking of that shirt, here is Manel explaining the 'florist having a nervous breakdown' shirts that he and his crew are wearing.