The One Show presenter Alex Jones has shared her confusion about the Eurovision Song Contest voting, admitting she only learned how it worked a few hours before the programme she co-hosted with Ronan Keating on Wednesday, May 10.
The BBC series has been presenting the popular show from a studio near Liverpool's M&S Arena, which is hosting the singing competition on behalf of Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia, all week. Alex, 46, who hails from Ammanford, and the former Boyzone singer were interviewing Ukrainian singer and host of the contest, Julia Sanina, when Alex made her admission.
Looking rather sheepish, the mother of three told the singer: "Can we talk about the votes? Because I didn't understand this until this afternoon. I think lots of people at home will agree.
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"Tomorrow is a big deal for Ukraine and UK because we can vote." She then began to laugh and added: "I don't know if I'm helping anybody here. But that's the deal. Tomorrow is a big deal."
Julia, who had performed at the first semi-final round and will also perform in tomorrow's second semi-final, added laughing: "It's a complicated thing, but yes. You're right."
For anyone else who, like Alex, is a tad confused by the voting system - Eurovision voting, evidently, can be somewhat head-scratching - especially since a change was brought in this year, let us explain how exactly it works.
Firstly, in order to vote, you must do so via the official app, by phone, text or www.esc.vote.
A big change introduced this year is that semi-finalists going through to the grand final are chosen on public votes alone, rather than alongside jury votes - as it has been in previous years. In the grand final, both jury votes and public votes will be counted.
As stated by Alex, the UK and Ukraine - aka one of the Big Five countries (Spain, Germany, Italy, France and the UK - who contribute the most, financially, to the contest) and last year's winner - will be able to vote for who they wish to progress onto the grand final during Thursday night's (May 11) semi-final 2. Much to the delight of British fans everywhere.
Typically, countries who are performing in that semi-final are the only ones able to vote. However, because the UK - as a country that bypasses the semi-final stage for being one of the Big Five - goes straight to the grand final, it is allocated a semi-final in which members of that country can vote for another. In this instance, it's in the second semi-final.
Ukraine also goes through to the finale as co-hosts and last year's winners. On the night, however, the public will be able to vote once again for their favourite act - although, they cannot vote for their own country's entry.
Each Eurovision fan can vote up to 20 times. The public votes make up 50% of the total vote, with the other half determined by a professional jury in each participating country.
Another change that has come into play this year is a first in the contest's nearly 70-year history. People from outside of the countries participating in the competition will be able to watch and vote - these votes will be converted into points.
The Eurovision Song Contest semi-final 2 will take place on Thursday, May 11. It will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 8pm. For more information on voting, see the Eurovision website.
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