Sweden's Loreen wins Eurovision for the second time

1. Swedish star Loreen has won the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with her song Tattoo
2. Loreen, who was previously crowned Eurovision winner in 2012 with her song Euphoria, says she feels "so much love... I'm thankful"
3. Finland's Käärijä came in second place, while the UK's Mae Muller finished second from bottom
4. Russia attacked the home city of the Ukrainian entry Tvorchi just before they performed earlier, reports say
5. The contest is being held in Liverpool this year, because the war in Ukraine prevents them hosting
6. The show opened with a performance by last year's winners - Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra - featuring a surprise cameo by Catherine, Princess of Wales

Until we meet again

Marita Moloney

Live reporter

As Loreen sings in her Eurovision-winning song Tattoo "it's time to say goodbye".

And it's farewell from us here after a non-stop few hours of live coverage from this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

Lightning struck twice for the Swedish singer, as she claimed the crown for the second time in 11 years. While she was the favourite, the votes came down to the wire after Finnish rapper Käärijä and his verdant sleeves brought the house down and came a very respectable second.

Yellow and blue were the colours of the night, not just because of the winner but because of Ukraine. The UK hosted the competition on Ukraine’s behalf, and last year's winners Kalush Orchestra kicked off the show in style.

It was a bad night at the office for the UK's Mae Muller, who came second last. It's a long way from Sam Ryder's second place last year, but it's that unpredictability that keeps Eurovision fans coming back for more every year.

The celebrations are in full flow in Liverpool but it's goodnight from me and my colleagues Jasmine Taylor-Coleman, Aoife Walsh and Antoinette Radford in London.

Thanks to our team reporting from the contest all week, and to you for following along. Is it too soon to say, "Hello, this is Sweden calling?!"

In Pictures: Highs and lows as the winner was crowned

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After a night of funky tunes and silliness, the atmosphere turned tense once hosts Hannah Waddingham and Graham Norton turned to the national juries for their results

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Sweden's Loreen was off to a flying start, with many of the national juries rewarding her douze points, shooting her straight up the scoreboard with a major lead from other artists

EPA

But it was all still to play for when things started to look up for Finland's Käärijä. The public vote gifted Finland an astonishing 376 points - launching Käärijä into first place above Sweden

PA Media

...but within minutes, the taste of victory had turned sour for Finland. Loreen received 253 points from the public vote, pushing her back to the top of the scoreboard with a massive 583 points

PA Media

The audience cheered as Loreen was handed the trophy. It was a historic moment - Loreen is the first woman to win the contest twice

PA Media

Over in the UK's Mae Muller corner, the artist looked disappointed as she moved into second last place on the scoreboard, having had poor luck in both the jury and public vote

WATCH: Kate makes surprise cameo

It feels a long time ago already, but the Princess of Wales made a surprise appearance playing the piano during the opening performance of this year's Eurovision.

She played an instrumental piece, created by Joe Price and Kojo Samuel, recorded in Windsor Castle's Crimson Drawing Room earlier this month.

Read more here

Catherine, Princess of Wales makes surprise cameo at start of Eurovision

UK's Mae says she'll 'never forget this journey'

Emma Saunders

Watching at the venue

Reuters

After coming 25th, second from bottom, the UK's Mae Muller has just tweeted, saying "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."

How to write a Eurovision winner

Aoife Walsh

Live reporter

Getty Images

Loreen's first Eurovision win came in 2012 with her song Euphoria

We've seen the best of Europe’s eccentric and brilliant performers on stage tonight, with Sweden's Loreen winning the prestigious Eurovision crown.

Thoughts will be turning shortly to next year's competition, and how countries can emulate the success of double-winner Loreen or Ireland's Johnny Logan.

Maltese broadcaster PBS will run its first Eurovision song writing camp next month to find its next entry for the 2024 contest.

Gordon Bonello, Malta Eurovision Song Contest producer, said the island has been "aiming to be like other countries" and "forgetting about our own identity and music" in recent years.

"People want something authentic," he tells me.

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Johnny Logan won the Eurovision in 1980 - and then again in 1987

Forensic musicologist Joe Bennett says some Eurovision cranks might consider it the contest too trivial, but it's "really hard" to write a winning song.

"That's why the finest songwriters in Sweden and Germany and a bunch of other countries want to achieve it every year," he says.

Brendan Graham has written two winning songs for Ireland in the Eurovision - first in 1994 and again in 1996. He said the song is the "foundation stone of the success" - not the dancing, lights, or outfits.

"If you don't get that right, you can dress it up as much as you'd like and It won't connect with people."

WATCH: Eurovision final highlights in 90 seconds

Did you miss the Eurovision Song Contest? Or do you fancy watching the best bits back again. Well, we've got just what you're looking for.

Watch: Eurovision final highlights in 90 seconds

'I might come back another time,' jokes Loreen

More now from Loreen, who says it feels "surreal" to win the contest twice.

"Isn't it wonderful," she adds.

An audience member asks if the competition should limit the number of times an artist can enter the contest to twice.

"I don't know, I might come back another time," she jokes.

"Honestly, it's all about creativity, it's about performing," she adds.

She says she doesn't think there should be a limit on that.

Loreen: I'm longing for a glass of wine

PA Media

Eurovision winner Loreen is speaking at a press conference now after her historic victory.

Asked how she will celebrate her success, she says she's been "longing" for a glass of wine,

"So it's going to happen, ok?" she jokes, adding that she hopes the kitchen isn't closed.

She says that in 2012 she was a "very naïve girl" and this year's experience is more "motherly and effortless".

"It was a nice flow, man," she adds.

WATCH: Mel Giedroyc milking her presenting role

If you missed it, this has to be one of the undisputable standout moments of the night in the UK - when Mel Giedroyc was seen churning butter behind host Hannah Waddingham.

As our colleague Emma pointed out earlier, it was a nod to Poland’s infamous eye-catching 2014 performance from Donatan & Cleo.

Sure - now it makes sense.

Watch: Mel Giedroyc milking her presenting role

A special week in Liverpool

Daniel Rosney

Eurovision reporter, inside the arena

BBC

The arena is lit up in blue and yellow as the crowd leave the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

Blue and yellow for Sweden. Blue and yellow for Ukraine.

This competition felt more special than normal. No matter if you are pleased with the result or not, it's been an entertaining week.

It's been a joy and a pleasure to see a new wave of Eurovision fans come to the contest because it's in Liverpool - and I can't wait to see what Sweden is going to do next year.

Who is Loreen?

Emma Saunders

Watching at the venue

PA Media

Our Swedish winner may be a legend in Eurovisionland but if you happily exist outside this crazy bubble, here's a little bit of info about Loreen.

The 39-year-old's real name is Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui and her parents are originally from Morocco. Like many Eurovision contestants, she first got exposure after taking part in a talent show - Sweden's Idol 2004.

She's had several hits at home in Sweden but she's best known for her Eurovision fame, having now won twice - once with Euphoria in 2012 and, of course, again tonight.

WATCH: All the times Eurovision's presenters stole the show

The standout stars of this year's Eurovision Song Contest do not just include the competitors - the hosts have become fan favourites as well.

Have a watch of all the times Julia Sanina, Graham Norton, Hannah Waddingham and Alesha Dixon hit the high notes tonight.

All the times Eurovision's presenters stole the show

Not everyone thrilled with Sweden's win

Andre Rhoden-Paul

Reporting from the Euroclub

"I haven't even got any words. She's the only woman to win it twice and there's been so many female anthems this year," Loreen fan Nicola Parkin from Middlesborough tells me.

"This is why we need the jury, and long live Loreen that's all I have to say."

But not everyone was happy. Simen Hay, from Norway, calls Sweden's win "a scandal".

"There's a 190 people in total deciding for the whole of Europe and its undemocratic," he says.

"Lorde would never have won with this jury, there was a not a jury when they competed. And now we have a jury that runs over the whole thing.

"Finland got more votes from the people and the performance was better."

WATCH: Cha cha cha! Finland's iconic hit

As we've been reporting, Finland's Käärijä narrowly lost out to Loreen, finishing in second place.

It's a hard pill to swallow for many fans. Perhaps watching their performance back will help...

Cha cha cha! Finland's iconic hit

'We live and breathe Eurovision in Sweden'

Mark Savage

Watching at the venue

Swedish journalist Ken Olausson just watched Loreen's final performance from the press centre with a well-earned sense of pride.

"We live and breathe Eurovision in Sweden," he says. "So when you have six wins and you know Ireland has the record with seven, of course you want to get them!

"But also, I'm super proud to be the first country to have a woman that actually wins twice. That's also a very historical thing."

The contest will likely be held in Stockholm next year, on the 50th anniversary of Abba's Eurovision victory. But will the band make an appearance?

"I think that's the question we'll be asked so many times," Ken laughs. "But until we stand there, we won't know the answer."

BBC

Now that we've got our winner for this year's Eurovision, let's check in with our WhatsApp group of superfans and see what they thought of the result.

"Listening to the song again it is a good one. It has a nice hook. And it’s well done. So yes. Deserved. But it was close! Finland almost had it!" Mark said.

"I like it when these contests are not so predetermined. The drama makes it more fun and interesting," he added.

Oksana said Sweden's win was "well deserved".

"Awesome song," she said, but added it was a similar style to her previous winning track Euphoria.

Eurovision Village glows yellow and blue

Gem O'Reilly

Reporting from the Eurovision Village

BBC

The crowd in the fan village certainly seem joyful and still full of energy following Loreen’s win.

Alastair from Glasgow is a big fan of the newly-crowned queen of Eurovision. He says the first time he saw Loreen perform he had goosebumps.

"I don’t know how to describe it. She’s so talented and can just perform it flawlessly every single time," he says.

Alastair says he’s been in Liverpool all week and says it’s like being at home.

“Everyone’s so supportive. It’s been the best thing in my life".

When asked if he was surprised that Loreen won, he adds: “Sweden has been my favourite for years and years and I’m so glad that she was so successful with both votes."

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Swedes celebrate Loreen’s second Eurovision win

Maddy Savage

BBC News, Stockholm

EPA

Loreen’s win comes on one of the warmest weekends of the year so far in Stockholm, and Swedes here in the capital are ecstatic about her landslide victory.

But this was hardly a surprise.

Loreen has been the bookmaker’s favourite for weeks. Sweden is famous for the concept of ‘jantelagen’ (similar to the British “don’t get too big for your boots” or Australia’s ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’), but even here there was little modesty on social media ahead of the vote, with plenty of confidence about Loreen’s potential to win Eurovision for the second time.

The 39-year-old met her fans’ expectations, and on Twitter many are describing her as Sweden’s new “drottning” which means queen.

Swedish tabloids had billed this year’s competition as something of a Nordic derby between Sweden and its neighbour Finland.

But in the end Finland’s quirky industrial metal number couldn’t beat the Europop anthem put forward by Sweden’s now double champion.

Loreen on making history

Emma Saunders

Watching at the venue

"The only thing I feel right now is so much love, and I'm thankful... in my wildest dreams, I didn't think this would happen," says winner Loreen backstage.

"Everything is so surreal. I've lived this performance for six months," she adds.

Next year is 50 years since Sweden's Abba won - and next year's contest will take place there!