Eurovision: Cardiff superfan spends £10,000 in 10 years

Aled Nurton with Eurovision host Graham Norton at an airport in 2022

You may enjoy Eurovision, but would you spend £10,000 to follow it around?

Well, Aled Nurton has done just that and plans to keep celebrating the competition he loves so much.

The superfan from Cardiff has travelled across Europe for the past 10 years to see the extravaganza and is "so excited" to be experiencing it in the UK as lands in Liverpool this weekend.

He "becomes a different person" during Eurovision and not surprisingly, this is his favourite time of year.

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Fifteen countries will compete for 10 places in Saturday night's final in Liverpool, taking place in the UK for the first time since 1998.

The UK came second to Ukraine with Sam Ryder's Space Man last year, but due to the Russian invasion it is being hosted this time in Liverpool.

Aled has been every year since 2014, except 2020 and 2021 when it was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.

Never knowingly underdressed: Aled and his friends love putting on their own show for the annual songfest

He said to have tickets for the final in the UK feels extra special.

"I want to say I've always been a fan, generally, so I remember back in the day when my family would just sit down and watch it, and we'd watch it as a family," he said.

He started going to Eurovision parties and after some friends travelled to watch it live he could not resist.

"It just looked like such an amazing event, and I was like, how the hell did you get there?"

The next year he went to Copenhagen, Denmark to see see it live: "I 100% got the fever".

Aled Nurton (far right) and his friends try to go to Eurovision every year

He realised it also meant getting to explore a new city every time.

"I'm a big, big traveller. I love to travel different countries and and kind of see how they live."

He estimates he has spent about £4,000 on tickets alone but with extra travelling costs it is much more. For Aled however, it is "100% worth it".

He said he was actually "a bit disappointed" to miss out on a holiday this year despite spending a similar amount.

However, he said as time has gone the UK have shown the spirit.

'It takes over my life'

"The UK is doing a fantastic job, and I think it's such a unique position as it is the first time that another country is hosting on behalf of another country because of the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine," he said.

"There is such a great buzz. Everybody is so happy and so much going on in Liverpool. It's out of this world."

Viewing spaces across the UK are making it so much more accessible too, he said.

Aled met Italian star Laura Pausini in 2022

The atmosphere and community feel keep him coming back.

"My partner tells me that when it is Eurovision time of year, I completely change. Like it's me being my true self and putting myself out there a little bit more," he said.

"It takes over my life and I love the party atmosphere. There's just nothing quite like it.

'It's basically the gay Olympics'

"The community it encompasses is is huge. Everybody is so friendly.

"You go to the shows as you might not even know the person next to you, but you become friends instantly.

Aled in 2019 with Netta, the winner for Israel in 2018

"Being an LGBTQ+ member of that community as well is massive. It's basically the gay Olympics.

"Hopefully, I'll be able to continue long into my 40s and I see people in their 20s experiencing it, and it just made me reflect on how much joy it brought me all those years ago, and just having that opportunity."

Mae Muller is the UK's entrant for 2023

He thinks this year's UK entry by Mae Muller is "pretty good", but is rooting for Finland - and said he wouldn't mind a holiday there next year too.

He said: "Sometimes I'm quite embarrassed about my enthusiasm and obsession. But I can talk about it forever."

As for this year's outfit, it is bigger and better than ever.

"Watch this space," he said.

All the build-up, insights and analysis is explored each week on the BBC's Eurovisioncast.

Eurovisioncast is available on BBC Sounds, or search wherever you get your podcasts from.