Latest news with #musiccontest
The Sun
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Popular BBC quiz hands out £10k jackpot for first time in its six-year history
FOR the first time in its six-year history, The Hit List will hand over a £10,000 jackpot to a pair of contestants on the show. The BBC One music contest will see hosts Marvin and Rochelle Humes present its biggest ever winning sum to the victors in the final round. 4 Contestants have to name ten tracks played in the studio, and the artists who recorded them, with just five seconds deduction time alloted to each. If participants take more than that time they start having money deducted from the jackpot – but they don't lose a penny. Tune in on Saturday at 5.45pm to see their delight. The show's popularity has seen multiple celebrity specials with famous faces hoping to win big money for charity. Several celebrities have also made appearances while trying to win big money for charity. Some previous guests include ' Steps ' members Ian "H" Watkins and Faye Tozer, as well as future Strictly star Chris McCausland. Dancer Oti Mabuse, former Coronation Street actress Catherine Tyldesley and Inbetweeners star James Buckley have also all taken part in various episodes. Having begun airing in 2019, The Hit List is the first standalone TV show as a couple for Marvin and Rochelle. Speaking previously to the i newspaper, the couple discussed what it takes for contestants to win the challenging the game. Rochelle revealed: 'I always say to them before the round starts, 'don't look at the money trickling down, look at me, I want you to win. I took on The Hit List with Marvin and Rochelle but was left red-faced after 15 minutes of fame 'We've had people that just don't know the answer at all, and the nerves just completely take over. "It's easier said than done, though. SURANNE RELISHES PM ROLE SURANNE JONES has revealed the lengths she went to to prepare for her role as the Prime Minister in her drama, Hostage. The former Doctor Foster and Corrie star talked on the Table Manners podcast about taking the lead in the new Netflix thriller that drops next month. 4 She said: 'I don't think I'm allowed to say (who), but I did speak to three really high-up women from different parties, and I read their books and I interviewed them, and that was very exciting. 'I love research. . . 'I like to meet a lot of people and chat about the roles.' Suranne also discussed working with a new on-screen family, who are all seen in the show starting a new life in Downing Street. She said: 'Ashley Thomas, who plays my husband, who's a grime star. "We did chemistry tests, and when he came in, it was just like, 'Oh, you're intriguing, handsome, lovely, smart, intelligent'.' Bizbit THE second season of Love Is Blind will air on Netflix on August 13. The dating show features people picking prospective partners without ever having seen them. Hosted by Emma and Matt Willis, the new ten-part season will drop in three batches every week until the end of the month. STEPHEN'S BACK ON THE CASE THE BBC and ITV are each launching their own big entertainment series within days of each other – and they bear a fair few similarities. On ITV1, Stephen Mangan will be back with a second run of The Fortune Hotel in the first week of August. 4 4 The show sees players from all walks of life – including cleaners, content creators and carpet fitters – compete in an intense briefcase-swapping game, full of twists, to hopefully be the one to walk off with the £250,000 prize. If that sounds a bit like The Traitors, so does BBC One's brand new show Destination X, which launches on July 30 and also has a whiff of Race Across The World. Host Rob Brydon leads the way as contestants are taken on a nail- biting, wild ride The players board a blacked-out bus where they are fed clues – and a few nasty red herrings – with one simple question at the end of each episode: Where in Europe are you? A £100,000 prize awaits the winner. But with the amount of Euro facts we'll learn during the series, I reckon some of us will win big at the next pub quiz, too.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Norfolk Show day two: Nicola Roberts to judge Battle of the Bands
Young musicians were set to compete in a music contest judged by Girls Aloud's Nicola Roberts on day two of the Royal Norfolk Show. Acts in the Battle of the Bands competition will be judged by a panel of industry experts, including Roberts and vocal coach Mark the two-day event, the Norfolk and Suffolk Music Hub were running four stages, which were set to feature more than 5,000 performers in total. The hub's strategic development manager, Tim Brain, said: "I think it's such an uplifting experience for young people." The Royal Norfolk Show is the county's biggest two-day agricultural event, and it was expected to attract around 85,000 people. A variety of acts were on the lineup for the second day, including school choirs, students from Access to Music College, and local, independent bands. The Battle of the Bands competition, which started at last year's show, was part of the New Noise initiative to give young people the opportunity to play on a stage. Despite the name, the showcase is not just for bands, but for any local rock or music act with members aged between 12 and 25."We try and give young people a real-life performance opportunity with sound and lighting engineers," Mr Brain said."I think it's such an uplifting experience for young people... That's what the music hub is all about." De-Lisser and Roberts will provide feedback to all of this year's performers. When picking the panel, Mr Brain said it was important to them to get someone with experience of being a touring performer. "We're looking for someone that the young people will aspire to, someone that they'll know," he said. "It's so they get the criticism from someone who's got real-life experience of what it's like being on the road."He added: "The critique that we get is always really inspirational." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The National
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Eurovision winner JJ condemns Israel over its war on Gaza
Austrian-Filipino singer, who grew up in Dubai, has called for greater transparency in voting at the long-running music contest
Malay Mail
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Eurovision drama on and off stage: Austria's JJ wins, protests target Israel's entry (VIDEO)
BASEL, May 18 — Austria's JJ won the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest today with his opera-tinged song 'Wasted Love' triumphing at the world's biggest live music television event. JJ topped the votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, giving Austria its first victory since Conchita Wurst's triumph in 2014 with 'Rise Like a Phoenix'. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel on 357 and Estonia on 356. 'Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,' said 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch. 'Love is the strongest force in the world. Let's spread more love. 'This is beyond my wildest dreams. It's crazy.' 'Wasted Love' saw him hit the high notes while mixing opera and techno. In his Eurovision song, about the experience of unrequited love, blends lyricism and balladry, before ending with a techno flourish. His performance was filmed in black and white, in the 4:3 ratio of the monochrome television era. Sweden had long been the bookmakers' hot favourite to win the 69th edition of the contest with the comedy trio KAJ's 'Bara Bada Bastu' on the delights of sweating it out in a sauna. But they faded away as the votes came in, finishing fourth ahead of Italy, Greece and France. Separate jury and viewer votes from each of this year's 37 participating countries — with equal weight — plus an extra vote from the rest of the world combined, decided who won the coveted microphone-shaped trophy. 'Ich Komme' An estimated 160 million people across Europe and beyond were expected to tune in for the annual TV spectacle, where kitsch, glam and spectacular staging go hand in hand. The 26 finalists took the stage carrying their national flags at the start of the show, to the thundering sound of a traditional drum corps. The songs in contention were a showcase of Europe's different musical scenes. They included a Portuguese guitar ballad, a Maltese diva, Lithuanian alternative rock, an Italian singalong, a Greek power ballad, ethereal Latvian choral folk and German booming beats. Finland's Erika Vikman — who gained momentum during Eurovision week with the orgasmic 'Ich Komme' — finished by being hoisted in the air on a spark-emitting golden microphone, triggering a big response in the arena. Poland's Justyna Steczkowska, 52, set a new record between Eurovision appearances, returning 30 years after her first appearance in the competition. The Netherlands' competitor Claude broke into tears after performing his song 'C'est La Vie'. French singer Louane, who lost both her parents as a teenager, performed her song 'Maman', with falling pieces of cork representing the sands of time. The song's final word was spoken by her own daughter. And Malta's Miriana Conte finished her diva big number 'Serving' by bouncing up and down on an exercise ball. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators wave Palestinian flags and burn flares during a protest against Israel outside the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest's grand final in Basel May 17, 2025. — AFP pic Pro-Palestinian protests Israel's participation in Eurovision 2025 prompted a series of protests in Basel over the war in Gaza. Israel's entrant Yuval Raphael survived the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war, hiding beneath bodies as Hamas gunmen attacked a music festival, killing hundreds. During the performance of her song 'New Day Will Rise', loud whistles could be heard in the arena and two people tried to get on stage. 'At the end of the Israeli performance, a man and a woman tried to get over a barrier onto the stage. They were stopped. One of the two agitators threw paint,' a Eurovision spokesman told AFP. 'The man and the woman were taken out of the venue and handed over to the police.' Elsewhere in Basel, pro-Palestinian demonstrators clashed briefly with riot police. Blows were exchanged and police used tear gas. Life dreams Some 6,500 excited ticket holders packed out the St Jakobshalle arena in Basel, dressed up to the nines and ready to party. 'This is my first live show at Eurovision. I have goosebumps, I'm so excited!' said Luena Beeler, 20, wearing a red sequin-covered Tirol-style dress, and a big Austrian flag on her shoulders. 'This is one of my life dreams!' Some 36,000 partygoers were watching a live transmission of the show at the football stadium opposite the arena, and held a mass singalong of Swedish four-piece ABBA's smash hit 'Waterloo', which won Eurovision 1974. — AFP
Malay Mail
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Eurovision drama on and off stage: Austria's JJ wins, protests target Israel's entry
BASEL, May 18 — Austria's JJ won the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest today with his opera-tinged song 'Wasted Love' triumphing at the world's biggest live music television event. JJ topped the votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, giving Austria its first victory since Conchita Wurst's triumph in 2014 with 'Rise Like a Phoenix'. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel on 357 and Estonia on 356. 'Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,' said 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch. 'Love is the strongest force in the world. Let's spread more love. 'This is beyond my wildest dreams. It's crazy.' 'Wasted Love' saw him hit the high notes while mixing opera and techno. In his Eurovision song, about the experience of unrequited love, blends lyricism and balladry, before ending with a techno flourish. His performance was filmed in black and white, in the 4:3 ratio of the monochrome television era. Sweden had long been the bookmakers' hot favourite to win the 69th edition of the contest with the comedy trio KAJ's 'Bara Bada Bastu' on the delights of sweating it out in a sauna. But they faded away as the votes came in, finishing fourth ahead of Italy, Greece and France. Separate jury and viewer votes from each of this year's 37 participating countries — with equal weight — plus an extra vote from the rest of the world combined, decided who won the coveted microphone-shaped trophy. 'Ich Komme' An estimated 160 million people across Europe and beyond were expected to tune in for the annual TV spectacle, where kitsch, glam and spectacular staging go hand in hand. The 26 finalists took the stage carrying their national flags at the start of the show, to the thundering sound of a traditional drum corps. The songs in contention were a showcase of Europe's different musical scenes. They included a Portuguese guitar ballad, a Maltese diva, Lithuanian alternative rock, an Italian singalong, a Greek power ballad, ethereal Latvian choral folk and German booming beats. Finland's Erika Vikman — who gained momentum during Eurovision week with the orgasmic 'Ich Komme' — finished by being hoisted in the air on a spark-emitting golden microphone, triggering a big response in the arena. Poland's Justyna Steczkowska, 52, set a new record between Eurovision appearances, returning 30 years after her first appearance in the competition. The Netherlands' competitor Claude broke into tears after performing his song 'C'est La Vie'. French singer Louane, who lost both her parents as a teenager, performed her song 'Maman', with falling pieces of cork representing the sands of time. The song's final word was spoken by her own daughter. And Malta's Miriana Conte finished her diva big number 'Serving' by bouncing up and down on an exercise ball. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators wave Palestinian flags and burn flares during a protest against Israel outside the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest's grand final in Basel May 17, 2025. — AFP pic Pro-Palestinian protests Israel's participation in Eurovision 2025 prompted a series of protests in Basel over the war in Gaza. Israel's entrant Yuval Raphael survived the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war, hiding beneath bodies as Hamas gunmen attacked a music festival, killing hundreds. During the performance of her song 'New Day Will Rise', loud whistles could be heard in the arena and two people tried to get on stage. 'At the end of the Israeli performance, a man and a woman tried to get over a barrier onto the stage. They were stopped. One of the two agitators threw paint,' a Eurovision spokesman told AFP. 'The man and the woman were taken out of the venue and handed over to the police.' Elsewhere in Basel, pro-Palestinian demonstrators clashed briefly with riot police. Blows were exchanged and police used tear gas. Life dreams Some 6,500 excited ticket holders packed out the St Jakobshalle arena in Basel, dressed up to the nines and ready to party. 'This is my first live show at Eurovision. I have goosebumps, I'm so excited!' said Luena Beeler, 20, wearing a red sequin-covered Tirol-style dress, and a big Austrian flag on her shoulders. 'This is one of my life dreams!' Some 36,000 partygoers were watching a live transmission of the show at the football stadium opposite the arena, and held a mass singalong of Swedish four-piece ABBA's smash hit 'Waterloo', which won Eurovision 1974. — AFP
