will open with a tribute to the man who won the contest for the UK as Producer in 1997 - Jonathan King. And who signed an unknown Swedish band to a publishing deal before their Waterloo - ABBA. And who came up with an arrangement and had a hit as singer/producer in 1971 with Hooked On A Feeling... covered some years later by a Swedish band who took it to No1 in the USA and then sunk without trace, Blue Swede. So think of me as you hear Ooga Chagga.... Whatever happened to...

What is your prediction for the placement of the Israeli entry tonight JK?

This is a very hard one to judge politically speaking, setting the song aside. Will there be overwhelming support such as Ukraine two years ago, or overwhelming lack of it.

No point in setting the song aside - it's a song contest and the song is awful. No interest in the other stuff. Croatia should win by a mile.

Any chance we might get a huge surprise with an appearnace by all four members of Abba on stage at some point tonight?

Actually what a wonderful thing it would have been to persuade the four of them to actually present or co-present this show in Sweden on their 50th.

I don't think there is an overwhelming amount of sympathy for Israel. Maybe shortly after 7th Oct there was a lot of sympathy, but once they started killing babies, and many many more people than the palestinians there is little sympathy left, aside from GB News. Olly Alexander on now, wearing the Union Jack, despite having mixed feelings about it. The staging was very good, but couldn't be gayer. I think its too subversive to win, apart from not been a great tune. Last years entry from Mae Muller, for me was far better. The idea that you can start voting before the first song has been performed is bonkers. It gives the earliery performers a big advantage.