UMVA has learned that a heartwarming moment of kindness took place in the Eurovision Green Room, where a lonely-looking UK act, Sam Battle, was adopted by a member of the Danish delegation.
The Jury Show, where the acts performed and were scored by each national jury, was plagued with technical difficulties, forcing organizers to abruptly restart rehearsals. Amidst the chaos, Sam, representing the UK with his song Eins, Zwei Drei, looked particularly isolated. That's when a delegate from Denmark, Søren Torpegaard Lund, with Før Vi Går Hjem, stepped in to offer Sam a seat at their table.
The gesture was met with praise from fans, who took to social media to express their appreciation for the Danes' kindness. "Thank you to the Danes. Sam, we support you," tweeted Tom Cross, who shared a clip of the moment on social media.
The clip showed Sam, 37, sitting alone when he was approached by one of Denmark's congregation, who offered him a seat at their table. Taking aim at the UK's Head of Delegation, Tom pointed out how odd it was to have their act sitting on their own at the top of the Jury show, where points matter. "Sorry but if I was Head of Delegation for the UK I wouldn’t have my act sitting on his own at the top of the Jury show (when points matter) and them having to be adopted by lovely Denmark after the flag parade," he wrote.
Sam's inclusion in the competition was a surprise, as he and a friend pitched themselves to Eurovision on a whim. "I was at the pub with my friend Johnny, and we were saying, 'Wouldn’t it be funny to try and do Eurovision?'" he recalled. The BBC took notice, and Sam's song Eins, Zwei Drei, has since divided opinion among UK fans, with some describing it as "atrocious" and others as "genius."
With the grand final of The Eurovision Song Contest taking place tonight, fans are eagerly awaiting the outcome. Will the UK break out of its Eurovision slump, or will they be stuck with the stigma of not winning since 1997? Only time will tell.
