Many Eurovision fans would be much happier to have a star representing their favourite country than an unknown quantity. But name recognition and experience alone are no guarantee of success, as some countries this year may be about to learn the hard way…

The first group of rehearsals from the second semi-final are discussed with Ewan Spence leading the discussion, joined by Kylie Wilson, Paul Lashmana, and Roy Delaney. Are Ireland facing a solar eclipse, has Kaliopi’s Dona turned into a donut, and is Latvia in need of CPR?

We often try to be so clinical about Eurovision songs and performances, but what happens when our wondrously illogical emotions take over and our primal instincts kick in? Samantha Ross takes a look at the flight-or-fight response that we subconsciously get when we listen.

From breathtaking to bewildering, the vagaries of European fashion have always been an integral part of the Eurovision experience for many viewers. But in the age of technically complex stage presentations, the artists’ costume choices have more power than ever to make or break a performance…

While we in the Eurovision Fan community love the number-crunching and scoreboard-predicting of the run-up to the Contest, are we too focused on potentially false prophets? Samantha Ross takes a look at the importance of taking a step back, and listening to one’s first instincts.

The second group of rehearsals from the first semi-final are discussed with Ewan Spence leading the discussion, joined by Samantha Ross, Month Moncrieff, and Andrew Main. Why do we love the Czech Republic, what about the Icelandic emissions, and is it that kind of show?