Liverpool and Ukraine unite for emotional You’ll Never Walk Alone performance
Host Graham Norton said there was ‘a tear in my silly old eye’.
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Your support makes all the difference.Former Eurovision contestants in Liverpool and Ukraine joined together for an emotional performance of You’ll Never Walk Alone that brought audience members to tears.
The final act of the grand final before the vote closed was The Liverpool Songbook – a celebration of the host city’s contribution to the world of pop music.
Mahmood, from Italy, began by singing John Lennon’s Imagine accompanied with an orchestra, before Israel’s Netta descended from the ceiling singing to Dead Or Alive’s You Spin Me Round (Like A Record).
Known for her quirky style, Netta landed on the stage from atop a silver bird before large silver wings inflated from the back of her costume and spread out behind her.
Iceland’s Dadi Freyr performed Atomic Kitten’s hit Whole Again, with backing dancers wearing jumpers featuring his face and the audience singing along.
Cornelia Jakobs sat on a chair with her feet in water to perform I Turn To You by Spice Girl Mel C.
Merseyside’s own Sonia, who competed in Eurovision in 1993, entertained with a rendition of her entry Better The Devil You Know after clips of her time in the competition were shown on the big screen.
Dutch singer Duncan Laurence then performed Liverpool FC anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone as the crowd waved flags in the air.
He was joined on stage by hosts and performers, while Ukrainian winner Ruslana was shown on the steps of the Golden Gate in Kyiv singing along, joined by people waving the country’s national flag.
An audience member was shown in tears as the emotional performance concluded and host Graham Norton said: “A tear in my silly old eye. You don’t see that every day.”