BBC Eurovision in shake-up as Sophie Ellis-Bextor replaces Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa

The BBC has confirmed that Doctor Who actor Ncuti Gatwa has officially stepped down from his role as the ’s Eurovision 2025 spokesperson, citing "unforeseen circumstances". Pop star and radio presenter Sophie Ellis-Bextor will now take his place, delivering the UK jury’s scores live during the Grand Final on Saturday, May 17.

Ellis-Bextor, who is best known for her early 2000s hit Murder on the Dancefloor and has had a recent resurgence thanks to her popular kitchen disco sessions during lockdown, expressed her excitement about the Eurovision gig. She gushed: "I love Eurovision and it’s a privilege to be part of 2025’s Grand Final.

"What an honour it is to announce the UK’s jury score on such a special show which always puts music front and centre. I am very much looking forward to delivering the iconic douze points from the United Kingdom!"

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The singer’s appointment comes just days before the highly anticipated Grand Final in Basel, Switzerland, where British country-pop trio Remember Monday will perform their song What The Hell Just Happened?

The all-girl group, made up of Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull, and Charlotte Steele, were internally selected by the and formally unveiled as this year’s UK Eurovision representatives on March 7.

Since the UK is part of the 'big five', a group of countries that sponsor Eurovision and therefore automatically qualify for the Grand Final, Remember Monday did not have to compete in the semi-finals. However, the band still performed on stage on Thursday night (May 15).

It is a landmark year for the band, which first formed in 2013 while all three members were studying at Farnborough Sixth Form in Hampshire.

The trio started off performing under the name Houston, but later rebranded as Remember Monday and gained national attention after reaching the quarter-finals of The Voice UK in 2019.

BBC Radio 2’s Richie Anderson, who has been reporting live from Basel, admitted he was "a little nervous" before seeing the group’s final rehearsal, which he compared to the feeling of watching a family member’s school assembly.

However, he quickly added: "But as soon as they started singing, their vocals were just incredible." Anderson also praised their "mind-blowing" stage presence, crediting their West End roots for a performance that feels "intimate and polished".

Fellow presenter Sara Cox added to the Remember Monday praise, calling the trio a "tight-knit friendship group" who "shine" whenever they’re on stage.

Fans are hopeful that Remember Monday can break the UK's recent unlucky streak, after finished 18th in Eurovision last year with zero points from the jury, while came second-last in Liverpool in 2023.

Six unlucky countries were culled from the competition last night, so , Czechia, Georgia, Ireland, Montenegro, and Serbia will be sent home without a trophy. Meanwhile, Armenia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, , , Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Malta have soared through to the Grand Final.

The Eurovision Grand Final will take place on Saturday, May 17 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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