LIVERPOOL, May 14 — The final of the Eurovision song contest drew the largest British television audience in the history of the event with a peak of 11 million viewers, the BBC said in a statement today.

Sweden’s Loreen won Eurovision 2023 yesterday. The event was held in Liverpool, northern England, on behalf of last year’s winner Ukraine, which was unable to host this year because of Russia’s invasion.

The BBC said the final saw a peak of 11 million viewers, an average of 9.9 million, and an audience share of 63%.

"The fact that so many millions of people tuned in reflects just how significant Eurovision has become,” BBC’s Director of Unscripted Kate Phillips said in a statement.

"Liverpool welcomed the world’s biggest singing competition with open arms and embraced it beyond all of our expectations,” she said.

Contest organiser the European Broadcasting Union said it estimated more than 160 million people watched worldwide, in line with figures from 2022.

British viewers saw their entrant, Mae Muller, finish 25th out of 26th. — Reuters