[Livia]

Originally Posted by Cherie

We flipped over and watched the snippets of the songs just before the vote opened, I am unsure how anyone sits though hours of this dirge, as for the Spanish Beyonce lookalike ... appalling no originality at all

In the sainted words of arista, you are most wise.

And yeah, the Spanish woman... I've never seen a female try that desperately hard at anything.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Cherie

The mystery is why the BBC pay hundreds of thousands to the EBU every year so their act can be widely humiliated

All the other countries sent people who are famous. We send three unknown girls who, although they were decent singers, did irritating selfie poses all the way through the quite average song. Either send another Sam Ryder or let us withdraw gracefully.

[Ammi]

…this is a really interesting article and something I hadn’t considered before …(…Ben probably is much more up in the maths of voting as he’s knowledgable on odds etc…)…the ‘mathematics’ of the public vote in how many votes are allocated to each voter and whether that allocation is divided in multiple performances or condensed to one performance is really quite interesting and I’ve bolded the last sentence to show the influences of a voting landscape…


Pollster Kevin Cunningham explains how the nature of Eurovision voting influenced the outcome

When it comes to the public votes cast at the Eurovision, we need to take elements like 'diffuse alternatives' and 'motivated reasoning' into consideration. This is according to Dr Kevin Cunningham, a lecturer in politics at TU Dublin and the founder of the Ireland Thinks polling company.

First, there's 'diffuse alternatives', Cunningham explains. "If Israel were on the ballot, let's say, and that was the principal thing people were voting on, there's only one Israeli option and 24 other non-Israel options. So that means that the relative concentration of support within the Israeli option tends to be a little bit higher."

So what vote share would we expect Israel to have gotten to get to second place? "If we look at the result from previous years' Eurovision finals, the second place got around 13 or 14% in the last two years, so we might expect that it only takes 13 or 14% for someone to actually get to 2nd place. That means that quite a large proportion might actually have been voting for others."

We also have to take 'motivated reasoning' into consideration. "We see this in politics when it comes to turnout in elections and turnout in referendums", explains Cunningham. "When we see turnout in referendums become very low we notice that the results become quite skewed. If turnout in a referendum gets lower than 35% the people who are more motivated, more interested, tend to influence the outcome a little bit more".

In the case of Eurovision, it's even more extreme. "Because we know that even of those that viewed the Eurovision, only around 6 or 7%, from previous data, actually vote", says Cunningham, "so it means that it's at the extreme end. But then what accentuates this even more is the number of times that you can vote. You can vote up to 20 times so that influences it to a massive degree in reality.

"You could imagine there are certain people who vote once or twice for a given song, and then there might be some people who vote 20 times for the exact same song or country. By definition, taken together with the low turnout and also the scale in which people might be voting, it necessitates, basically, an extreme preference for whoever tends to win, or otherwise. If you imagine a room of 100 people and 99 of them vote once, and one of them votes 20 times, based on our sums, you could expect that one to actually win."


https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2025/0...-public-votes/

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…this is a really interesting article and something I hadn’t considered before …(…Ben probably is much more up in the maths of voting as he’s knowledgable on odds etc…)…the ‘mathematics’ of the public vote in how many votes are allocated to each voter and whether that allocation is divided in multiple performances or condensed to one performance is really quite interesting and I’ve bolded the last sentence to show the influences of a voting landscape…


Pollster Kevin Cunningham explains how the nature of Eurovision voting influenced the outcome

When it comes to the public votes cast at the Eurovision, we need to take elements like 'diffuse alternatives' and 'motivated reasoning' into consideration. This is according to Dr Kevin Cunningham, a lecturer in politics at TU Dublin and the founder of the Ireland Thinks polling company.

First, there's 'diffuse alternatives', Cunningham explains. "If Israel were on the ballot, let's say, and that was the principal thing people were voting on, there's only one Israeli option and 24 other non-Israel options. So that means that the relative concentration of support within the Israeli option tends to be a little bit higher."

So what vote share would we expect Israel to have gotten to get to second place? "If we look at the result from previous years' Eurovision finals, the second place got around 13 or 14% in the last two years, so we might expect that it only takes 13 or 14% for someone to actually get to 2nd place. That means that quite a large proportion might actually have been voting for others."

We also have to take 'motivated reasoning' into consideration. "We see this in politics when it comes to turnout in elections and turnout in referendums", explains Cunningham. "When we see turnout in referendums become very low we notice that the results become quite skewed. If turnout in a referendum gets lower than 35% the people who are more motivated, more interested, tend to influence the outcome a little bit more".

In the case of Eurovision, it's even more extreme. "Because we know that even of those that viewed the Eurovision, only around 6 or 7%, from previous data, actually vote", says Cunningham, "so it means that it's at the extreme end. But then what accentuates this even more is the number of times that you can vote. You can vote up to 20 times so that influences it to a massive degree in reality.

"You could imagine there are certain people who vote once or twice for a given song, and then there might be some people who vote 20 times for the exact same song or country. By definition, taken together with the low turnout and also the scale in which people might be voting, it necessitates, basically, an extreme preference for whoever tends to win, or otherwise. If you imagine a room of 100 people and 99 of them vote once, and one of them votes 20 times, based on our sums, you could expect that one to actually win."


https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2025/0...-public-votes/

The voting doesn't really concern me, I just love the contest with all its dramas, oddities and variety of songs and performers.

I don't take it as a serious contest, I just like getting some friends in and enjoy the night watching it.
It maybe doesn't need to be as long with endless chatter and nonsense.
The voting can be both irritating and hilarious.

For me last night was a far better night on the BBC than the usual run of tedious quiz programmes.
However your post there on the voting is interesting reading.
I think there's a lot of concrete truth in that article you have shared on here.

I mean the voting is even more ridiculous especially when you can start voting even before ANY act has even performed.
I just treat it as a fun night myself.
So long may it continue and for goodness sake it is just ONCE every year.

Plus on TIBB too, it was great being with other members on here as well as those at home with me watching.
Taking in all the other TIBB members comments too.
All watching the Eurovision contest.
Watching acts from other Countries whatever they're performing just trying to do their best.

I loved it.
I say again long may it continue too.

[Zizu]

Sooo why did we and Switzerland both get zero points from the public ??

Also I know we are rather disliked by most of the world but what has Switzerland done ?

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

The voting doesn't really concern me, I just love the contest with all its dramas, oddities and variety of songs and performers.

I don't take it as a serious contest, I just like getting some friends in and enjoy the night watching it.
It maybe doesn't need to be as long with endless chatter and nonsense.
The voting can be both irritating and hilarious.

For me last night was a far better night on the BBC than the usual run of tedious quiz programmes.
However your post there on the voting is interesting reading.
I think there's a lot of concrete truth in that article you have shared on here.

I mean the voting is even more ridiculous especially when you can start voting even before ANY act has even performed.
I just treat it as a fun night myself.
So long may it continue and for goodness sake it is just ONCE every year.

Plus on TIBB too, it was great being with other members on here as well as those at home with me watching.
Taking in all the other TIBB members comments too.
All watching the Eurovision contest.
Watching acts from other Countries whatever they're performing just trying to do their best.

I loved it.
I say again long may it continue too.

….I have to say Joey that I did upload the app with the intention of voting but dividing the 20 votes would have taken me too long to consider……plus 15p cost per vote….no, that’s not happening for me…

…it was a lovely TiBB thread evening as Eurovision traditionally has always been…I have some excellent pics of it all and of some of those Joeysteele legendary dance moves, also…I’ll post them all later……

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Zizu

Sooo why did we and Switch both get zero points from the public ??

Also I know we are rather disliked by most of the world but what has Switzerland done ?

They were just overlooked by people as they preferred other songs. I loved Switzerland but I didn’t vote for it.

[Zizu]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

They were just overlooked by people as they preferred other songs. I loved Switzerland but I didn’t vote for it.

Overlooked 37 times ?

Plus it happened last year as well

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

They were just overlooked by people as they preferred other songs. I loved Switzerland but I didn’t vote for it.

…and that’s often the way …songs/performances can be good but not stand out good…

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Ammi

….I have to say Joey that I did upload the app with the intention of voting but dividing the 20 votes would have taken me too long to consider……plus 15p cost per vote….no, that’s not happening for me…

…it was a lovely TiBB thread evening as Eurovision traditionally has always been…I have some excellent pics of it all and of some of those Joeysteele legendary dance moves, also…I’ll post them all later……

Although I do have my wild side that shows itself odd times.

[Crimson Dynamo]

The Spanish broadcaster flashed up the message before Israel sang, unbelievable political act

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Zizu

Overlooked 37 times ?

Plus it happened last year as well

Well if it wasn’t peoples top song then yeah probably.

[Zizu]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

Well if it wasn’t peoples top song then yeah probably.

Just seems kinda suspicious

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Zizu

Just seems kinda suspicious

Why?

Switzerland also got no points.

Our song was ok, but if that’s the first time hearing it it’s quite messy. It jumps around too much to get a catch out of it.

[bots]

Eurovision is not something to be treated seriously, the voting has always been suspect. It's part of it's charm. If the UK wins it, you absolutely know the song is a banger

[Liam-]

Thank god for the jury

[MTVN]

I think people just didn't vote for Switzerland because they won last year and no one really wants a repeat winner. Any other year it would have done pretty well

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…this is a really interesting article and something I hadn’t considered before …(…Ben probably is much more up in the maths of voting as he’s knowledgable on odds etc…)…the ‘mathematics’ of the public vote in how many votes are allocated to each voter and whether that allocation is divided in multiple performances or condensed to one performance is really quite interesting and I’ve bolded the last sentence to show the influences of a voting landscape…





Pollster Kevin Cunningham explains how the nature of Eurovision voting influenced the outcome



When it comes to the public votes cast at the Eurovision, we need to take elements like 'diffuse alternatives' and 'motivated reasoning' into consideration. This is according to Dr Kevin Cunningham, a lecturer in politics at TU Dublin and the founder of the Ireland Thinks polling company.



First, there's 'diffuse alternatives', Cunningham explains. "If Israel were on the ballot, let's say, and that was the principal thing people were voting on, there's only one Israeli option and 24 other non-Israel options. So that means that the relative concentration of support within the Israeli option tends to be a little bit higher."



So what vote share would we expect Israel to have gotten to get to second place? "If we look at the result from previous years' Eurovision finals, the second place got around 13 or 14% in the last two years, so we might expect that it only takes 13 or 14% for someone to actually get to 2nd place. That means that quite a large proportion might actually have been voting for others."



We also have to take 'motivated reasoning' into consideration. "We see this in politics when it comes to turnout in elections and turnout in referendums", explains Cunningham. "When we see turnout in referendums become very low we notice that the results become quite skewed. If turnout in a referendum gets lower than 35% the people who are more motivated, more interested, tend to influence the outcome a little bit more".



In the case of Eurovision, it's even more extreme. "Because we know that even of those that viewed the Eurovision, only around 6 or 7%, from previous data, actually vote", says Cunningham, "so it means that it's at the extreme end. But then what accentuates this even more is the number of times that you can vote. You can vote up to 20 times so that influences it to a massive degree in reality.



"You could imagine there are certain people who vote once or twice for a given song, and then there might be some people who vote 20 times for the exact same song or country. By definition, taken together with the low turnout and also the scale in which people might be voting, it necessitates, basically, an extreme preference for whoever tends to win, or otherwise. If you imagine a room of 100 people and 99 of them vote once, and one of them votes 20 times, based on our sums, you could expect that one to actually win."





https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2025/0...-public-votes/

Yeah, i don't think it says much really unless both Israel and Palestine were in the competition. Could be people just liked the Israeli song as well

[bots]

i downloaded the app with the intention of voting. I then realised that each vote cost a phone call so immediately deleted it again

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Yeah, i don't think it says much really unless both Israel and Palestine were in the competition. Could be people just liked the Israeli song as well

…(…I think…)…whichever of those two songs was the personal preference between Israel and Austria…?…they both had the same vein and vibe of being more emotional and slower ballads and that type of heart-song being more what was looked for as a winner this time…hence it being those two that were the contenders for top place and it could have been either to have taken the win…some really great beats that didn’t get great placing so it’s just not maybe what voting was looking for this year…

[bots]

Originally Posted by Zizu

Just seems kinda suspicious

think of it like voting to win on BB, you don't spread your votes equally around, you usually focus all the votes on the one you want to win

[Vanessa]

Originally Posted by Livia

I think that was the poorest Eurovision I've ever sat through. Usually there are a couple of songs that stand out for me but not this time. I was surprised and pleased Israel did well despite the opposition being so loud, as usual, and I genuinely think it should have won. But yeah, it couldn't be allowed to win. The winning song was just awful. So strange... Had to turn it off at the end so as not to have to sit through it again. The entertainment while waiting for the scores was dire, especially last years winner having a mental gender crisis live in stage. Why I put myself through this every year is a mystery.

Israel was brilliant. Voted for them. Her voice was incredible

[Vanessa]

Wtf at Estonia 3 rd place

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Vanessa

Wtf at Estonia 3 rd place

Well deserved.

[Vanessa]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…(…I think…)…whichever of those two songs was the personal preference between Israel and Austria…?…they both had the same vein and vibe of being more emotional and slower ballads and that type of heart-song being more what was looked for as a winner this time…hence it being those two that were the contenders for top place and it could have been either to have taken the win…some really great beats that didn’t get great placing so it’s just not maybe what voting was looking for this year…

Israel song also very deserving of the win. For me it was the song that got me emotionally.