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Is Eurovision Rigged?

May 8th, 2026

Behind the glitz and glamour of Eurovision lies one question – how fair is the voting?

This week, Grace is joined by Professor Binna Kandola OBE ahead of this year’s event to explore the science behind the scores. Together, they unpack what the data reveals about recurring voting patterns, how ‘framing effects’ shape the way we judge performances, and what Eurovision ultimately tells us about the way people think, feel, and connect across countries.

Whether you’re a lifelong Eurovision fan or a first-time viewer, this episode will change the way you watch the scoreboard.

Available on Apple PodcastsSpotify, and all major podcast platforms.

References:
  • Ginsburgh, V. and Moreno-Ternero, J.D. 2023. The Eurovision Song Contest: voting rules, biases and rationality. Journal of cultural economics. 47(2), pp.247–277.
  • Mantzaris, A.V., Rein, S.R. and Hopkins, A.D., 2017. Examining collusion and voting biases between countries during the Eurovision Song Contest since 1957. arXiv preprint arXiv:1705.06721.

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