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Eurovision presenters record train announcements to welcome fans to Liverpool

Merseyrail’s new 777 train which has been decorated in the colours of the Eurovision Song Contest branding (Peter Byrne/PA)
Merseyrail’s new 777 train which has been decorated in the colours of the Eurovision Song Contest branding (Peter Byrne/PA)

Graham Norton, Rylan Clark and Ukrainian presenter Julia Sanina have recorded train announcements for fans arriving in Liverpool for the Eurovision Song Contest.

The trio have turned to announcing for the Merseyrail network to welcome the public to the Liverpool City Region from Friday.

They will greet passengers in English, Ukrainian and French while asking them not to be a “diva” and request “a little help” from staff if needed.

Eurovision 2023
Graham Norton (Victoria Jones/PA)

Announcements will end with the words: “Let the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 begin.”

There will be separate messages for each city centre station with instructions to alight for key Eurovision venues.

An estimated 100,000 extra visitors are expected in the Liverpool City Region, according to the network.

Merseyrail stations have also been dressed in Eurovision colours for the occasion, along with the new trains, hydrogen buses, bus stations and Mersey Ferries.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union has announced a strike affecting train companies on May 13, the day of the grand final, but Merseyrail said its services will be unaffected.

Royal visit to Liverpool
The King and Queen Consort meet the presenters including Julia Sanina and Rylan Clark (Phil Noble/PA)

Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram said: “A world class spectacular such as Eurovision deserves world class transport – and we’re pulling out all the stops to make sure fans and locals will arrive to the party in style.

“We’ve decorated our new state-of-the-art publicly owned trains and hydrogen buses in Eurovision branding and organised late-night bus and train services to make sure no one has to miss a second of the celebrations – and, when people arrive to our train stations, they might even be greeted by a famous voice or two.

“We’re expecting hundreds of thousands of visitors to descend on the Liverpool City Region for a week-long celebration of music, dance, fun and frivolity – and it’s fantastic to see everyone pulling together to make this a truly unforgettable experience for people from the moment they step foot in our wonderful city.”

Eurovision will air on the BBC, hosted by singer and Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon, Ted Lasso actress Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian singer Sanina, as well as returning favourite, comedian and talk show host Norton.

Scott Mills and Clark will be BBC Radio 2 presenters for the grand final.