It’s that time of year again and, to celebrate the return of Eurovision (hurrah!), we’ve decided to dig out the show’s most controversial moments of all time.
Are you ready for this?
That bullet-proof vest moment (yes, really)
Following the massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian militants at the Munich Olympics the previous September, Israel's participant Ilanit performed his song while wearing a bulletproof vest.
Terry Wogan was forced to ask the audience to remain seated whilst applauding him, else they could have been shot by security.
The one that gave EL James the idea for Fifty Shades Of Grey
In 1997, Iceland’s entry was all about bondage gear, latex, and writhing about on sofas.
Yup, we know; it seems pretty tame by today’s standards, but that was SERIOUSLY scandalous back in the day!
That inspiring kiss for gay marriage
In 2013, Krista Siegfrieds (representing Finland) kissed one of her female back-up dancers on stage in a protest against Finland's ban on gay marriage.
Boom!
And that slightly less inspiring kiss from t.A.T.u…
Yup, they got booed off the stage. Awkward.
The act they were never allowed to perform:
Performers from Georgia, shortly after their war with Russia, entered a song called We Don’t Wanna Put In.
As in, Putin.
The European Broadcasting Union classed the song as “too political” and Georgia were asked to change the lyrics.
They refused - and were forced to withdraw from the contest all together.
This utterly awesome human being
Dana International was the first transgender person to represent their country at Eurovision back in the nineties… and she got plenty of death threats as a result.
Naturally she won the show in true diva style, proving the haters wrong in a VERY big way. Yes!
This awful, awful ‘nul points’ duo:
Jemini (representing the UK, obviously) managed to be Eurovision’s worst ever entry when they let out their tuneless rendition of Cry, Baby back in 2003.
Nul points. It still hurts, doesn’t it?
Those raunchy Polish milkmaids…
Just check out their pouring methods:
‘Nuff said, really.
These peace protestors…
In 2000, Israel’s entrants Ping Pong decided to finish their song by unfurling Syrian and Israeli flags in a desperate call for peace.
Cue Israel disowning the group and forcing them to pay their own expenses.
This stage invader
Remember when Jimmy Jump (aka Spanish prankster extraordinaire) invaded the stage back in 2010, utterly freaking out the performers and forcing security to leap to their aid.
Baffling.
The utterly fantastic Conchita Wurst:
When Russia’s anti-gay president Vladmir Putin branded Eurovision a ‘Europe-wide gay parade’, Austrian drag singer Tom Neuworth - aka Conchita Wurst - decided to get his in back in the best way possible.
Cue an amazing rendition of Bond-like tune ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’ - and Conchita being crowned the winner of Eurovision 2014. Take THAT, haters!
Which of these Eurovision moments did YOU find the most memorable? Let us know via comments box below.