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Eurovision fever starts to mount in advance of tomorrow's contest
"Favourite with gay men is Dima Bilan, a Russian ex-model who has posed naked with just a construction worker's helmet to cover his modesty"
It may have lost some prestige since the doors were opened to the new Eastern European countries meaning a monopoly on wins for Balkan states, but Eurovision is still one of the BBC's biggest ratings winners of the year and is still considered to be something like the gay World Cup, with parties being held across Europe. With Belgrade readying itself for the onslaught of a gay army of Eurovision supporters tomorrow, it's time to put the fears of homophobic protests aside and revel in some of the entries set to cause a stir at those parties.
Favourite with gay men is Dima Bilan, an ex-model who is huge in Russia and who is promising to take is shirt off at the culmination of his performance tomorrow (it wouldn't be the first time: he's posed naked with just a construction worker's helmet to cover his modesty). To up his appeal to gay voters, his performance will take place on ice with champion skater Evgeni Plushenko appearing alongside him.
Israel is putting forward boy band Boaz, whose members are as famous for their ultra tight trousers as for their vocal harmonies, while Macedonia is entering a threesome - Tamara, Vrcak and Adrijan - made up of a super-diva and two ridiculously handsome men in berets.
The gay vote is still incredibly important in Eurovision with last year's competition seemingly a slug-out between a besuited lesbian and an outrageous drag queen (the lesbian won) and countries are keen to put forward the campest offerings they can come up with, though Ireland's entry - a Turkey puppet! - was eliminated in the semi-final round earlier this week.
The UK, once the most consistently effective nation in Eurovision, with entrants of the calibre of Cliff Richard, Olivia Newton John, Lulu and Sandy Shaw, is this year represented by singing dustman and X Factor runner-up Andy Abraham, chosen by the public despite expert judges' advice. It's not been enough to secure him very much support, however, with bookies taking more bets on him getting "nul points" than on him winning.
Eurovision is on BBC1 tomorrow night, with the customary sarcastic commentary by Sir Terry Wogan.
