Above video: The untold story of Australia's forgotten Eurovision contestants.
Eurovision is over for another year, and while the world congratulates the winner, everyone is talking about Madonna’s polarising closing performance.
Bringing Migos member Quavo along for the ride, the Queen of pop first performed her tune ‘Like A Prayer’ complete with full choir. But it couldn’t save her from accusations of both being off pitch and using too much autotune.
She even got massively shaded by Dutch presenter Emma Wortelboar.
However, it was in her performance of ‘Future’ where things got political.
Surrounded by dancers in gas masks, the song climaxed with two dancers - one emblazoned with the Palestinian flag, the other with the Israeli flag - walking hand in hand together.
Behind them Madonna and Quavo stood in front of a screen displaying the words, “Wake Up”.
In a statement carried by US media earlier, Madonna said: "I'll never stop playing music to suit someone's political agenda nor will I stop speaking out against violations of human rights wherever in the world they may be."
Many viewers on Twitter praised the performance.
Others couldn't get past the technical aspects.
Not the only protest
Iceland grand finalists Hatari had already shocked with their BDSM-style performance;
Then they used their point-counting moment as an opportunity for protest, flashing Palestinian flags at the camera to boos from the crowd.
Following the protest, a video posted to Twitter revealed Eurovision officials attempting to remove the flags from the band.
It was a Euro-vision
***SPOILERS AHEAD. Don’t read further if you don’t want to know Australia’s results.***
Despite the political undertones from performers and audience, Eurovision 2019 managed to deliver a show that was full of the expected hokey glamour.
Like when past Eurovision winners including Conchita Wurst, Man Zelmerlow, Foureira Eleni and Arlene Phillips took to the stage to cover each other’s winning songs, culminating in a group performance of ‘Hallelujah’.
Australia might have been quietly hopeful for 2019 to be the winning year, a surprise upset placed Kate Miller-Heidke’s ‘Zero Gravity’ in ninth place.
In case you were wondering, here’s how they handed Miller-Heidke her microphone when she was atop a six foot pole.
Right down the bottom of the 2019 leaderboard with just 19 points was UK contestant Michael Rice’s ‘Bigger Than Us’.
Garnering just three points from the public vote, some Twitter commentators suggested their might be ulterior motives for why the public didn’t connect with the performance.
They might have come last overall but the UK can take solace in the fact that Germany received zero points from the public vote.
