A BBC reporter hilariously confused a Eurovision fan with Finland’s competition entrant Kaarija, during a vox pop interview.
The first Eurovision semi-final took place on Tuesday, with Kaarija among the 10 acts selected to advance to the grand final on Saturday.
Following a show preview, BBC North West Tonight aired a selection of interviews with fans, several of whom tipped Finland to go the distance in the competition.
Speaking to an unidentified man in a similar luminous green top worn by Kaarija onstage, the reporter remarked: “We even managed to catch up with the main man himself”.
The strapline underneath the interview also read “Kaarija – Finland entrant”.
Asked about how Liverpool was as a host city, the man replied: “Incredible. In comparison with all the other countries that I have been (to), this is better organised.
“Everything is walking distance, and it’s just so friendly. Everything is just so easy around here. It’s incredible.”
The clip has since gone viral on social media, with many branding the moment TV gold.
One penned on Twitter: “This is the best thing I’ve ever seen”.
“Who really thought he'd just be walking around the streets?” another commented. A third remarked: “Ha ha ha that’s hilarious”.
A fourth then cheekily suggested: “Kaarija should bring his doppelgänger with him to the Eurovision stage in the final.”
During Tuesday’s semi-final, the real Kaarija gave a high energy performance of his track Cha Cha Cha, a surreal combination of techno and anthemic pop, prompting a raucous response from the audience.
A BBC North West Tonight spokesperson told The Standard: “This was a case of Eurovision fever. We hope the real Kaarija will join us on North West Tonight so we can say sorry and wish him well for the Grand Final.”
Elsewhere, Israel’s entrant Noa Kirel sent viewers wild as she performed her entry Unicorn and wowed viewers at home for her “outstanding” dance break.
The singer, who advanced to the final of the 2023 Eurovision, sent social media into a frenzy with her energetic routine, which received much acclaim online.
One viewer tweeted: “Noa Kirel reinvented what a pop performance means tonight!”
“Every bit of this performance was outstanding. Noa Kirel really outsold herself,” another commented. A third added: “loreen and noa kirel were the absolute best moments of the first semi-final, just as expected”.
Speaking about getting through to the final, Kirel said in a statement: “There is no excitement quite like this! I felt like every one of you was with me.
“I promise to do everything – and I mean everything – to keep making the people of Israel happy in the grand final.”
