Last year’s competition ended a bleak couple of Eurovision decades for the UK.
After becoming accustomed to getting “nul points”, Sam Ryder’s performance got the UK the maximum “douze points” from eight countries in the jury vote and one in the televote. It was a dramatic change of fortunes for the UK, having finished last the year before.
Mae Muller will be representing the UK this time round, and will be hoping to go one better and give the country its first win since Katrina and the Waves in 1997 but which countries can she rely on for votes?
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While Eurovision is ostensibly about the music, costumes and out-there shows, politics and history do play their part. Some countries regularly give top marks to the same places.
You can see the average number of points countries award each other using our gadget. It looks at points awarded in the final and covers both jury and televoting between 2000 and 2022.
The UK fares better from Ireland than any other country.
Ireland has given the UK an average of 4.40 points in each of their votes since 2000.
That’s followed by Malta (3.48), Albania (1.24), and San Marino (also 1.24).
Meanwhile, the UK has traditionally favoured Bulgaria (average of 7.11), Ireland (7.08), and Turkey (5.00).
Since 2000, the highest average award one country has given another is 11.00 points from Greece to Cyprus. Cyprus returns the favour with an average of 9.74 points.
Greece have given Cyprus the maximum 12 points in 15 of the last 17 opportunities they’ve had to do so. Cyprus has given Greece the maximum points in 19 of 21 votes. The second highest average is between France and Turkey.
France has awarded Turkey an average of 10.25 points since 2000, including the maximum 12 points on seven occasions, and 10 points twice. Turkey isn't anywhere near as generous to France though. Turkey has not given France a single point in the last 20 years. And Turkey has only awarded one point since 2000, which was back in 2001, meaning an average score of just 0.04 points.
The next highest average is the 10.00 given by Armenia to Montenegro. Armenia has only been able to vote for Montenegro twice though, giving them 12 and eight points respectively.
Next comes Croatia, who give neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina an average of 9.83 points. They reciprocate with an average of 6.54 points.
Another two neighbouring countries take fifth spot, with North Macedonia awarding Albania an average of 9.77 points, with an average of 5.33 points going in the opposite direction.
The 9.74 awarded by Greece to Cyprus takes sixth place.
The 9.44 points awarded by Romania to neighbouring Moldova takes seventh place. Romania awards an average of 7.84 points to Moldova, which is their highest award to any country.
Armenia award neighbours Georgia an average of 9.38 points on average, while Georgia send 6.64 points in the other direction, which is the highest they give to any one country.
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