He regularly steers intense election coverage and steadies the nation with his soothing voice and avuncular aura. And now BBC News presenter and Welsh icon Huw Edwards has made it clear he’s ready for another challenge: hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
Huw, who tucks many of us into bed at night as the presenter of the BBC’s flagship news programme at 10pm, recently weighed in on the host city debate.
He threw his weight behind a tweet that endorsed Cardiff as the best option and added that “your presenter is standing by.”
This is so obviously right ?? and your presenter is standing by ??????? ?? @Eurovision @BBCOne @BBCCymruWales #Eurovision2023 #Eurovision ? https://t.co/q39PmIbSdf
— Huw Edwards (@thehuwedwards) July 25, 2022
Huw is steady and authoritative, no doubt. But he’s also warm and personal, which helps explain his enduring appeal. Besides posting behind-the-scenes snaps from the newsroom, he fills his Instagram with loving posts about his mother and gorgeous Welsh locales like Llanelli Beach and Abersoch.
But our man is relatable in other ways too. In a now viral video, he famously admitted to eating a croissant during BBC election coverage. This may surprise some of you who have followed his inspiring fitness journey in recent years. The silver fox is known to box with a personal trainer in south London, helping him stay fit and trim and camera-ready.
Back in May, the 60-year-old won plaudits for opening up about his mental health, helping spark a national conversation about depression — and how it cuts across all demographics and backgrounds. He spoke frankly about being left bedridden during his most trying bouts.
Huw is not currently listed in the betting odds to present the show. They were dreamed up several weeks ago, and lean heavily on those within Eurovision and/or entertainment circles.
Graham Norton, the BBC’s Eurovision commentator since 2009, is the heavy favourite, and seems like a shoe-in for the gig.
Big Brother and Long Lost Family host Davina McCall is currently second on the odds table at Smarkets. She’s the only contender at the top of the table without an overt Eurovision connection.
Other favourites include Rylan and Mel Giedroyc, both of whom have provided semi-final commentary, and Married at First Sight: Afters host AJ Odudu, who presented the U.K. points at the most recent edition of the song contest.
Besides the 2013 edition, which was steered solely by Swedish star Petra Mede, Eurovision usually has two or three hosts, sometimes with an additional personality in the green room.
Do you think Huw’s newsreader vibes would translate well to the song contest stage? Who are you hoping to see join Graham if he does in fact seal the deal? Let us know in the comments box down below.
Davina McCall, Mila Kunis, Timur Miroshnychenko and Sam Ryder will be the hosts. Having Graham out of the commentary box will be a disservice especially after Terry Wogan who split the hosting gig alongside the commentary role where he left it all to Ulrika who managed fine without him so keep Graham in the commentary box but do give him some shine throughout the proceedings. Mila and Davina will be the main hosts and Timur will be like the Aziz Asar of the year like how he was in 2017 as that role really worked for him but will have… Read more »
I’m still saying Jameela Jamil and Timur Miroshnychenko should be the host.
Can’t stand Jameela Jamil, even on T4 she was obnoxious and grating and now on Legendary ugh… No ma’am!
No. It can only be Graham. Graham is Eurovision. This dude is not.
Hew could be good, but with a balance. So something like in 2011 could be done, like he would need a comedian I think to balance him out.
Graham & Davina McCall with two Ukranian’s presenters. Rylan doing commentry
Pretty clear that Huw didn’t watch what the presenters were doing in Turin
I think the host/hosts should be Ukrainian.
Also Huw does not seem like a good choice. News anchors in general tend to be quite boring.
I like Huw, and am pleasantly surprised by this interest. I remember he commentated the London Olympics opening ceremony (ten years ago today!), He would lent the evening some gravitas and credibility.
GRAHAM. DAVINA. RYLAN. – Next.
Graham Norton and Rylan should be some of the hosts.
I’ve kind of just mentally accepted that it’s probably going to be Rylan. I can’t think of a clearer pick.
who?
If Graham is chosen to host, there’s a couple of simple solutions to accommodate him:
Solution 1: Do like what was done for Terry Wogan in 1998 and have an offstage booth so Graham can still do commentary
Solution 2: Promote Scott Mills to grand final commentary just for that year or have someone else fill in, just like 2021 when someone was brought in to be alongside Cornald Maas as Dutch co-commenator when Jan Smit co-hosted
Scott Mills is massively, massively overrated – I don’t get how he justifies his salary. When he’s on TV he just looks like a scared waxwork.
Harsh, but I know what you mean. I’m more worried that once he’s left Radio 1, there will be no link between the contest and that station. That was one thing which helped the UK in 2022.
No one who slagged the contest off please
He;s the face of BBC News
–>
LOL so what? Nothing to do with presenting the biggest music TV show on earth.
UK has a plethora of young and experienced hosts. Dermot is one of them.
There is precedent at Eurovision for having multiple hosts from different backgrounds / parts of media. For instance, at Eurovision 2011 one of the hosts was news presenter Judith Rakers.
He could present a funeral maybe . Dull
God… a news presenter is the last person who should host!
There are plenty of witty presenters with a great sense of humour in the UK. I would like to see a younger presenter too, we haven’t had a young presenter in a long time. Nikki de Jager (Rotterdam 2021) was the youngest presenter this century, she was 27!
Vick Hope, Greg James, Len Goodman?
Vick Hope would be wonderful! such a queen what she is
I couldn’t care less about hosts, since most of the time they give me severe second hand embarrassment, so I usually have bathroom breaks or refill when they show up or open their mouth.
But I wouldn’t mind someone speak english well and decently funny or at least has connection to the ESC, or at least has the passion to do so and not only see it as a pay check only.
oh God. without any disrespect, please it shouldn’t be him, or anyone who is basically always in the news section. Eurovision is an entertainment show, and it should be hosted/presented by someone/some people who have experience in hosting other entertainment shows.