Italy's Eurovision vote reveal stirs controversy ahead of finale

The second semi-final of Eurovision 2024 has just concluded, revealing the complete lineup of countries set to compete in Saturday's grand finale. In an unexpected turn of events, the Italian broadcaster disclosed how viewers' votes were distributed before the broadcast had even finished.

We discovered ten countries to take the stage Thursday night in the Eurovision 2024 Saturday finale.

Bookmakers had pinned the highest advancement chances on Joost Klein from the Netherlands and Switzerland's representative, Nemo. However, defying expectations, Latvia secured a spot in the grand finale despite having only a 15 per cent predicted chance of advancing. On Saturday, Israel's performance, which has stirred a mix of reactions online, promises to captivate audiences.

While rules typically prevent the disclosure of semi-final viewers' voting results until after the competition concludes, Italy flouted this norm by showing a vote percentage bar on-screen during the live broadcast.

A blunder or a deliberate act? Opinions are split, as it appears to be no accident. Despite the controversy, viewers confirmed the incident occurred live. The ESC Discord account clarified on Twitter that Italian broadcasters traditionally disclose televoting results in their programs, marking a first for Eurovision.

Historically, Italian television has always shared televoting outcomes in its formats. Until this year, RAI kept the semi-final vote percentages at Eurovision under wraps until the grand finale concluded.

The vote reveal was shocking, with Israel's act winning a substantial 39.3 per cent of the total votes. Trailing significantly, "Europapa" clinched 7.32 per cent. The top ten also included Albania (6.68%), Georgia (6.64%), Switzerland (6.03%), Armenia (5.83%), Greece (5.29%), San Marino (3.54%), Denmark (2.93%), and Latvia (2.91%).

As Saturday approaches, speculation is rife over potential surprises. We'll have all the answers tomorrow.