The BBC has sparked anger among Eurovision fans after it ‘breached’ the contest’s impartiality rules.
On Thursday, the BBC News website ran a ‘disparaging’ article outlining some of Europe’s hopefuls.
Music journalist Mark Savage certainly lived up to his surname, as he predicted where acts would end up and accused some that they probably wouldn’t even qualify for the finals.
But in just a month’s time, the Beeb will be broadcasting the extravaganza live from M&S Bank Arena Liverpool.
“A poignant, ambitious hymn to togetherness, with lyrics that Coldplay would have turned down for being too two,” said Mark of the Irish entry, We Are One by Wild Youth.
“So unprofessional and disrespectful!” The BBC has outraged Eurovision fans after ‘breaking’ impartiality rules with a ‘disparaging’ article about contest contenders
In addition, he claimed that the band was “about as rowdy and unpredictable as a washcloth” and expected them to lose in the first semi-final.
I Wrote a Song, submitted by UK entry Mae Muller, 25, also received a double compliment from Mark.
“It’s probably too generic to top the standings, but this camp disco stunner is hard to ignore,” he commented – before predicting she’ll finish in eighth place.
Ridiculing Joker Out’s Carpe Diem, Slovenia’s entry, he wrote, “When it’s done, you won’t remember it ever happened.”
Mark predicted the tune would make the bottom five, but the outraged band told it The sun: ‘We have to admit that reading it on the BBC, the presenter of the Eurovision Song Contest, has left a bad taste in our mouths.
“The process and journey for Eurovision is very hard on the minds and bodies of the participants, and we believe the BBC knows that and shouldn’t scare the participants that they won’t be taken seriously when we get to the event itself.
“Some of us countries are really racing Lamborghinis with bikes, so every stick on the road makes it that much harder for us to compete.”
When the journalist shared his latest article on Twitter, his followers accused him of his lack of “respect” while questioning his adherence to impartiality guidelines.
Uh-oh: I Wrote a Song, submitted by British entry Mae Muller, 25, received a backhanded compliment
‘Eek! A poignant, ambitious hymn to togetherness, with lyrics that Coldplay would have turned down for being too two,” said Mark Savage of the Irish entry, We Are One by Wild Youth
One of them wrote: “I think a little more respect could have been shown… especially from the host broadcaster…”
Another wrote: ‘Truly unnecessary disparaging comments about some artists. Disrespectful to any artist who puts himself forward. Is this @bbceurovision’s official opinion?’
A third added: “Most unprofessional coming from the host broadcaster, also often wrong,” while a fourth agreed with: “So unprofessional and disrespectful…”
A source at the BBC said: ‘BBC News is completely editorially independent and not the voice of the BBC.’
MailOnline has contacted the BBC for comment.
It comes after Tory MPs criticized the BBC for their choice of singer to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, calling Tories “racist elitists” and saying Boris Johnson shouldn’t have an intensive care bed when he fought for his life in hospital with covid.
I Wrote A Song singer Mae, who is due to perform in Liverpool in May, made the remarks as the then prime minister was hospitalized after he ‘almost died’ from the virus.
Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson has berated the singer for “vile left-wing insults” and slammed the BBC for “planting a left-wing entrant” into the Eurovision song contest to somehow rejoin the UK. leave to the EU.
Outraged: When the journalist shared his latest article on Twitter, his followers accused him of his lack of ‘respect’ while questioning his adherence to impartiality guidelines
Mae, now 25, tweeted about politics in support of then Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, saying she “hated this country” during fights over free school meals.
The artist, who gained popularity on social media video app TikTok, was chosen by BBC bosses with management company TaP Music on May 13 as the Eurovision Song Contest entrant in the hope that she can lead Britain to victory and predecessor Sam Ryder can beat.
While Boris was on his third day in intensive care at St Thomas’ Hospital in London on April 8, 2020, Ms Muller tweeted her “unpopular opinion” that “I have no pity for Boris Johnson,” The Telegraph reported.
She added: “Yes he is human, yes he has children, but so are hundreds of other people who have actually died as a result of Tory policies. Are you lying in bed in intensive care, but not on a ventilator and are you ‘relieved’? No mate.’
In another tweet, she said, “The same nurses you praise in your speeches are the same nurses you picked to cut all their benefits and cheer as you did it. The same nurses who can’t even afford protective gear, and are LITERALLY dying because of YOU. Boris does not have my sympathy and NEVER will.’
Exciting: But in just a month the Beeb will be broadcasting the extravaganza live from M&S Bank Arena Liverpool
The previous night had been confirmed by Downing Street that the Prime Minister was ‘stable’ and ‘in a good mood’ – and that he had no pneumonia and was not on a ventilator, but was in ICU for ‘close monitoring’.
And in the run-up to the 2019 general election, in which Tory leader Boris and Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn battled for number 10, Mae tweeted: ‘f** the Tories.’
She said, ‘Register to vote today! And if you’re going to vote, vote Labour! We have the power to take down those racist elites, so let’s do it!’
Her political views were condemned by Tory MPs, who also said the BBC showed a lack of ‘common sense’ in electing her.
Ashfield MP Anderson told The Telegraph it seemed like ‘despicable left-wing insults are actually something the BBC requires from people it wants to promote’.
He accused the company of “planting their own left-wing Eurovision entrant” and said “they should think again” if they think the UK will rejoin the European Union. He said the days of ‘making up our minds’ are over.
Tory MP for South Thanet Craig Mackinlay said ‘crude and obnoxious’ remarks were ‘the norm’ among BBC staff.
Ex-Minister David Jones said that while Ms Muller was “really very talented” and has excellent career prospects, she should be “a little more humane” as “Boris Johnson was close to death”.
I Wrote A Song has been streamed over three million times on Spotify and is already breaking into the UK Top 40.
The song is not political and according to the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest it is a ‘non-political event’. The Telegraph newspaper has reportedly understood that the BBC will not be taking any action on the tweets as they were made before coming into contact with her about the Eurovision Song Contest.
The newspaper reached out to Mae’s representative and TaP Music for comment, but they did not respond.
The BBC declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.