King and Queen make surprise film appearance at first Eurovision semi-final

Eurovision Song Contest fans were given a royal surprise as they settled in for the first semi-final of the song contest on Tuesday night.

Fans filled the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool as the international competition got under way in Merseyside, with the King and Queen making a cameo during the opening film titled Welcome to Liverpool.

As 160 million people watched on, the film began with the moment a young Liverpudlian boy discovers that his home city is set to host the 2023 contest before travelling across the city telling his friends and family the news.

Throughout the journey, a number of celebrities and recognisable faces make an appearance who have their own personal connection to the city.

These included Wirral-born baker Paul Hollywood, Ukrainian Everton footballer Vitalii Mykolenko and Liverpool Women’s footballers Sofie Lungaard and Emma Koivisto, from Denmark and Finland respectively.

The late Paul O’Grady also featured during the introduction, with the Wirral-born TV personality and comedian recording the cameo before his death last month.

Other famous faces include actor Ricky Tomlinson, Strictly Come Dancing star Nikita Kuzmin and Drag Race UK contestant Sister Sister among others.