Lord of the Lost could not reach more than the last place for Germany at the ESC 2023. Presenter Elton also attracted negative attention – and is now unpacking.
Munich/Liverpool – Not least at the ESC, there are days, or rather evenings, that are simply needed. This year is no exception. At the big ESC final 2023 on May 13 in Liverpool, Lord of the Lost wanted to "spruce up" Germany's disastrous record of recent years at least a little. Nothing came of it, with a total of only 18 points, the dark rockers finished last at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
Cynically noted, it fits pretty well into the negative overall picture that presenter Elton couldn't necessarily score either. Since Barbara Schöneberger hosted both the "Countdown" and the "Aftershow" of the ARD to the ESC from Liverpool, it was up to Elton this year to award the points of the German jury. Live, in front of an audience of millions. At the same time, the eternal show intern was supposed to afford a gag that didn't really want to ignite. Now comes his opinion.
Elton's gag in ESC final 2023 goes down well with "Ted Lasso" star Hannah Waddingham - Twitter reacts shaking his head
First, let's take a quick look back. At around 0:20 a.m. German time, Elton was allowed to read out the twelve points of the German jury in the ESC final in front of about 100 million TV viewers around the world. Even before that happened, he was supposed to hold a small box in front of the camera. From this, the presenter took out an elongated biscuit, which resembled a shortbread – a Scottish sweet shortcrust pastry – in terms of shape.
Elton's biscuit gag only resonated with the addressee, presenter and actress Hannah Waddingham, in the 2023 ESC final. © ESC/Screenshot Twitter/imago
Elton was then supposed to offer this cookie to Hannah Waddingham, one of the presenters of the 2023 ESC final. The 48-year-old, who usually acts as an actress, found this action quite charming and also had to laugh. Elton was alluding to her role in the Apple TV series "Ted Lasso". There, as a sign of attention, she is repeatedly offered a biscuit by the eponymous football coach. For the pop culture-savvy Elton, it's almost a must to allude to it. On Twitter, he was dragged through the cocoa for this gag. But there was also an immediate reaction on the ground in Liverpool.
"It's Jurys, it's not Tinder": Show host Graham Norton punishes Elton for cookie gag at ESC 2023
Graham Norton, co-host of the 2023 ESC final, was also rather suspicious of Elton's supposed cookie cracker. Even when he wanted to lead to his gag, the British show master seemed annoyed. After Elton had announced the twelve points of the German jury, he succinctly followed up with this comment: "It's Jurys, it's not Tinder".
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Since Elton was attacked extremely harshly in the media after the ESC final, but also like Lord of the Lost in the social networks, the native of Berlin now speaks out. Of course, also via social media. In his longer statement, Elton speaks of the nervousness surrounding the scoring – "because the action was not coordinated with the NDR and I didn't know how Hannah Waddingham would react". It would have been Elton's sole goal to "make the actress laugh". As I said, this succeeded.
"I apologize for that": emotional Instagram statement from Elton after performance at ESC final 2023
Elton does not want to admit that it would have been said from many sides that Waddingham "would have smiled away embarrassingly". The pictures would speak for themselves – and can also be found in his Instagram posting. At this point, he can't help but take a swipe at Jan Böhmermann and Olli Schulz, who were allowed to comment on the ESC final for the ORF station FM4.
But Elton also knows how to comment on his choice of clothes at the big ESC evening, even if not for Lord of the Lost. As you know it from him, especially from the ARD quiz show "Who knows something like that?", the presenter once again presented himself in a T-shirt, over it a jacket. Some ESC observers on Twitter found this inappropriate, too simple and too casual. Elton's reaction: "It's a matter of taste. The shirt was chosen very deliberately (European stars in rainbow colors... in case someone doesn't understand) and at least a jacket to go with it".
Music lover, series junkie - and scolded for his cookie gag at the ESC 2023: TV presenter Elton, seen here wearing a T-shirt from DJ Steve Aoki. © imago/stock image
In the end, Elton works through some of the press presentations about his ESC appearance and is not even at a loss for an apology: "My English may not have been good because of the nervousness... I apologize for that." However, Elton also wants to make it clear that he did not award his points – twelve of which were for Sweden – but that these were the points of the German jury. In the end, Elton can only comment on this with gallows humor in the truest sense of the word: "As in the Middle Ages: the bearer of 'bad' news was always executed". (han)