The UK’s bottom-placed Eurovision Song Contest entry has had its score lowered by five points after organisers made an error while calculating the totals.
Organisers said Michael Rice’s song Bigger Than Us picked up 11 points from Saturday’s finale, rather than 16 as originally stated.
The error came about when an incorrect calculation was used to create a substitute score after the Belarussian jury was dismissed, the Eurovision Broadcasting Union said.
In a statement, it blamed “human error” for the mistake and said it “deeply regrets” the error.
Eurovision’s top four – including winner Duncan Laurence from the Netherlands – remained unchanged.
Laurence’s song Arcade gained six points, bringing it to a total of 498 points. Norway had points deducted and dropped to sixth from fifth.
Belarus’ jury was dismissed after its semi-final votes were publicly revealed, breaking contest rules.
Despite finishing in 26th place, Hartlepool-born Rice said he enjoyed his experience.
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