Sakis Rouvas

Despite several jokes and nasty comments about the national selection Sieneke’s Sha-la-lie – Ik Ben Verliefd is now at the top of the Dutch single chart. The Dutch entry for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest has turned out to be a love it or hate it song. The Danish entry for the 2009 Contest is still on the chart in the Netherlands - in a Dutch version.

The results of both semifinals have now been released by the EBU. They make interesting reading. The jury overturned the telephone vote to save countries in each of the semifinals. Quite annoying if your country finished 10th in the phone vote.

In a contest which nobody could call close, Norway won the 54th Eurovision Song Contest in the Olympiyskiy Arena in Moscow. He scored a record 387 points, leaving him a long way in front of Iceland and Azerbaijan in second and third places respectively.

After Tuesday’s semifinal, this evening, we discovered who would fill the remaining places in the final on Saturday. Nineteen countries, including favourites Norway, competed for the ten available places. The hosts were Andrey Malakhov and Natalia Vodianova, who also hosted the first semifinal.

The Eurovision Party season continued unabated with a party hosted by the Greek and Cypriot delegations and the huge Eurodom.  More than half of this year's contestants performed on the stage to a packed house.

A week into rehearsals and finally the five countries already in the final took to the stage. Before that, it was the turn of some of the remaining countries in Thursday’s second semifinal to rehearse for the second time.

The tradition of Belarussian party continues, as it impresses with its lavishness.  A galaxy of Eurovision stars past and present, including Koldun, Polina Smolova, and Ruslan Alehno entertained thousands of delegates at a party that will be talked about for years to come.

Day 4 saw the remaining participants from the second semifinal rehearse for the first time, followed by the obligatory press conference. Slovenia were the early risers this morning, Dutch group, De Toppers brought the day to a close.