EUROVISION has revealed it has ended its partnership with a Chinese broadcaster after it censored Ireland’s semi-final performance, which featured a same-sex couple.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which produces Eurovision, took the decision because of its ‘proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music’.
Ireland’s Ryan O’Shaughnessy progressed from the first semi-final with his performance of Together, a song about the ups and downs of a relationship.
During the song, dancers Kevin O’Dwyer and Alan McGrath re-enacted a same-sex love story on the stage.
However the Irish segment was reportedly edited out of the Chinese broadcast.
On Thursday evening, EBU issued a statement saying it had terminated this year’s partnership with Chinese broadcaster Mango TV.
“On the 9th of May, Chinese broadcaster Mango TV broadcast the first Semi-Final of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest live but two performances were censored,” read the statement.
“This is not in line with the EBU's values of universality and inclusivity and our proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music.
“It is with regret that we will therefore immediately be terminating our partnership with the broadcaster and they will not be permitted to broadcast the second Semi-Final or the Grand Final.”
Albania’s entry, performed by Eugent Bushpepa, was the other act censored by mango TV.
It fell foul of a new rule in China which requires that programs "should not feature actors with tattoos [or depict] hip hop culture, sub-culture (non-mainstream culture) and dispirited culture (decadent culture)”.
