Icelandic broadcaster RÚV has called for a full breakdown of their televote in Eurovision 2025. It comes following the ongoing controversy around the results from the Contest in Basel.
RÚV requesting information from EBU
In a short interview with the broadcaster, RÚV Director-General Stefán Eiríksson said Iceland will request the same televote breakdown information as Spain. RTVE called on the EBU for a clear and transparent breakdown of the country’s televote following the results in Basel. Following on from the final, several broadcasters have demanded clarity from the EBU regarding the televote score.
Speaking on the ongoing investigations, Eiríksson said:
We will of course monitor the developments and request the same information from the EBU about the telephone vote as the Spanish national radio.
The telephone vote is entirely the responsibility of the EBU, which negotiates with telecommunications companies in each country about its implementation, and therefore we do not have access to any information other than that which has already been made public at this stage.
The results last Saturday night were interesting and will undoubtedly spark discussions within the EBU, which we will, as before, monitor and participate in.
According to data obtained by RTVE, over 140,000 votes were cast during the final on Saturday (May 17th). However, this number is ten times that of the votes cast during Tuesday’s semi-final, which Spain could vote in. It comes amid allegations that voter manipulation was used to boost Israel’s televote score, something KAN has denied.
In Iceland itself, the jury gave Israel 0 points, placing it 16th in the combined ranking. However, the public awarded Israel 4 points. This is not the first time that Iceland suffered problems while voting, as in 2024, it was revealed that some had voted for Bashar Murad in Söngvakeppnin – but their votes had gone to Hera Björk instead. Vodafone, who was in charge of the results in 2024 – and 2025 – admitted problems had been noted but refused to annul the result.
Iceland’s Eurovision journey
Iceland made its debut on the Eurovision stage in 1986, finishing 16th with the song “Gleðibankinn” (Bank of Fun) by ICY. In their 35 appearances, Iceland has finished in top 10 an impressive 7 times. Their best result to date is second place, which they have achieved twice. The first time was in 1999, where Selma Björnsdóttir received 146 points for her performance of “All Out of Luck”. The second time was in 2009, with Yohanna singing “Is It True” and receiving 218 points.
VÆB represented Iceland in Basel in 2025 with their song “RÓA”. The duo qualified for the final, bringing Iceland back into the final for the first time since 2022. In the final, they would eventually finish in 25th place with 33 points; all of these were awarded by the televote.
What do you think about the call for a full breakdown of the televote? Will the EBU listen to RÚV and other broadcasters? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2026!
News Source: RÚV
Photo Credit: Alma Bengtsson / EBU
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