Editing Eurovision Song Contest 2003 (section)

===Controversies surrounding Russian band t.A.T.u.===
Upon the selection of the Russian artists [[t.A.T.u.]], the duo gave an interview to German tabloid ''[[Bild]]'' in March 2003 where they claimed that they would win the contest without a doubt and criticised the German entrant [[Lou (German singer)|Lou]] calling her a witch with duo member [[Julia Volkova]] (also referring to Germany's 2002 entrant) stating, "In Russia we nurse blind and old people, but we don't send them to the Grand Prix. This must be different in Germany."<ref>{{cite web|title=Grand-Prix sensation: t.A.T.u. participate against Lou*. ("Blind" - Germany)|url=http://eng.tatysite.net/press/transl.php?id=584_0_8_0_M|date=19 March 2003|access-date=16 November 2013|archive-date=3 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203071936/http://eng.tatysite.net/press/transl.php?id=584_0_8_0_M|url-status=live}}</ref> Lou later responded to the comments stating, "I don't know whether bitching, fighting and boozing kids are the right representatives for such a beautiful country as Russia."

t.A.T.u.'s first rehearsal dominated proceedings on 20 May—the band were supposed to rehearse the day before, but had turned up a day late, claiming that Julia Volkova was suffering from a sore throat.<ref>{{cite news|title=Eurovision row over Tatu|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3045939.stm|work=[[BBC News]]|date=21 May 2003|access-date=22 March 2008|archive-date=26 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026090443/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3045939.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> The group were booed by journalists during their press conference where they complained about the production's poor lighting and stage. EBU supervisor Sarah Yuen said "They are the bad girls of pop… we shouldn’t have expected them to come here and be nice and pleasant."<ref>{{cite web|title=tATu plan to take Eurovision by storm|url=http://www.breakingnews.ie/showbiz/tatu-plan-to-take-eurovision-by-storm-100070.html|publisher=BreakingNews.ie|date=23 May 2003|access-date=22 March 2008|archive-date=16 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116032643/https://www.breakingnews.ie/showbiz/tatu-plan-to-take-eurovision-by-storm-100070.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The EBU had originally planned to have a pre-recorded performance of the Russian entry ready to substitute during the live broadcast in case the duo performed a lesbian publicity stunt on stage, which they deemed inappropriate for a family entertainment show.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tatu Lesbian Stunt Feared (SkyNews)|url=http://eng.tatysite.net/press/press.php?id=853_0_7_80|date=22 May 2003|access-date=20 November 2013|archive-date=3 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203081127/http://eng.tatysite.net/press/press.php?id=853_0_7_80|url-status=live}}</ref> The EBU later stated that the performance would be broadcast live without any interruption.<ref>{{cite web|first=Oliver|last=Rau|title=t.A.T.u.'s performance will not be interrupted|url=http://www.esctoday.com/1637/t-a-t-u-s_performance_will_not_be_interrupted/|publisher=ESCToday.com|date=24 May 2003|access-date=20 November 2013|archive-date=18 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918074858/http://esctoday.com/1637/t-a-t-u-s_performance_will_not_be_interrupted/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Eurovision to Brave All with Live t.A.T.u. Show (Reuters)|url=http://eng.tatysite.net/press/press.php?id=870_0_7_40|date=25 May 2003|access-date=20 November 2013|archive-date=3 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203065626/http://eng.tatysite.net/press/press.php?id=870_0_7_40|url-status=live}}</ref>