Graham Norton left for dead as BBC Eurovision host was stabbed in horror attack

 Graham Norton will be back on screens tonight as the final of the Eurovision Song Contest airs in Vienna. Currently, Finland is the frontrunner to win the contest. Look Mum No Computer, aka Sam Battle, will also be representing the UK with their song Eins, Zwei, Drei. Here is the running order ahead of the 2026 final.

Rylan Clark and Angela Scanlon hosted the BBC semi-finals, providing commentary for all of the acts as they took to the stage. However, tonight, Graham will return to his usual hosting spot, giving Eurovision fans the commentary for the hotly anticipated final.

Aside from the hype from tonight's Eurovision, Graham once fell victim to a horrific stabbing attack. The 62-year-old previously recounted the harrowing details of the incident, which occurred in the 1980s when he was admittedly "left for dead".

The Eurovision presenter reflected on the distressing ordeal, remarking that "no failure compares to dying," highlighting the severity of the assault that unfolded on London's streets. In a resurfaced interview, the Irish-born presenter opened up about the episode and courageously spoke about the shocking knife attack, during which he "lost half [his] blood." He went on to describe it as the "worst moment of his life".

Speaking with The Telegraph, the comedian, who was in his third year of drama school in London at the time, recalled how the following morning in hospital brought a stark question from a nurse about notifying his parents.

He shared: "Getting stabbed in 1989. I lost half my blood. The bad moment I remember - because when it's happening, it's all just trauma - but then the morning after, I was in the hospital ward, and I remember a nurse came up to me and said, 'Do you want us to contact anyone? Do you want us to contact your parents?'

He continued: "And in my head, I was thinking, 'well, I don't want to worry my parents, but equally, if I'm going to die, they'd probably like to come and say goodbye to me, because they'd be annoyed if I didn't tell them.'"

"So, I said to the nurse, 'Am I going to die?' And she went, 'Eerrrrm...' and I was like, 'Don't pause. This is not the place to pause. This is quite serious.' So that was bad," he added.

Graham admitted the incident "put everything into perspective" and added it "changed my life for the better", reports the Express.

In the Grand Final, the remaining 25 countries will battle it out for the win. Speaking about his return, Graham said, "It feels really special to be back, gently guiding viewers through the Grand Final in this very momentous 70th anniversary year."

Hosted by Austrian stars Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski, the Grand Final of Eurovision 2026 will be awash with treats and surprises for the viewers across the globe.

The opening act, The Queen of the Night, will see 2025 winner JJ showcase his remarkable vocal abilities, alongside more than 40 dancers and acrobats, as the 25 Grand Finalists are introduced in the iconic flag parade.