My top 12 ‘pinch-me-now’ Eurovision moments from best to Conchita Wurst

As the last sequins, feathers and flags float out of Basel, we say au revoir, do widzenia, arrivederci to the 69th “Eurovizh”. No tears.

- Mel Giedroyc

It will be back next year, sure as love eggs is love eggs. I've had the joy of working at many Song Contests, the last and best being Liverpool 2023.

I use the term "working" loosely. I was in the majestic city of Liverpool recently and made the pilgrimage to the darkened Eurovizh arena.

At 8am, alone, I performed a light lunge in honour of Käärijä (Finland), who I still felt was robbed with that anthemic Cha Cha Cha. And it struck me; for over three decades in this fickle, feckless business, I've often found myself in pinch-me situations - performing a Dynasty sketch dressed as Joan Collins... in front of Joan Collins (hard Paddington stares from la Collins), sharing a deep-fried Mars Bar with legendary Les Dennis at 4am in Edinburgh. "Am I really here?"

Self-reflections like this are standard at the Eurovision Song Contest. It's pure Alice in Wonderland; you're a teeny bug among larger-than-life, trippy butterflies backstage, who then fill your dreams. Nightmarish was the chance encounter with Lordi (Finland 2006), the be-latexed Hard Rock Hallelujah giants, which had me running for my life down a corridor at Maidstone Studios.

In honour of the sacred left-hand side of the Eurovision leader board, I've compiled my personal top 12 pinch-me Eurovision moments.