Eurovision 2023: Rita Ora and Rebecca Ferguson amongst semi-final interval acts

Rita Ora will perform a medley of some of her biggest hits as one of the interval acts at next month's Eurovision semi-finals.

Rebecca Ferguson will also be performing, in her home city of Liverpool.

Speaking on the BBC's Eurovisioncast Podcast she said: "It's a celebration of Liverpool and Ukraine through music".

She will sing a duet with Ukrainian artist Alyosha.

One of this year's hosts, Julia Sanina will open the first semi-final performing with her band The Hardkiss.

Other Ukrainian artists who will perform include Mariya Yaremchuk, OTOY and Zlata Dzyunka, as the UK is hosting the song contest on behalf of Ukraine.

The BBC said it will symbolise how the UK is "United by Music" - this year's slogan for the competition.

"I'm hoping to squeeze into some kind of dress," Ferguson joked to the BBC, eight weeks after she gave birth.

"I'm looking forward to it because it'll be my first work event where I get to dress up because I've just been mummy for the past few weeks".

About 160 million people are expected to watch the competition, making it one of the biggest TV audiences in the world.

"I'm going to treat it like I treated X Factor because when I'd go on stage all I'd imagine was the studio audience," Ferguson, who has four top 10 albums in the UK said. "That's the only way you can get through a performance, otherwise you'd never get on the stage".

Kate Phillips, BBC's director of Unscripted, which includes focus on entertainment and big events, said: "There won't be a moment to miss during these very entertaining and very tense semi-finals."

The knock-out stages will take place on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May.

All the build-up, insights and analysis is explored each week on a BBC podcast called Eurovisioncast.