Songwriter celebrates Croatia Eurovision victory

There will be some divided loyalties at the Eurovision Song Contest this year after a song by a Dorset songwriter was chosen to represent Croatia.

Croatian pop star Marko Bosnjak was declared winner of Dora 2025, the country's Eurovision selection competition, with Poison Cake, written by Emma Gale.

Ms Gale, from Weymouth, was in Opatija for Sunday's final, where the winner was chosen by a jury and public votes.

She said 2025 had been "crazy" after three of her songs had been the running for Eurovision in three separate countries.

Ms Gale began writing songs for Eurovision two years ago, after meeting a publisher with an interest in the contest.

She said: "To have one [song] would have been amazing but to have three is pretty unheard of."

Sulale, sung by Nora Jabri, came sixth in the Norwegian competition, Melodi Grand Prix.

A third song had been a favourite in the Latvian contest but the singer was unable to perform due to illness.

During the Covid lockdown Ms Gale recorded a track, Let's see what the Earth has to say, that went viral on Facebook.

"People went crazy for it," she said.

"A lot of people did creative things during that time. For me, it's been amazing - it's changed my life."

The Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Basel, Switzerland, from 13 to 17 May.

You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.