UK's dismal Eurovision entry worse than we had thought as organisers slash score

The UK's dismal Eurovision Song Contest entry was worse than we had originally thought - as organisers deducted even more points from the rock-bottom score.

A mistake made while calculating the totals means the British entry's measly 16 points was slashed to just 11, with organisers blaming "human error".

The error came about when an incorrect calculation was used to create a substitute score for Michael Rice's song Bigger Than Us after the Belarussian jury was dismissed, the Eurovision Broadcasting Union said.

Asked whether the jury system used in the competition should be sacked, Rice said it "wasn't a decision for him to make", but he conceded he "knew something like this probably was going to happen".

He told the BBC: "The result doesn't change a thing of what happened on the night.

"I enjoyed the whole experience and I was just living the dream. It's made me stronger. It's built my confidence up and built me as a person."

In a statement, the Eurovision Broadcasting Union said it "deeply regrets" the error.

Eurovision's top four - including winner Duncan Laurence from the Netherlands - remained unchanged.

Laurence's song Arcade gained six points, bringing it to a total of 498 points. Norway had points deducted and dropped to sixth from fifth.

Belarus' jury was dismissed after its semi-final votes were publicly revealed, breaking contest rules.

Despite finishing in 26th place, Hartlepool-born Rice said he enjoyed his experience.