Graham Norton left for dead after horror stabbing in street attack

Graham Norton is back at the helm as the main presenter for Eurovision on the , well-known for his sharp wit and playful jibes.

The charismatic talk show host has gathered a fervent following with his sardonic observations, and anticipation is high that UK's hopefuls, Remember Monday, will shine in their pursuit of Eurovision success this evening.

Switzerland's city of Basel plays host to this year's Eurovision final, where '' sensation Ncuti Gatwa will represent the UK as the official spokesperson.

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Graham told the BBC: "To be honest I love everything about Eurovision. It's scale and sincerity are unmatched. The extreme range of musical styles and talents in the contest combined with the coming together of countries and fans makes it a contest like no other."

Optimistic about the UK's prospects in 2025, Graham praised Remember Monday: "Remember Monday have a great advantage in that they are unlike any other act this year. Their vocals and harmonies are flawless, the song has a very strong hook and the trio are hugely likeable. With a decent place in the running order they should do very well indeed.", reports .

Yet amid tonight's celebratory spirit, Graham has opened up about surviving a terrifying ordeal where he was knifed on a London street.

During the traumatic incident back in 1989, Graham had to be whisked away to hospital after being stabbed and recounted shockingly that he "lost half my blood".

In a conversation with The Telegraph, Graham revealed: ""Getting stabbed in 1989. I lost half my blood," he started. "The bad moment I remember – because when it's happening, is 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?'"

During a podcast interview, he also said: ""I didn't know I was dying, I didn't figure it out until later. This is so not me but I remember saying to this little old lady 'Will you hold my hand'?' And it was a flicker on her face of 'oh do I want to hold his hand' but she did and she held out her hand. "I held her hand and I think that's something so deep within us and it motivates so much of our life that we don't want to die alone.

"Despite the harrowing ordeal, Graham admitted that it provided him with a new perspective on life, including a "really good attitude to risk and to failure".

Don't miss Eurovision, presented by Graham Norton, on Saturday 17 May from 8pm on BBC One and BBC .