SOFIA  –  Bulgarian pop star Dara has won the Eurovision Song Contest with her pneumatic dance anthem Bangaranga. The 27-year-old topped both the public and the jury vote in a nail-biting conclusion, soaring ahead of Israel in second and Romania in third to score a massive 516 points. Dara was far from a front-runner going into the contest, but her intricate choreography and naggingly catchy chorus helped her eclipse the competition – giving Bulgaria its first ever Eurovison title. The UK, however, continued its run of disastrous results. Look Mum No Computer’s song Eins, Zwei, Drei took last place, with one solitary point from the Ukrainian jury. The musician predicted his downfall earlier in the week, admitting that his synth-driven track was “Marmite – you either love it or hate it”. After the contest, he put a positive spin on his loss.  “Bulgaria honestly deserved winner!” he posted on social media. “The most important thing is we all tried our hardest… regardless of the outcome.” Unlike Look Mum No Computer, who is best known for a YouTube channel where he builds eccentric contraptions, Dara is a major pop star in her home country. Her songs and videos have amassed over 80 million listens and views, including the number one single Thunder, and she is a coach on the country’s version of the TV talent show The Voice. The run-up to this year’s contest was overshadowed by protests over Israel’s participation, due to the death toll of the war in Gaza. Five countries boycotted the event, including Spain, Iceland and seven-time winners Ireland. In Vienna, there were protests in the city centre ahead of the grand final.  Protests were also anticipated during Israel’s performance, after singer Noam Bettan was heckled with anti-Israel chants during Tuesday’s semi-final. However, there were no disturbances during his song, Michelle – a heartfelt Mediterranean love song, that took second place. Czechia’s performance, meanwhile, was interrupted by a technical error, during which the video feed was interrupted and singer Daniel Žižka temporarily disappeared.