Picture: EBU. Damiano David
The lead singer of Eurovision Song winners Maneskin did not take drugs during the final, an inquiry has found.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said Damiano David had returned a negative result in a drugs test.
David was seen to lower his head and bend down over a table in the show’s green room.
The Italian band – who won with the song Zitti E Buoni – strongly denied he was taking drugs.
David offered to take a drug test.
The EBU said:
“Following allegations of drug use in the green room of the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final on Saturday 22 May, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), as requested by the Italian delegation, has conducted a thorough review of the facts, including checking all available footage.
“No drug use took place in the green room and we consider the matter closed.”
The EBU said it was “alarmed inaccurate speculation leading to fake news has overshadowed the spirit and the outcome of the event and unfairly affected the band”.
About the Author
Philip Braund Philip Braund spent 16 years at the Daily Mirror as a reporter and news editor before moving to ITV. He was the series producer of the ground-breaking investigation programme The Cook Report, Managing Editor at ITV’s Millbank Studios, and Head of News at ITV Central. He has won national and regional Royal Television Society awards for documentaries.
