With just 19 points, the Swiss entry to the Eurovision Song Contest generated the least votes of the 25 countries taking part in Saturday night’s final in Germany.

Swiss hopes had been raised when Anna Rossinelli and her band qualified for the final, the first Swiss act to do so since 2006, but her low-key performance of “In love for a while” failed to attract voters.

Watched by a television audience of more than 100 million people, Azerbaijan secured the nation’s first ever win with a performance by Nigar Jamal and Eldar Gasimov, who go by the name Ell/Nikki.

The duo won 220 points for their classic pop ballad with a catchy refrain, "Running Scared," meaning next year's competition will be hosted in Baku.

Second place went to Italy, back in competition after a 14-year hiatus, with 189 points for Raphael Gualazzi for his jazz number "Madness of Love".

French opera singer Amaury Vassili, British boy band Blue and Ireland's Jedward had also been tipped as favourites by bookmakers but finished poorly.

Viewers in the 43 participating nations cast votes by SMS or phone which counted for 50 percent of the contestants' final score. The other 50 per cent had been determined by panels of juries selected by each nation.

Two rounds of semifinals held earlier in the week whittled the competitors down to 25 finalists who took to the stage Saturday for an extravagant sound-and-light display in Dusseldorf.

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