Bulgaria Fights Back: National Broadcaster Hits Out at “Fake Vote” Accusations

After a wave of online screenshots and shady speculation, BNT sets the record straight — and it’s not holding back.

Bulgaria‘s Eurovision 2026 national selection has been grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons lately. From blurry screenshots doing the rounds on social media to whispers of “vote rigging” in fan forums, the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) has clearly had enough.

So, in true Balkan fashion — with clarity, passion and a firm slap of reality — they’ve released an official statement. And it’s quite the read.

Real-Time Results? Not Anymore.

In the first live show of the selection, votes were visible in real time — a move BNT says was meant to promote transparency. Unfortunately, it seems the attempt at openness had some unintended consequences.

“The real-time display of rankings led to confusion, screenshots taken mid-voting circulated widely and gave rise to conspiracy theories,” said the broadcaster.

Apparently, viewers began panicking mid-vote, misinterpreting the natural ebb and flow of the results as evidence of manipulation. And just like that, the trust they were trying to build started wobbling.

1.5 Million Fake Votes… From Asia?

Yes, you read that right. BNT revealed that over 1.5 million votes from Asia were flagged and successfully blocked by the IT team during the voting window.

Their words, not ours:

“These were registered as an attempt to manipulate the result.”

So, if you’re wondering why that obscure act from Sofia briefly surged to number one, now you know.

So What’s Changing?

For the second semi-final and final, live vote updates were scrapped. No more on-screen scoreboard anxiety attacks. According to BNT, this decision reflects “best European practices” for fairness and objectivity in televised music competitions.

What’s more, a detailed briefing was given to all finalist teams, explaining the new safeguards in place for the upcoming shows. And to calm the storm: no irregularities were recorded that could have benefited any artist.

In short? The system held up. And BNT’s had it with fan fiction spreadsheets flooding social media.

“None of the circulating screenshots reflect the actual results,” they insist, while keeping legal options firmly on the table if needed.

This isn’t the first time a Eurovision selection has been accused of vote tampering, and it probably won’t be the last. But if BNT’s statement is anything to go by, they’re committed to transparency without theatrics.

Will this restore fan confidence? Only time — and the final result — will tell.

But one thing’s clear: Bulgaria came to play, and they’re not letting a few online sleuths steal the show.

Source: BNT