According to European gay and lesbian newspaper Pink News, Mans Zelmerlow, who won this year's contest for Sweden with his song Heroes, described homosexual relationships as not "natural" on an episode of celebrity cooking show Pluras kök in March 2014.

Zelmerlow reportedly said "it isn't equally natural for men to want to sleep with one another".

"There isn't anything wrong with it at all, but the more natural thing of course is that men and women make children together," he added.

After the comments went to air, Zelmerlow apologised for his remarks.

"I want to apologise to all who take offence," the 28-year-old said in a statement.

"I believe and hope that the vast majority know that I respect differences and all forms of love."

The Eurovision Song Contest has a long history of supporting and celebrating Europe's LGBT community.

In 1998, Israel won the contest with an entry sung by transgender woman Dana International.

More recently, the contest has become a vehicle for marriage equality activism.

Two years ago, Finland's entry Marry Me featured a kiss between two women, while this year's Lithuanian entrant saw both same-sex and opposite-sex couples pucker up.

And, of course, the 2015 contest was hosted by Austrian broadcaster ORF after bearded drag act Conchita Wurst won the contest the previous year with the ballad Rise Like a Phoenix.