we would have done better with Joe Pasquale and ‘ I know a song that will get on your nerve’s’
but there again; Russia beat us to it.

I’ve always been a big Eurovision fan and can remember watching Sandie Shaw, Cliff Richard and Lulu representing the UK.

Yes it’s cheesy, but part of the fun… no, wait. What I really mean is *most* of the fun was the chance of seeing it being won by the UK.

Now, as you correctly point out, there’s little or no chance of that happening ever again because of the Eastern Bloc countries voting for their neighbours. That’s always happened in the past, (with Scandinavia/Iceland for example) but not to such a great extent as it does these days.

This used to be due to the fact that Eastern music sounded so different to Western ears - and vice versa - so you voted for close geographical neighbours as the music was similar to your own.

Now however, we have music from all parts of the world incorporated into modern music and Johnny Foreigner’s music is now no longer so alien - to us or them. Plus, most of the contest’s songs are now predominantly Western style music and performed in English.

Close your eyes and the German entry was a slightly altered Suga Babes song - worth far more than the 14 points it got I might add, and the Russian entry was most certainly written by a Cat Stevens fan (just take a listen to Wild World), though it was mixed with another song I can’t put my finger on. Many others also sounded familiar.

So there’s no longer any reason why a neighbouring country should have any bearing on the votes cast. But until the public vote is replaced by a panel of music professionals, it will never get back to being a music contest and will remain the farce it is. And is that going to happen when phone voting raises so much revenue for the broadcasters? I think not…

Terry Wogan should most definitely call it a day because the show really is now a joke. While he continues doing it, the public will still watch and the BBC will still take part. Take him out of the equation and there’s simply no longer a reason to watch it. No-one can really replace him and there’s no way I would watch it if it wasn’t for him.

Viewing figures have dropped dramatically across other parts of Western Europe as viewers have cottoned on to the fact that they are being conned into watching (and financing) something they have very little chance of winning.

Also, who’s bloody atlas are the organisers using any way? The Euro part of Eurovision I always though was short for European. I’ve yet to see an atlas where Europe included Azerbaijan, Georgia, Latvia, Armenia or half of the other competing countries.

True European countries like Ireland, Belgium and Holland should all be automatically included and let the non-European countries fight it out for the remaining available slots. If a country wants to enter a singing turkey puppet so they won’t win and have the financial burden of hosting it the following year then fair enough.

Last but not least, I have to say that this year I didn’t actually like the UK entry as much as some of the other countries entries. Personally I didn’t think it deserved to win. However, I didn’t think it deserved to come last either - there were a lot of other songs far worse - both musically and performance-wise. 110 points for the out of tune Bosnian, the clothes line and four brides?? Give me strength…

But then again, as has already been said a number of times, it’s no longer a song contest…

BC

The ‘Big Four’ of France, Germany, Spain and the UK, contribute more financially to the EBU than any other countries. Their reward is a guaranteed place in the grand final year after year.

Some reward, huh? Only San Marino and Ireland gave any points to the UK and like you JB I thought that song was really good - musical in fact, but a spectacle it was not. That’s all that’s needed in this event now, not music. When you think about the spread of population in the participating countries with migrant workers in all of the western european countries, the voting seems less of a mystery. It’s the diaspora factor as well as the political and economic ones.
Time for the UK to rethink our financial contribution to the EBU.

Even when the public vote is valid, it’ll be suspect. Take the Pop Idol type contests. One competitor’s Grandmother proudly told the nation that she had taken out a loan so she could put a huge amount of cash on her mobile phone and just spend the week hitting redial. It’s a farce. Not the best song, not the best performers but the person with the most family and mates with deep pockets. Can it be stopped? No. The TV companies are making far too much cash.

Am I bovvered?