Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Why do we put forward such awful acts for the Eurovision?

186 replies

StopSayingDueDiligence · 23/05/2021 19:12

I can't abide the Eurovision but for many years I've wondered why we put through such awful acts and seem surprised when we fail?

Didn't we have Katie price one year?

Why don't we put through people like Adele or Rag N Bone Man, Little Simz or Florence of the Machine?

Why can't they represent us?!

OP posts:
CliftonGreenYork · 23/05/2021 19:48

@Bluntness100

We’ve had loads of decent singers, Bonny Tyler, blue, englebert humperdink, Michael ball, Katrina and the waves. It makes no difference, it’s a shite political contest.
Yes we sent an elderly man and a has-been 80s singer and were surprised we lost. Michael Ball came second and Blue came 11th which was resent.
LetsGoFlyAKiteee · 23/05/2021 19:50

I dont think it helps the staging is always bland!

xxyzz · 23/05/2021 19:53

The winning entry, the Italian one, seems to have been huge in Italy before this - they were runners up in the Italian X Factor in 2017 and had won other competitions and had a number of albums. They're a proper band, not just created especially for Eurovision.

I predict the result of them winning this year is that next year a) there will be lots more rock rather than pop songs, b) there will be fewer women in sparkly leotards and thigh high boots, as none of them did well at all. And c) countries will look for more groups with hot male singers and not just sexy female singers, as the former seems to have been a key factor in Italy's success.

As let's face it, the British entry wasn't going for the Phwoarr vote.

Jellykat · 23/05/2021 19:53

How do 'they' pick such shit songs? and who are 'they' anyway?

Michelle Visage said she'd do it yesterday (on radio 2) she'd kick arse!

Jellykat · 23/05/2021 19:55

... and whos idea was it to let James go on wearing that Demis Roussos top? dont we have decent stylists in this country??

BogRollBOGOF · 23/05/2021 19:57

I like our song on the radio, but we always put forward the same kind of pop. Eurovision needs pizzazz and spectacle for pop to stand a chance of being memorable.
Or a gamble on something different, a great ballad (probably not the year for it, but again needs production to carry it off) rock like Italy pulled off or maybe something alternatively more Indie or contempoary folk like Bellowhead which could sway some points.

We're not going to get worse than our too regular nil points or scraping the right of the leaderboard.

We need to stop the usual Eurovision-pop offering and do something distinctive.

Vodkaandballoon · 23/05/2021 20:03

It's all part of the fun, wouldn't be the same if we had a decent singer/song

romdowa · 23/05/2021 20:06

I'm irish and we've had awful acts for years and honestly I think its because we don't want the expense of hosting it again 🤣🤣 maybe the UK is the same, it must cost a fortune to put on a show like that

ChrissyPlummer · 23/05/2021 20:09

Didn’t Andrew Lloyd Webber compose the song for our entry one year? And ‘Say it Again’ by Precious wasn’t the worst song I’ve ever heard. I think we treat it as a bit of a joke and choose a singer/group that no ones ever heard of and so there’s no prior knowledge of them. Whereas, if other countries pick those who are moderately popular then the judges may have an idea of their sound.

Temp023 · 23/05/2021 20:10

We could resurrect the Beatles and put them in and we’ll still come last. The act is irrelevant, everyone hates the British!

LetsGoFlyAKiteee · 23/05/2021 20:11

We tried with Blue..we tried with Bonnie. Didnt work..

Watching a video on YouTube with past winners..its interesting to see how different they've been recently.

Bluntness100 · 23/05/2021 20:12

I don’t understand this, I quite like a bit of englebert humperdink.

😂

Theworldisfullofgs · 23/05/2021 20:14

It's not a cheesy joke, that just a lazy British trope.
The voting is also vast less political. If it was Italy wouldn't have won.

The reason we don't win is because we behave like Amanda Holden did. Its about time we got over ourselves and that we have to exist in partnership with other countries. We're no where near as special or as hard done by as we think we are. We didn't win because we sent a shit unmemorable song, sung by someone who doesn't usually sing.

loveisanopensore · 23/05/2021 20:15

How is it political?
The UK put in little effort, didn't have to make through a semi final and neither jury not public thought it was good enough.

CliftonGreenYork · 23/05/2021 20:15

@ChrissyPlummer

Didn’t Andrew Lloyd Webber compose the song for our entry one year? And ‘Say it Again’ by Precious wasn’t the worst song I’ve ever heard. I think we treat it as a bit of a joke and choose a singer/group that no ones ever heard of and so there’s no prior knowledge of them. Whereas, if other countries pick those who are moderately popular then the judges may have an idea of their sound.
Yes he did and we came 5th - great result as good song and decent singer.
ohnoohnoohnononononoo · 23/05/2021 20:16

@1happyhippie

I’m not sure they would want to do it
Exactly
Manydaysgoby · 23/05/2021 20:18

We could have put Adele up this year, if she agreed (unlikely) but we would still have lost: Brexit.

NiceGerbil · 23/05/2021 20:18

I really liked our song!

groundcontroltomontydon · 23/05/2021 20:20

dont we have decent stylists in this country??
Poor James looked like he'd forgotten his costume and had to wear whatever was in the lost property box
I don't think the UK really gets Eurovision

Tiffanny · 23/05/2021 20:20

I don't think the UK entry was great but by no means was it the worst. There were other songs totally forgettable or even cringey

The Italian winners so looked so genuinely happy. It's hard to imagine a British rock band being that invested in the competition.

We Brits have always looked at the Eurovision contest as naff and embarrassing.

It can't be Brexit because we've been doing badly for years

Pebbledashery · 23/05/2021 20:21

I loved that song by Andy Abraham the x factor bin man. That should've done much better than it actually did.

LetsGoFlyAKiteee · 23/05/2021 20:21

I dont think it's Brexit..we finished low way before that! Probably doesn't help other acts go through the semi final so are known before the final and get more of a build up also.
And bland! Though did like SuRi that time

loveisanopensore · 23/05/2021 20:22

@Temp023

We could resurrect the Beatles and put them in and we’ll still come last. The act is irrelevant, everyone hates the British!
It's not hate, it's indifference.
Mumoblue · 23/05/2021 20:23

I don’t know, I think being shit at Eurovision is a proud UK tradition. Grin

TheWeeDonkey · 23/05/2021 20:23

I agree with other PPs who've said we just didn't put in the effort. Its so embarrasing. other countries were far and away better than us. The song was boring and the performance was forgetable, I understand he is a song writer / composer but he was not a strong enough singer for the competition.