To think we have a real chance this year with Eurovision?

[itsnotmeitsu]

I love the Sam Ryder song and the official video. I think that, if it wasn't for politics, he would have a good chance of being in the top five. Whatever the outcome, I think the video for the song should be used for the 2022 John Lewis Christmas advert 🙂. Whatever the outcome, well done Sam > you're brilliant.

I think the win this year is for Ukraine.

I think Ukraine will win too.

Haven't heard our song but however good it is we won't win. Ukraine will, and even without a war in Ukraine it will never be us, votes are not cast on the quality of the music.

Ukraine could put Dustin the Turkey singing Irelande Douze Points or Father Ted and Father Dougal with My Lovely Horse into the competition and they'd still win.

Well we are at least guaranteed bit to come last (I assume there is a Russian entry)!

Whatever would we do without you with your knowledgeable take on the competition.

I doubt it very much. It's not a song contest, it's a popularity contest.

But UK might get some votes - Cyprus aren't in the final, so where will Greece's douze points go?

No need to be snippy! It’s Eurovision for gods sake.

Not even that guarantee - Russia's been kicked out, for this year at least. They've let other countries compete when they invaded places previously but not Russia, not this time.

Anyway, not everyone in Europe hates them - they're pretty useful in some places - plus they generally do well at Eurovision. Don't think they've ever come last.

Yeah, anything above "nil points" is a success.

Hopefully that might mean that the rest of Europe clubs together to help them rebuild a venue.

Unless it's suddenly become a singing competition and not a political one, we won't have a chance 🤣🤣

Ukraine will win, without a doubt, but I have no problem with that.
Regardless of how good or bad our song is, we will get the usual 0 points.

Sorry, I always get snippy after the twentieth poster on a Eurovision thread who knows sod all about it but treats us to their firmly held opinion anyway and whoever is number twenty gets it in the neck even if they weren't the most egregious offender.

Jeez - who peed in your coffee this morning? Chill…

(my PhD ‘Eurovision competition, politics and musical accomplishment, 1972-2021’ is in the post…)

Ukraine might not win because half the votes come from the jury and they are unlikely to be swayed by the current situation. Also Ukraine are performing early on in the contest and that is traditionally not a good spot to win from. Interestingly, UK has a close to the end slot, which should help. But Sweden also do and they’re up there in the favourites. I expect Ukraine to do well in the public vote, but people get more than one vote. So I expect there will be votes for Ukraine, but people will also be voting for their favourites. It will be enough to place Ukraine highly but a win isn’t guaranteed. I do expect UK to place top 5. It’s very popular. But I could be eating my words tomorrow!

This year has been a bit of a shocker in the semi’s. With certain songs not going through when expected, and others going through when not, so who knows. The jury think differently to the public. We have done well when we’ve sent decent songs/acts. The times we placed poorly, we deserved it.

I think if the winner declines to host then one of the ‘Big 5’ countries - those who essentially fund most of the contest - usually steps in to host in their place. It’s an honour rather than an obligation to host if you win so that hopefully shouldn’t put people off voting for Ukraine if that’s what they want to do.

That’s also why we don’t do the semi finals and go straight through the the final instead, the Big 5 all qualify automatically for the final. Which probably pisses a lot of other countries off!

We love the Norway entry- have thrown a couple of quid on each way as we think it might be a surprise number 3!

Yes I'm not sure about the jury vote. They're not quite as objective as they're meant to be because they do tend to go for their neighbours, but Ukraine isn't the kind of song the my normally go for - they might choose to be ostentatiously high minded and "all about the music". I'd be a bit surprised if they gave Ukraine douze points in large numbers.

We could see Ukraine placing moderately low in the jury voting and then hoovering up the phone votes for a dramatic turn around. The gap between first and second place with the public is only 2 out of 12. If someone (Italy? Sweden? Spain? UK????) can play really well with the juries and get second/third/fourth place with the public in most countries then they might perhaps clinch it.

The problem with that theory is that I think that Norway will hoover up the public votes but the juries won't like it, so that reduces the possibility for a not-Ukraine crossover contender.

I'm a bit worried about him hitting those high notes when singing live, lots of potential for disaster there!

Ukraine will storm it though, clearly.

Ukraine are obviously going to walk it.

The UK's song is fucking dreadful but it's still miles ahead of last year, it'll probably do reasonably well.

Fortunately he looks Scandinavian which might help

He's been touring every city in Europe performing this song for months now, so crossed fingers that should make him fairly bulletproof, and get him a vote or two.

He seems like a nice lad and if he manages a top five finish he'd be a national hero. Even top ten would be a result.

YABU - our song is unfortunately absolute shite and almost undistinguishable from last years singer and entry, cringey crap

I hate hearing 'everybody hates us'. It's so self-indulgent. As if any other country in Europe even gives the UK a second thought. How often do you spend thinking about Latvia or Croatia? Why would they think about us? Nobody hates us, not even on the radar.