Delta Goodrem representing Australia in the Eurovision

[Dogladyloveswine]

Delta Goodrem is an existing pop star, worth $24 Million. I thought the Eurovision was meant to be for singers who weren't already pop stars.

I mean, why don't we just send the Rolling Stones then? Or Ed Sheeran? Where does it end? 😳

Let us into Eurovusion! 🤣

We sent Olly Alexander a couple of years ago and he came last. It’s all completely political and always has been.

But it happens to us most years, that’s the joke, UK get nul points. I watched it as a child every year with my dad and we knew we’d come last, or near enough. It never changes. Sam Ryder was a weird anomaly, not sure who we paid that year.

Yep, them and Israel. They're not European countries.

YABU. And incorrect. Lots of countries send established pop stars. Often very well known in various European countries just not here.
Plus the UK have done the same.

Lol Olly Alexander. Who? You mention him as if he’s a name we all know.
He came last because his song was awful.

A little bit disingenuous unless you don’t follow current music at all. He was in Years and Years, they had a number 1 and a few top 10s.

I don't think the minging staging helped Olly Alexander. Nobody enjoys a grubbily accurate public bog depiction, had me wanting to Dettol the whole set. George Michael has already provided the definitive model for performances about cottaging, and if you watch the Outside video, it was all sparkling.

Even then it was a combination of popular vote and judges vote iirc. It’s just that now they televise the result differently- it’s better now I think as you get a first glimpse of who might win and then the actual result.

@mathanxiety I think the rest of the world vote is only equivalent to one additional country. Why has that spoilt it for you?

Exactly! 100% why he did badly. Actually not last but 18th, I looked it up.
I walked out of the room when his act was on. Because it seemed like porn to me. It was grim.
Eurovision is a family event each year in my house (my kids were already then 16+) Nothing about his act was appropriate.

So I watched her performance…now I understand why I’ve never heard of her!

He's very versatile. Was great in the Imoortance of being Earnest. Similar to Will Young, but I prefer Olly's music, and am nearly drawing my pension!

I remember that year, and being in awe of the shiny gold dress. I was just a kid, but god do I feel old!

Johnny Logan, who won twice for Ireland with What’s Another Year and Hold Me Now, was actually Australian. Should he have been barred from entry?

I wonder if Rhydian Roberts would be willing to represent the UK?

Rhydian was brilliant - he'd be wonderful at Eurovision. Also as a potential, Danyl Johnson from X-Factor.

Ruth Lorenzo (also from X-Factor) represented Spain with Dancing In The Rain over a decade ago, and it's still one of my favourite Eurovision songs ever.

We could send Adele. The Rolling Stones. All of them for one big song and we would still come last 🤣🤣

Love Rhydian

Katrina and the Waves were top drawer.
Loved "Walking in Sunshine"

Unforgettable. One of me all time faves

🌞🌊👣👍
X

Doubt she’s ever heard of you either.

The UK is part of the Big Five - the five countries (alongside France, Germany, Italy and Spain) who make the biggest financial contribution to the EBU, which produces Eurovision. Guarantees those countries a place in the 'final' every year.
Not sure what the situ is about the UK just being able to 'pull out'...

Well Spain didn’t this year, so I assume there’s some way around it.

No big surprise... he 'strangely' came second to Ukraine, who won comfortably, despite knowing they didnt have a hope in hell of hosting it, for obvious reasons. Oh, but look, the UK has come second, so... 🤔

Don't care. Loved it every year, now I'm boycotting, like all the decent countries did.

It's a SONG competition not a SINGING competition!

The Big 5 still have to pay as agreed, if they want to retain all of the benefits of membership, but nobody can force them to participate in the song contest if they don't want to.

Each of the Big 5 pay approx £4m a year to be members of the EBU, which covers way, way more than just the ESC - every country has to pay at least £45,000 for this. It's based on things like turnover, which will obviously also be far higher for countries with a big population and greater international prominence/output.

On top of that, I think the Big 5 pay in the region of half a million each to participate in the ESC. The pooled entry fee incone from all participating countries (except the host country) has to total approx £6m - so based on 34 countries, it would be a mean average of £175,000 per country. This £6m is then given to the host country, who are expected to add another £10-20m themselves to cover the cost of the event.

I can understand how these figures might be an issue for the really small and/or poorer countries; but it sounds very low indeed to me for an entire western country with a very large (for Europe) population; the way they go on about it, you'd think it was tens of millions of pounds.