[Glyn W]

Originally Posted by phill363

Its not that strong, it just made their win easier in 2003

Perhaps Belgium shouldn't have given Turkey 12 points...

[Saturn]

Originally Posted by Glyn W

Perhaps Belgium shouldn't have given Turkey 12 points...

It's not like they had much choice in the matter.

[Soppyfan]

Well, it is now coming up to 16 years since we last won in 1997 which was exactly the same time it took to win when we won in 1981 before then.

[LongBallPlease]

Our results have never been so bad in that 17 year period, people can blame everything under the sun but generally our song hasn't been up to scratch.

[newplanet]

I think it's entirely possible that the UK can win at Eurovision again, but the BBC have a lot of work to do to try and make it happen and, to be honest, I haven't seen much evidence of that work so far.

Anyway, I'd be very interested to see how the BBC would stage Eurovision in this day and age. I watched the 1998 show not that long ago and I was really surprised by (a) how "British" it all was, and (b) how tame and kinda low-key it was back then - i.e. when everyone sat (!), wore tuxedos and clapped five times after each performance. I remember Eurovision in the early 80s so I know how things have changed over the years, I'd just forgotten how much they'd changed. I really want to see a UK Eurovision in the 2010s!

[EuroChris]

Originally Posted by newplanet

Anyway, I'd be very interested to see how the BBC would stage Eurovision in this day and age.

This is what concerns me about a UK win. Since the turn of the century, the BBC have been notoriously crap at producing light entertainment shows.

[CloudyE]

Originally Posted by CelticMyth

97 was only my second Eurovision, but from what I remember that darn Tony Blair winning the election stole the UK winning Eurovision's thunder.

It was his fault though. I lived in France for a while and they hated him in Europe. Its a political contest after all, although occasionally a song wins on merit.

[EuroChris]

Originally Posted by CloudyE

It was his fault though. I lived in France for a while and they hated him in Europe. Its a political contest after all, although occasionally a song wins on merit.

So, Tony Blair affected the UK's results at Eurovision?

I'm amazed people actually buy into this 'political' clap trap.

[steeleuro_wolf]

Originally Posted by EuroChris

So, Tony Blair affected the UK's results at Eurovision?

I'm amazed people actually buy into this 'political' clap trap.

Apparently people are sitting at home in rural Ukraine or wherever thinking "I really like that UK song, but I can't possibly vote for it because I think their government's being unfairly mean to that nice Saddam Hussein." It's quite funny when you think about it.

Just to be clear, we didn't get nul points because of Iraq. We got nul points because the rest of Europe saw and heard this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAJ62IG3gBo

[21stCenturyBoy]

The nul points was TEN YEARS AGO!!!!! and was richly deserved because the song and performance was a lorry-load of crap.

The way some people talk, it's as if we get it every year!

[abrightyz]

i can't even imagine what our entry for 2013 would be like, and it's already mid-february!!...

[Soppyfan]

I can only pray it'll be something that we AT LEAST have a chance of winning, following the choices we've seen and heard from the other Countries so far.

[fruitang]

I think we will win Eurovision again, it's down to us really wanting it. Apart from Jade in 2009 when they really pushed it, how much promotion do our songs get in Europe? Blue did a reasonable amount in 2011 didn't they? If we were perhaps earlier in announcing our entry and gave people the time to grow to it then we might stand a better chance.

I think Jade's 5th in 2009 proved that there's no vendetta against us as a country and that with the right song, we will win it again.

I was 11 when we last won it and I remember staying up late to watch the final performance and then it being one of the articles on the news afterwards! Then I remember our agonising 2nd the year after! Was exciting though.

[mikey_mac]

i love watching jemini for shock value

[mikey_mac]

imaani's where are you now is my fave uk entry - really thought we were going to 'do an ireland' at one point and win again

[Edwin Okli]

Originally Posted by mikey_mac

i love watching jemini for shock value

I just did this. I only vaguely remember Jemini to be honest, I think it was my first Eurovision or at least my first Eurovision memory.

[emmetmcl]

First time I ever watched (or heard about Eurovision) was in 2003.

I remember lots of people in my class at school talking about it, I'd never heard of it before I don't think. There seemed to be a lot of buzz about it, mainly because the who was representing Ireland was from near the area, and of course those "lesbians"

Watched every year since

Can't ever imagine the UK winning again, or Ireland for that matter.

I think Ireland's only realistic chance of winning was in the last 2 years with Jedward. But as long as we come ahead of the UK, people seem to be happy enough

[globbits]

Originally Posted by Edwin Okli

I just did this. I only vaguely remember Jemini to be honest, I think it was my first Eurovision or at least my first Eurovision memory.

And you still kept watching?! If Jemini was my awakening to ESC, I would have been too traumatised to ever want to see any more!

[brb]

Yes. When we send a good (and relevant!) song, we perform well. Humperdinck wasn't bad, but it was just wayyyyyy off what Europe wanted. Even Norton at the beginning of the show basically said we didn't have a chance as his song will just be forgotten. Which it was.

[dave2702]

Originally Posted by steeleuro_wolf

You're lucky, my first eurovision memory was Jemini

Mine was Cliff Richard & "Power to all our friends"

[21stCenturyBoy]

Mine was Jessica Garlick in all of her "Sh*t, my dress has just got caught in the shredder and I'm due on stage in thirty seconds" glory.

[dave2702]

Originally Posted by newplanet

I think it's entirely possible that the UK can win at Eurovision again, but the BBC have a lot of work to do to try and make it happen and, to be honest, I haven't seen much evidence of that work so far.

Anyway, I'd be very interested to see how the BBC would stage Eurovision in this day and age. I watched the 1998 show not that long ago and I was really surprised by (a) how "British" it all was, and (b) how tame and kinda low-key it was back then - i.e. when everyone sat (!), wore tuxedos and clapped five times after each performance. I remember Eurovision in the early 80s so I know how things have changed over the years, I'd just forgotten how much they'd changed. I really want to see a UK Eurovision in the 2010s!

I recall Ulrika Jonsson presenting it and for some reason the tabloids took great delight that she was an unknown name in Scandinavia

Just watching the intro to the show it does seem old fashioned, especially Wogan being so impressed by Ulrika's ability to talk in another language so fluently

[BanglesNMash]

I was at Birmingham 98. Second row right in front of the orchestra. There was a great atmosphere in the city that day. Buck's Fizz were at HMV lol. Great atmosphere in the Nia where it was held. Loads of euro related people in the audience including Katie Boyle! Remember being told not to stand up as it would block the cameras. But it was fantastic. Went to Kiev in 2005 and again the atmosphere in the city was amazing

[topdog2006]

Oddly, the thing I think is most impressive about 1998 is the scoreboard! We'd gone from rather basic looking static blue boxes the year before to something that even now still looks great. I remember how impressed everyone was at the fact the points actually MOVED onto the countries and it moved around to show the order after each one

The EBU got the BBC to create the scoreboards right up to 2001, they were so impressed. The UK did get something right in Eurovision post-1998!