You certainly know how to make an entrance, welcome back conty.

Yeah that's all of them. Yle puts a lot of effort in for little return, so it's understandable that they want to downscale it to just a one-off show. I'd take most of them over what they've sent in recent years, but Circle of Light is still the one for me.

Maybe you'll have better luck with Eesti Laul, Georgia and some of the A Dal songs that are floating around. I'd link you to the Swiss as well, but they're all shite... so no change there.

I see Gery-Nikol is being heavily rumoured for Bulgaria. They would probably be my fav again if they send their answer to Iggy Azalea this year. <3

I think Blackbird is glorious!

It has to be that or Circle Of Light, but I've a bad feeling My First Band might get the nod. The Nordics seem to adore that kind of anodyne shite.

Welcome back conty! Rolling out the flame haired carpet for you to walk all over.

Forget Finland, it's all about "Two Faces" in Switzerland.

As for Rybak, just be grateful it's not Jamala wailing her dirge for 3 minutes. Before it went internal, the BBC would pride itself in always having the previous Eurovision winner (often exclusively) as a guest. A tradition which had to broken.

Did you see the good news? Jon Henrik returns in Sweden bad news, he's not alone.

I fully agree. The only times we have really moved into a more current sound over the past two decades has been in 2009 (when we should have qualified), 2011, 2012 and 2013. I know that we ended up in last place in 2013 but Ryan was the support act at Måns' Dublin gig last year and actually came across really well - I think that being on last during the final meant more nerves, which is why it fared so badly.

I still believe that if we had sent Erika Selin last year we would have easily qualified. What scuppered her chances was the fact that she wasn't Irish which should have been the last thing on everyone's mind since there's no rule that says the performer must be from the country they're representing.

It wouldn't even bother me at this stage if Sweden overtakes our tally since the majority of what they have sent over the past decade or more has been so well produced and presented. With the exception of Jedward's 'Lipstick', we've really failed in those areas since our last win.

The decision on the way the act and song is chosen needs to be taken out of RTE's hands but unfortunately I can't see that happening for the forseeable future.

I also think Molly would've qualified had she not been on second. I thought it was a beutiful song and it was staged lovely, but lumping a ballad second never bodes well for it. Just ask Gabriela Guncikova or Lisa Angell.

Erika wasn't Irish?? I didn't know that Where was she from, I'm presuming the UK?

Swedish, she was joined on stage by Timoteij.

She was Swedish!

Trust you to brighten up my day...although if he's with Swingfly...

EDIT: Hi Phil and Lisa checking out Eesti Laul. Anne's young crush I see is back...

So Ireland could've had a sub-par (by Sweden's standards) MelFest song as our entrant that year?

General Irish voting public.....WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!?!?!?!

Break Me Up was most probably rejected from Melfest

I'm really liking Spirit Animal. Not sure how it's going to sound live with those affected vocals though.

MGP is on March 11th, so that plus the Melfest and Songvakeppnin finals all on the same night

Praise be the glorious Fibre gods!

will be a good night but I shall be watching MGP on catch up, I really struggle multi watching

Me too. Very Eva Cassidy in tone.

And I'll totally lose my Verona if Estonia don't send Laura & Koit.

I wonder if Aminata any links to Supernova for the coming year?
Really hope she tries to represent them again herself.

Oh balls

Austria selected a Sexy Bitch
http://wiwibloggs.com/2016/12/19/aus...n-2017/160359/

Your taste gets worse every year

He's only 23?! Could easily pass for 40. Poor guy

So his name is Nathan? He is my favourite already! Nice to see us Nathans represented in the contest!

It is good to see a few male artists coming through for 2017 (Cyprus, Ireland and now Austria) to balance off the likely dominance of female singers/acts. I am with you looks wise a definite hottie I think he will be popular in Kiev

He was on the shortlist of the German casting show. Wonder if he was still in the running and Austria snapped him up first?

Oh come on!!!!!
Hes superhot!!!!!!

OMG. There was another Nathan on this thread way back too!!!!

I'm with you and pop, he's definitely one for the yummi ranking.

Adds a bit of extra competition to the mix. The Germans won't want to be potentially outdone by their reject and hopefully it'll force them to step it up.