Eurovision Song Contest....time to leave?

I love Eurovision and have watched it every year bar one (newly married and scorned a TV!) since its inception. I look forward to it every year, as much as the Boat Race or the Grand National. Part of the fabric of the year.

No points? Why? Firstly, it was a terrible song and poorly performed (nerves, I think). The chap was brave to even give it a go and I applaud him for that but surely with our musical talent 'we' can do better?

Secondly I believe that the scoring was partially political. Europe detests us and the Eastern and Nordic countries each just vote for each other.

Oh, I don't think the cringe-worthy appearance by Amanda Holden helped in promoting a good view of the UK, either.

Graham Norton is a shining star with his wonderful 'helpful' comments - he is a worthy successor to Terry Wogan, although I remember fondly Katy Boyle, too. Long time ago!

I’m still humming Voices. And keep playing the One from Belgium. I often go back to and listen to my favourite songs from previous years as well. Voices is, imo a classic. I must listen to the French song again as I didn’t like it at all.

Some people here in Scotland have been talking about a Scottish entry to Eurovision if there was independence. Scotland might do well if other European countries vote politically. Ireland did very well. I don’t know if the song chosen for Scotland would be any good though. There is a lot of tartantry, as it is called, up here. Maybe handsome young men in kilts and not much else would get some votes. There is a sort of eroticism attached to the kilt. A bit camp, maybe. But that is very Eurovision Song Contest.

Urmstongran

The Italians won, though they have on a number of occasions withdrawn from the contest, with a 14-year gap between 1997 and 2011.

Maybe the UK should give it a miss for a few years as well?

I see the singer of the Italian group has passed the drug test.
I have to say his actions did look very suspicious ?

All over Facebook, etc, people have said that the UK got no points because everyone hates us due to Brexit. Maybe it had a small part to play, but what about countries like Switzerland or Russia that aren't in the EU? Or those that aren't even in Europe, like Australia or Israel? Do their populations hate us too? And what about the fact that we have done consistently badly for years, long before anyone dreamed of Brexit?

I was disappointed that France didn't win. It was a good song and she sang it well. We had an uncharismatic singer with a dull song, and whoever told him to wear that shapeless leather dress-thing did him no favours. No wonder we got zero.

As part of "the big five" who belong to the EBU and contribute to the costs, the UK automatically gets a place in the final and that's probably not good. The worst stuff would get weeded out at the semi-finals. (Germany is in the "big five" too, I believe. A dancing hand? A ukulele? Really?) Of course, seeing what is in the finals makes you wonder how awful the finals must have been.

Personally, I preferred it in the old days when everyone sang in their own language, often performing weird folksongs in even weirder costumes. Now it's English in fake American accents and Poundland Las Vegas costumes.

If we're going to carry on, I think we have two choices :

1) Go camp. Recognise how silly it is and go completely over the top. At least it would be memorable.

2) Go metal. Finland and Italy have both won with heavy metal numbers and they weren't even very good. We can surely find a good metal band somewhere in the UK.

As for Amanda Holden, I thought that she was stoned.

Of course, I meant that you wonder how awful the semi-finals are.

I don’t think we actually pay to be in the final, per se. We just happen to be one of the biggest contributing countries to the cost of the fiasco (with France Germany and Spain). Therefore we are entitled to be in the final. Personally I think it’s rubbish and haven’t watched in years, the sooner we pull out the better.

The difference with Graham Norton and the previous presenters is that he absolutely loves everything about Eurovision. I still remember watching ABBA whilst sitting in a room with a crowd of friends. I agree, it is part of the fabric of my life. I’ve never been to a proper Eurovision party though. One day, perhaps!

'Europe detests us'

I live here , among Europeans and Brexit means little to them.
I get the feeling that its only the Media and Politicians who
gain advantage from fuelling this.

Several of the songs that did well this year sang in their own language which is interesting and may be the way forward.

MawBe

Definitely “Time to Say Goodbye” - I should have thought leaving the Eurovision Song Contest was the principal advantage of Brexit!

We are still European!

This year's song was very ordinary. No effort seemed to have been made with presentation and we put up a fat lad in a coat where others went for glitz and proper show-biz. No wonder it didn't exactly inspire the voters.

It is also a sad fact that the contest entries in the UK are supervised by a small cohort of music business insiders, most of them old-school and way out of touch. It's a kind of freemasonry. How much better we'd have done with an artiste like Harry Styles and a song written by one of our many great writers such as Charlie XCX.

I still remember Charlie’s performance at Glastonbury a few years ago. I watched it over and over again.

Oh and as a PS, I have rarely been so ashamed of this nation as when Amanda Holden was proudly saying she couldn't tell one European language from another. This, to a whole lot of presenters from other countries who'd been working in HER language for the entire show. She really is an idiot and really played into the stereotype of insular Brits who can't be bothered to learn to communicate with anyone outside the UK.

Wheres the talent? Used to be worth watching .

I've said it before in this thread but nobody seems to have noticed. We pay to be part of the EBU, and one of the perks of that for countries who pay a lot, is that they get a wildcard into the Eurovision Song Contest. There are other benefits too, should anyone wish to Google it.

As for the "Europe hates us" trope; here is a European project where we don't really understand the rules of the game, we think everybody hates us and that we pay too much for little return. We should just leave and take our Greatness elsewhere.

Sound familiar?

Galaxy

It really wasnt a great song.

Apparently it wasn’t the worst, can comment personally as never watch it, from people who did observe the programme.

Scotland might do well if other European countries vote politically. Ireland did very well.

Ireland was knocked out before the final.

I've been humming the Voila song all morning, saw on Twitter that it's rocketing up the European charts. I thought it was great, lots of energy and I liked the performer.

You really can't take Eurovision too seriously, I had a lot of fun alone on Saturday night giggling at some and enjoying others. The staging when it's a bit loopy is so funny - remember the Russian Grannies from years ago? Not so the German one this year, loved Graham Norton describing that one.

It's supposed to be fun, enjoyable. I do think the UK take ourselves too seriously. Although Michael Ball has described it as a miserable experience (One Step Out Of Time, 1992 when we came second to Ireland) ...

Talking of which -

For the last 10-12 years some West End shows do an Charity evening of Eurovision performances, which I have always attended and had an absolute blast. In 2012 Michael Ball & Imelda Staunton were in Sweeney Todd ... watch to the end. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3UxOPT7dBg

Definitely time to leave. My views is as it’s been for a while now, it’s political and it clearly shows that the other countries don’t like the UK, but that’s only my view!

grannie7

I think it’s just become more about politics than singing.
Most of the other countries might not like us but who do they expect to rush to their aid if a disaster happens Us every time
I find it astonishing that it’s always Us that is expected to deal with and provide help, food, money first.I know we should be and are sympathetic to others problems but Sometimes it makes me laugh we are a very small island but have to give the most or other nations complain’ where are the British’
I also feel cross that in the 21st century we still have people starving and using food banks yet we have money to give to other countries who use it not to help their own citizens but for things we can’t afford to do.
Very sorry rant over I think we should pull out of EuroVision too

Oh dear, that sounds a bit sad - the UK has not always been expected to rush to the aid of a country during a crisis - granted they do mention 'British involvement' a lot in the media. There is often less evidence of it on the ground - providing money and food sounds a bit odd - the money bit I get, since we have the likes of Branson and Dyson, and maybe Johnson's friends to help.

Maybe if they dipped into their pockets in the UK more, instead of Singapore or the BVI, and other low tax economies, and offered more help at home there would be fewer food banks.

One glimmer of light on an otherwise depressing note, was Dame Mary Beard's gift of the foundation to provide financial support to students studying classics. She along with Marcus Rashford truly represent 'British values' - the present Government and elite movement do not have a clue.

I did hear the UK song on Saturday, and it was an average, not that poor song, but with poor production and like Ed Sheeran's songs do tend to make me look for a drink, until the entertainment comes along. Eurovision - on present showing we are just not up to it.

The UK song was boring and mundane and very forgettable and what on earth was Amanda Holden going on about! Best thing about the whole farce was Graham Norton's comments.

definitely a time to leave. some say not to take it seriouisly just enjoy but it is a contest at the end of the day , it has been so many years since we came anywhere near so what is the point of it anymore

It's just a bit of fun really. As I said, ( I think on this thread) other countries do take it quite seriously.

And I still think Sweden had far and away the best song but only managed 14th.

We really can't blame this on Brexit. We haven't done well since 1997. I think we came 5th once. We have been way down the bottom of the league for years.

Poor old Englebert got dragged out of retirement in 2012 and managed to get 25th place.

railman. Marcus Rashford, to me, is a beacon of hope. What an amazing young man he is. We were talking about him whilst walking the dog yesterday and both of us actually welled up and had to stop talking. I didn’t know about Mary Beard. I’m very disappointed that BBC 4 aren’t planning to make any new programmes as the ones made by Mary Beard and her fellow academics are my staple tv viewing. The only good thing being that I can watch them over and over again as there’s so much to take in.

England haven't won the Word Cup since 1966.

Do you all think they should just give up and stop entering the competition?