Eurovision 2019

Oh my... that is beautiful.

This...

http://oneurope.co.uk/countries/uk/an-open-letter-to-bbc-eurovision/

Is a great opinion piece. We need to be asking why, in the richest music industry in the world, we can only find three very bland songs and only talent show rejects to sing them? Since Eurovision: You Decide started it's been Voice rejects, X Factor reject, Belgium's backing singer.

The BBC can find just three songs. SVT have found over 30 - all of them better than our trio!

Why are we not looking for new and exciting talent? Why must we have our sings written by committee? Vanilla doesn't win you the prize anymore!

Look at the winners since 2014. All had a point of difference, a USP, Something EXCITING! Something that made 200m people stop drinking and turn their tellies up!

When I am paying the wages of the idiots signing off on this utter, utter garbage I feel I'm entitled to tell them they haven't a clue. Not a bloody clue.

26 songs on the night. How the bloody hell are the BBC's "efforts" going to stand out?

What happened to Robbie Williams and Ed Sheeran wanting a go?

Time to sack the HOD and put a TRUE fan in charge.

I'm generally available.

Probably BECAUSE we have one of the richest music industries in the world, we don't need Eurovision in the same way other countries might.

The problem is that it takes a fair chunk of time out of an artist's timetable for nearly half of the year to continually tinker and develop the song as well as attending press events and festivals as well the contest itself. I can't imagine that they'd be paid generously out of it for the amount of time put in.

Royalties are likely to not be as generous as I would imagine they would need to sign the rights of the song to be shared with Eurovision, something which certain artists and/or record labels aren't going to be keen on.

There is also the risk of reputation and their future career, especially given if they end up getting a low score on the night which by the UK's latest track record is likely.

I always thought that it would be a good opportunity for an established artist who is outgoing or hasn't released anything in a while, someone like Fleur East, Pixie Lott etc. etc. However by the time they are outgoing, they're likely being dumped by their own record label therefore the interest is not there. Saara Aalto took part a few years after X Factor, though of course not for the UK. And there are rumours out there that Niall Horan could be representing Ireland this year.

And of course the general perception of Eurovision by the British public is a big issue. The older people still think it's full of diggi-loo diggi-le and Bucks Fizz, the younger people aren't aware of its legacy and aren't going to go out of their way to watch it, especially with television viewership in decline.

Therefore there are some big issues and hurdles to come across to at least get someone decent to represent the UK, something which I don't think even ITV or any other broadcaster are likely to be able to do any better. The biggest likelihood if it did go to a different broadcaster as they see it as not for them after a few years and the UK leaves the contest altogether. At least the BBC has consistently stayed committed to the contest, despite peoples beliefs about their recent lack of effort.

Cool, let's just leave then if we don't need it.

Sweden has an exceptionally rich pop music industry - especially when it comes to writers and producers - yet they can find ten times the amount of songs we can for their national final. Swedish artists might need Melodifestivalen and Eurovision but trust me, their writers and producers don't.

If because of the digiloo-bang-a-puppet perception we can only recruit singers even Cowell doesn't want, fine. But for the writers and producers who can remain pretty anonymous if it all goes wrong, there is no excuse.

I dunno why but "digiloo-bang-a-puppet" sounds a bit suggestive

Hosts confirmed. 2 guys, 2 girls.

https://eurovision.tv/story/hosts-2019-bar-refaeli-erez-tal-assi-azar-lucy-ayoub

And 2 too many.

There is more to Eurovision than the Song Contest.

It would be a travesty if the BBC left the ESC.
For a start, it would look really bad on the BBC if, given all the technical expertise (yes, and money) they give to the EBU as an organisation, then they don't appear/take part in the biggest event the EBU put on in the year because "the BBC HoD is useless and we can't find an act that will win".

There are a couple reasons way out of either the BBC or the EBU's control where even if Take That were put up as the UK entry, it would still be beaten by a group of Albanian postmen singing accapella...

But to throw a hissy grump and say the UK should take the toys out of the pram and sit it out, is hysterical daft.

If we ever do send a credible current name I will have that bet with anybody.

Yes, it's 2 too many but may make more sense given the separate green room this year. The last time that happened we had just one host who used a segway to get between the two areas!

Filomena from last year will be a tough act to follow.

That's the problem. BBC market Eurovision as this big camp singing event that happens once a year, which of course, is very true in some respects but it's not a "cool" event to be assosciated with. If I remember correctly the BBC last year grouped together all of the novelty acts from the years gone by as an advert for the final. Says it all really.