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Eurovision - new ruling

Andy Abraham and Eurovision host Terry Wogan
  • Posted at 1:34pm
  • 23 September 2008
  • by JackSeale-RT
  • 8 comments

This year's Eurovision Song Contest caused pan-continental outrage, with block voting by ex-Soviet states powering Russia to victory. Even Terry Wogan told RT he wanted to quit the show.

Now Eurovision's under-fire bosses have announced that 2009's contest will use both televoting and old-style juries, which should be less geographically biased.

But even if the system had been in place earlier, it wouldn't have helped us this year: our man Andy Abraham came last in Belgrade, with a song that was deeply unpopular throughout Europe.

What did you make of this year's Eurovision? Is block voting to blame for the UK's recent run of poor performances? Tell us what you think.

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Post a comment | 8 comments

Comments

  • Posted on 14 October 2008
  • at 2:08pm
  • by Suzie

Is it not time we got rid of the Contest anyway, the only one from the UK who seems to have fun is Terry Wogan

  • Posted on 24 September 2008
  • at 10:56pm
  • by Cumlol

It's going to be based on televoting?! I bet the Masters of Eurovision are loving this. A way to make even more money from a rediculous competition. How they think this will level the playing field is beyond me.

For example: Russia has a population of nearly 150 million people. Compare this to say Latvia or Finland, who have between 2 and 5 million people.

Political and "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine" style voting will still happen. It's just going to make them more money now.

  • Posted on 24 September 2008
  • at 9:53pm
  • by Fogey

The competition only serves to underline the fact that Europe can never be united! That's not to say that it isn't enjoyable, though hardly ever for the right reasons - I thought the Heavy Metal song was a worthy winner, but the most memorable performance of recent years for me was a dreadful German entry that scored "nul points" for musical content, but 100% as a performance. It's also noticeable that the quality of the song is often inversely proportional to the amount of clothing granted to the female performers, so I'm looking forward to Kylie singing our next howler...

  • Posted on 24 September 2008
  • at 9:03pm
  • by Vincent O.

Block voting may play a part, but a sheer lack of imagination on our part when it comes to selecting out contestants is something much more relevant.

If we want to win, or at least get out of the bottom five, we need to hold more open auditions, or at least go for the less mainstream route. Remember Lordi? A bunch of demended Finnish FX experts playing schlock rock.

Why can't we get it together and come up with something that good?

  • Posted on 24 September 2008
  • at 7:38pm
  • by Winnie

If other countries enter their best pop stars and we only ever enter unknowns or minor celebrities, why should we be surprised when they win and we don't? If we entered Robbie Williams we might be in with a chance - this would be the modern day equivalent of Sir Cliff and might get us interested again.

  • Posted on 24 September 2008
  • at 10:39am
  • by garrypenny

Andy Abraham's song was poor and he was lucky to come last. Our best recent effort was Daz Sampsom, he should've won.

  • Posted on 24 September 2008
  • at 10:39am
  • by garrypenny

Andy Abraham's song was poor and he was lucky to come last. Our best recent effort was Daz Sampsom, he should've won.

  • Posted on 23 September 2008
  • at 9:21pm
  • by lastgang

Obviously the whole voting system has been rigged for some time but there's two things we can't get away from. 1) this years song was dreadful, and 2) why bother with the whole thing anyway? It's boring, turgid programme that I stopped watching a couple of years ago.

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