How many times has the UK won Eurovision?
It has been a while!
The 2022 Eurovision Song Contest is well upon us, with the second semi-final currently underway.
This year, things are looking pretty hopeful for the UK, with TikTok star Sam Ryder representing for us.
The current Eurovision odds are in our favour and have tipped Ryder to finish in third place, which would be quite the comeback after last year's performance, where we sadly finished in last place.
But, has the UK ever won Eurovision? And how many times have we hosted the event?
As Eurovision 2022 continues, we cast our eyes back to the past - here's how many times the UK have won in the history of the contest and when the last victory for us was - it was some time ago!
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Read more:
- How does the Eurovision Song Contest work? How to vote
- What’s the best Eurovision song of all time?
- Who is performing in the Eurovision 2022 interval?
Who has won Eurovision from the UK?
Sandie Shaw - Puppet on a String (1967)
Sandie was our first-ever winner of the contest back in 1967 with her song Puppet on a String - it's still an absolute banger all these years later if you ask us. It took us a while to get our first victory as the contest originally began in 1956.
Lulu - Boom Bang-a-Bang (1969 as a joint winner with Spain, the Netherlands and France)
Our second win came a mere two years later, those were the days, but it was a bit of a complicated one as Eurovision had never counted on a tie - let alone a four-way one, and we ended up with four different countries emerging on top.
It was the Netherlands who ended up being the hosts for the contest in 1970 - presumably, it wasn't us as we had only just hosted the year before.
Brotherhood of Man - Save Your Kisses for Me (1976)
We had a few years to wait until our next big win and it was Brotherhood of Man that delivered the goods in 1976 with Save Your Kisses For Me. It's a super fun tune that is still enjoyable to listen to today - no wonder we won that year!
Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up (1981)
To many, this song defines Eurovision more than any other and it remains one of the most popular songs ever performed in the competition - it's just so darn catchy!
Bucks Fizz gave us our only win in the '80s with their 1981 victory and it would be quite the wait until we got another...
Katrina and the Waves - Love, Shine a Light (1997)
Our fifth and, to date, final Eurovision win was all the way back in 1997 and it was Katrina and the Waves and their song, Love, Shine a Light, that did the job.
So that means it has been 25 years since we last emerged on top of the pile when the Eurovision votes were counted and it would be fair to say that we have hardly been a powerhouse in the contest since.
Will 2022 finally be our year?
How many times has the UK hosted Eurovision?
The UK has hosted Eurovision eight times in total, stepping in to stage the event when others were unable to do so.
The last time the UK hosted the Eurovision Song Contest was in 1998 in Birmingham, following Katrina and the Waves' victory with Love Shine A Light in 1997.
The 2022 Eurovision Song Contest will air on the BBC from Tuesday 10th May to Saturday 14th May – listen to all of this year's Eurovision songs on TIDAL, while the full album of tracks is available on CD and vinyl now.
You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision here. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide.
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