Editor Reports: Eurovision – The end of Bloc voting?

Editor Doug Lambert dishes his opinion on Saturday evening’s Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in this latest edition of ATV Reports.

For several years now there hasn’t been much point entering the Eurovision Song Contest, even though we do so automatically, as we had bugger all chance of winning.

We could have sent the biggest international band in the world and we still wouldn’t have won. Why? Because of geographical and political bloc voting. The Scandinavian countries all vote for each other as do the former Yugoslav countries and then the Baltic countries all vote for each other too. Between all the bloc voting no bugger votes for us.

But thankfully that could be the thing off the past if Saturday’s Eurovision is anything to go by. While bloc voting did remain in some form the majority of the voting was actually done by song rather than country. Why? Because 50% of the points came from National Juries made up of music experts while the other 50% came from the public of each country and with the re-introduction of national juries the UK once more wins points and does well. We should be very happy with fifth place after years of hanging around the bottom of the board.

Maybe now Eurovision can go back to being about bizarre entries and barely understandable lyrics and less about voting for your neighbours.

The UK Eurovision Winners List

It’s been over a decade since we last picked up the Eurovision gong, and in total we’ve only won it five times. Our worst performance to date came in 2003 with Cry Baby by Jemini which pulled in zero points.

  • Our first win was in 1967 with Puppet On A String by Sandy Shaw.
  • In 1969 Lulu took the joint top spot, alongside three other countries, with Boom Bang A Bang.
  • The next win was 1976 with Save Your Kisses For Me by the Brotherhood of Man.
  • 1981 saw Bucks Fizz bring the UK to the top spot once more with Making Your Mind Up.
  • And it was 1997 the last time we managed a top place with Katrina and the Waves and Love Shine A Light.