United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Encyclopedia
The United Kingdom
chose their entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
on the BBC
programme Eurovision: Your Decision. It replaced the former selection programme, Making Your Mind Up
after a string of bad results. It was broadcast on BBC One
on Saturday 1 March 2008.
Andy Abraham
was the winner of the contest with the song Even If
and will go on to represent the United Kingdom in Serbia
. As a member of the 'Big 4', the United Kingdom is one of five countries directly qualified into the final on 24 May 2008 and does not need to compete in either of the semi-finals, although it is able to vote in the second of the two semi-finals.
and Any Dream Will Do
would participate in a newly revamped Making Your Mind Up
with songs written by the likes of Andrew Lloyd Webber
and Gary Barlow
. This format was partially used in the final format, with one of the categories being 'Joseph Vs. Maria', with one artist from each show competing to make it into the semi-final.
There were wide sweeping rumours about which artists were going to try for Eurovision, one in particular was Bill Bailey
however his tour in Australia kept him out, however he said that he might try out for next year.
announced on his radio show, Wake Up To Wogan
on 13 February 2008 that a new national final show would be titled 'Eurovision: Your Decision', to replace Making Your Mind Up. The show aired at 19.00 GMT and the results showed at 21.30 GMT. Terry Wogan
hosted the show along with Claudia Winkleman
, who replaced Fearne Cotton
. There was a panel of three judges headed by Terry Wogan
, with John Barrowman
and Carrie Grant
as the other two judges.
The format consisted of 3 categories, each with 2 songs in. One song qualified from each category, with a fourth wildcard song being picked by Terry Wogan. Then 2 participants with the highest number of phone votes sang again in a 'superfinal' later that evening.
. Emma Beard and Aimee Kearsley left the band and created the single Mr Gorgeous which they performed on Your Decision. The other group in the category were named The Revelations and were made up of three friends
In the second category the theme was Josephs v Marias. There were two finalists from reality TV shows How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?
and Any Dream Will Do
. Simona Armstrong
from Maria and Rob McVeigh
from Any Dream Will Do, performed to make it to the next round. The judges chose Simona 2 to 0, saying that Rob's performance had "pitch problems".
In the final category two soloists performed for the chance to represent the UK. Ex-Eastender star turned singer Michelle Gayle
sang "Woo (U Make Me)", and got through hands down to the semi-final and then precceded on to the final after the public vote. Andy still got through, after Terry Wogan used his wildcard to keep him in the competition.
The semi-final consisted of all the acts who made it through the first rounds and the wildcard Andy Abraham
who was voted in by Terry Wogan
. After the public vote only two of the four acts made it to the final. Simona Armstrong
and The Revelations received the lowest amount of public votes, blocking them from entering the final. Michelle Gayle
and Andy Abraham, the two soloists, proceeded to the final.
In the final, the act who received the highest amount of televotes would win, and represent the United Kingdom in Serbia. Andy won and did represent the UK in the final of Eurovision 2008. Although Andy did hope the song would make a good showing in Belgrade, his task was not made easy.He came joint 25th(or last) with Germany and Poland with only 14 points. However, the tie-break rule states that the country which receives the highest number of 12 points leads. If the countries have the same number of 12 points, then the same occurs with the number of 10 points, then 8 points, through to 1 point. Using this rule, Germany received 12 points (from Bulgaria), and Poland received 10 points (from Ireland), and the UK only received 8 points (from Ireland). This means that technically, the UK finished last. The UK were placed 2nd in the overall running order of the competition final, a position from which no artist has ever won the contest.
The United Kingdom's entry finished in 25th position with 14 points, joint last with Germany and Poland. Following Eurovision tie-breaking rules, the United Kingdom was placed last overall as it had fewer 12-point votes than Germany and fewer 10-point votes than Poland.
BBC Eurovision host Terry Wogan
called Abraham's song Even If
"the best UK entry for a while", expressed frustration with the contest result and suggested that Britain follows Italy
's suit and no longer enter the competition. In his radio show on 27 May, Wogan remarked on a conversation with Abraham, who had said that he was not expecting a high vote for the usual 'block voting' reasons, and 'another reason' which Wogan was not prepared to discuss on air, presumed to be related to Abraham's race. In an interview, Swedish group Bodies Without Organs
stated that if the UK put in more effort then they can win. They also mentioned in the interview that they had been invited to participate in a United Kingdom
national final before, but refused as they were not allowed to write their own song.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chose their entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
programme Eurovision: Your Decision. It replaced the former selection programme, Making Your Mind Up
Making Your Mind Up
"Making Your Mind Up" is a song by British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was the winner of the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and a UK Number-one single...
after a string of bad results. It was broadcast on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on Saturday 1 March 2008.
Andy Abraham
Andy Abraham
Andrew Abraham is an English singer. He was the runner-up in the second UK series of TV talent show The X Factor in 2005 to Shayne Ward, and also represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.Before applying for The X Factor, Abraham was a refuse collector...
was the winner of the contest with the song Even If
Even If
"Even If" sung by Andy Abraham, was the United Kingdom's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, Belgrade, Serbia. It was released on 19 May 2008, stated by his official website....
and will go on to represent the United Kingdom in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. As a member of the 'Big 4', the United Kingdom is one of five countries directly qualified into the final on 24 May 2008 and does not need to compete in either of the semi-finals, although it is able to vote in the second of the two semi-finals.
Early rumours
One of the rumours about the show was that the finalists of UK TV shows How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? was a British television talent series, that was broadcast on Saturday evenings on BBC One between 29 July and 16 September 2006. It documented the search for a new, undiscovered musical theatre performer to play the role of Maria von Trapp in the 2006 Andrew...
and Any Dream Will Do
Any Dream Will Do (TV series)
Any Dream Will Do, often known as 'Joseph', was a 2007 talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom. It searched for a new, unknown lead to play Joseph in a West End revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.The show...
would participate in a newly revamped Making Your Mind Up
Making Your Mind Up (TV series)
Eurovision: Your Country Needs You was a BBC TV show broadcast annually to select the United Kingdom's entry into the Eurovision Song Contest...
with songs written by the likes of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
and Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
. This format was partially used in the final format, with one of the categories being 'Joseph Vs. Maria', with one artist from each show competing to make it into the semi-final.
There were wide sweeping rumours about which artists were going to try for Eurovision, one in particular was Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey is an English comedian, musician and actor. As well as his extensive stand-up work, Bailey is well known for his appearances on Black Books, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You, and QI.Bailey was listed by The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy in...
however his tour in Australia kept him out, however he said that he might try out for next year.
National final
Terry WoganTerry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
announced on his radio show, Wake Up To Wogan
Wake Up to Wogan
Wake Up to Wogan was the most listened to radio show in the United Kingdom and the flagship breakfast programme broadcast on BBC Radio 2. The show was presented by Sir Terry Wogan who fronted WUTW from 4 January 1993; he had previously presented the breakfast show between 1972 and 1984, but the...
on 13 February 2008 that a new national final show would be titled 'Eurovision: Your Decision', to replace Making Your Mind Up. The show aired at 19.00 GMT and the results showed at 21.30 GMT. Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
hosted the show along with Claudia Winkleman
Claudia Winkleman
Claudia Anne I. Winkleman is an English television presenter, film critic, radio personality and journalist.- Early life and family :...
, who replaced Fearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton is an English television and radio presenter who is known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops and the Red Nose Day telethon. In 2007, she became the first regular female presenter of BBC Radio 1's Chart Show...
. There was a panel of three judges headed by Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
, with John Barrowman
John Barrowman
John Scot Barrowman is a Scottish-American singer, actor, dancer, musical theatre performer and media personality. Born in Glasgow yet growing up in Illinois after his family emigrated to the United States when he was eight years old, Barrowman was encouraged to further his love for music and...
and Carrie Grant
Carrie Grant
Carrie Grant is a British vocal coach and session singer. She is best known for her work on the television talent contests Fame Academy, Comic Relief does Fame Academy and Pop Idol, together with her husband and colleague David Grant. She is also personal voice coach to many successful pop stars...
as the other two judges.
The format consisted of 3 categories, each with 2 songs in. One song qualified from each category, with a fourth wildcard song being picked by Terry Wogan. Then 2 participants with the highest number of phone votes sang again in a 'superfinal' later that evening.
Participants
| No. | Artist | Song | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LoveShy | Mr. Gorgeous | Girl Groups |
| 2 | The Revelations The Revelations The Revelations are a British based girl group formed in 2005.The members are of British, Swedish and Portuguese extraction, consisting of Swedish blonde Annika Magnberg , Portuguese brunette Sarah Vitorino , and redhead Louise Masters... |
It's You | Girl Groups |
| 3 | Rob McVeigh Rob McVeigh Robert "Rob" McVeigh, born 28 April 1983, is a singer from Rotherham, United Kingdom. A builder by trade, McVeigh also has a National Diploma in Performing Arts from Rotherham College of Arts and Technology... |
I Owe It All To You | Joseph Vs. Maria |
| 4 | Simona Armstrong Simona Armstrong Simona Armstrong is a Romanian born actress and singer who lives and works mainly in the UK.Between 2004 and 2007, she made a few television acting appearances in the UK, notably in Doctors, Sinchronicity and A Touch Of Frost. On stage Armstrong has appeared in Fame and Little Shop Of Horrors... |
Changes | Joseph Vs. Maria |
| 5 | Michelle Gayle Michelle Gayle Michelle Patricia Gayle is a British recording artist, actress and author. Gayle had success as a Soul and R&B singer in the 1990s. She achieved seven Top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart, her two biggest hits to date being "Sweetness" and "Do You Know"... |
Woo (U Make Me) | Soloists |
| 6 | Andy Abraham Andy Abraham Andrew Abraham is an English singer. He was the runner-up in the second UK series of TV talent show The X Factor in 2005 to Shayne Ward, and also represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.Before applying for The X Factor, Abraham was a refuse collector... |
Even If Even If "Even If" sung by Andy Abraham, was the United Kingdom's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, Belgrade, Serbia. It was released on 19 May 2008, stated by his official website.... |
Soloists |
Categories
The first category featured two different girl groups. LoveShy is the creation of two former members of girl group CleaClea (band)
Clea was an English girl group whose members met on the television show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. Chloe Morgan , Lynsey Brown, Emma Beard, and Aimee Kearsley, decided to form a band after they were voted off the series...
. Emma Beard and Aimee Kearsley left the band and created the single Mr Gorgeous which they performed on Your Decision. The other group in the category were named The Revelations and were made up of three friends
| No. | Artist | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LoveShy | Mr Gorgeous |
| 2 | The Revelations The Revelations The Revelations are a British based girl group formed in 2005.The members are of British, Swedish and Portuguese extraction, consisting of Swedish blonde Annika Magnberg , Portuguese brunette Sarah Vitorino , and redhead Louise Masters... |
It's You |
In the second category the theme was Josephs v Marias. There were two finalists from reality TV shows How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? was a British television talent series, that was broadcast on Saturday evenings on BBC One between 29 July and 16 September 2006. It documented the search for a new, undiscovered musical theatre performer to play the role of Maria von Trapp in the 2006 Andrew...
and Any Dream Will Do
Any Dream Will Do (TV series)
Any Dream Will Do, often known as 'Joseph', was a 2007 talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom. It searched for a new, unknown lead to play Joseph in a West End revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.The show...
. Simona Armstrong
Simona Armstrong
Simona Armstrong is a Romanian born actress and singer who lives and works mainly in the UK.Between 2004 and 2007, she made a few television acting appearances in the UK, notably in Doctors, Sinchronicity and A Touch Of Frost. On stage Armstrong has appeared in Fame and Little Shop Of Horrors...
from Maria and Rob McVeigh
Rob McVeigh
Robert "Rob" McVeigh, born 28 April 1983, is a singer from Rotherham, United Kingdom. A builder by trade, McVeigh also has a National Diploma in Performing Arts from Rotherham College of Arts and Technology...
from Any Dream Will Do, performed to make it to the next round. The judges chose Simona 2 to 0, saying that Rob's performance had "pitch problems".
| No. | Artist | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rob McVeigh Rob McVeigh Robert "Rob" McVeigh, born 28 April 1983, is a singer from Rotherham, United Kingdom. A builder by trade, McVeigh also has a National Diploma in Performing Arts from Rotherham College of Arts and Technology... |
I Owe It All to You |
| 2 | Simona Armstrong How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? was a British television talent series, that was broadcast on Saturday evenings on BBC One between 29 July and 16 September 2006. It documented the search for a new, undiscovered musical theatre performer to play the role of Maria von Trapp in the 2006 Andrew... |
Changes |
In the final category two soloists performed for the chance to represent the UK. Ex-Eastender star turned singer Michelle Gayle
Michelle Gayle
Michelle Patricia Gayle is a British recording artist, actress and author. Gayle had success as a Soul and R&B singer in the 1990s. She achieved seven Top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart, her two biggest hits to date being "Sweetness" and "Do You Know"...
sang "Woo (U Make Me)", and got through hands down to the semi-final and then precceded on to the final after the public vote. Andy still got through, after Terry Wogan used his wildcard to keep him in the competition.
| No. | Artist | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michelle Gayle Michelle Gayle Michelle Patricia Gayle is a British recording artist, actress and author. Gayle had success as a Soul and R&B singer in the 1990s. She achieved seven Top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart, her two biggest hits to date being "Sweetness" and "Do You Know"... |
Woo (U Make Me) |
| 2 | Andy Abraham Andy Abraham Andrew Abraham is an English singer. He was the runner-up in the second UK series of TV talent show The X Factor in 2005 to Shayne Ward, and also represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.Before applying for The X Factor, Abraham was a refuse collector... |
Even If |
The semi-final consisted of all the acts who made it through the first rounds and the wildcard Andy Abraham
Andy Abraham
Andrew Abraham is an English singer. He was the runner-up in the second UK series of TV talent show The X Factor in 2005 to Shayne Ward, and also represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.Before applying for The X Factor, Abraham was a refuse collector...
who was voted in by Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
. After the public vote only two of the four acts made it to the final. Simona Armstrong
Simona Armstrong
Simona Armstrong is a Romanian born actress and singer who lives and works mainly in the UK.Between 2004 and 2007, she made a few television acting appearances in the UK, notably in Doctors, Sinchronicity and A Touch Of Frost. On stage Armstrong has appeared in Fame and Little Shop Of Horrors...
and The Revelations received the lowest amount of public votes, blocking them from entering the final. Michelle Gayle
Michelle Gayle
Michelle Patricia Gayle is a British recording artist, actress and author. Gayle had success as a Soul and R&B singer in the 1990s. She achieved seven Top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart, her two biggest hits to date being "Sweetness" and "Do You Know"...
and Andy Abraham, the two soloists, proceeded to the final.
| No. | Artist | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Revelations The Revelations The Revelations are a British based girl group formed in 2005.The members are of British, Swedish and Portuguese extraction, consisting of Swedish blonde Annika Magnberg , Portuguese brunette Sarah Vitorino , and redhead Louise Masters... |
It's You |
| 2 | Simona Armstrong Simona Armstrong Simona Armstrong is a Romanian born actress and singer who lives and works mainly in the UK.Between 2004 and 2007, she made a few television acting appearances in the UK, notably in Doctors, Sinchronicity and A Touch Of Frost. On stage Armstrong has appeared in Fame and Little Shop Of Horrors... |
Changes |
| 3 | Michelle Gayle Michelle Gayle Michelle Patricia Gayle is a British recording artist, actress and author. Gayle had success as a Soul and R&B singer in the 1990s. She achieved seven Top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart, her two biggest hits to date being "Sweetness" and "Do You Know"... |
Woo (U Make Me) |
| 4 | Andy Abraham Andy Abraham Andrew Abraham is an English singer. He was the runner-up in the second UK series of TV talent show The X Factor in 2005 to Shayne Ward, and also represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.Before applying for The X Factor, Abraham was a refuse collector... |
Even If Even If "Even If" sung by Andy Abraham, was the United Kingdom's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, Belgrade, Serbia. It was released on 19 May 2008, stated by his official website.... |
In the final, the act who received the highest amount of televotes would win, and represent the United Kingdom in Serbia. Andy won and did represent the UK in the final of Eurovision 2008. Although Andy did hope the song would make a good showing in Belgrade, his task was not made easy.He came joint 25th(or last) with Germany and Poland with only 14 points. However, the tie-break rule states that the country which receives the highest number of 12 points leads. If the countries have the same number of 12 points, then the same occurs with the number of 10 points, then 8 points, through to 1 point. Using this rule, Germany received 12 points (from Bulgaria), and Poland received 10 points (from Ireland), and the UK only received 8 points (from Ireland). This means that technically, the UK finished last. The UK were placed 2nd in the overall running order of the competition final, a position from which no artist has ever won the contest.
| No. | Artist | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michelle Gayle Michelle Gayle Michelle Patricia Gayle is a British recording artist, actress and author. Gayle had success as a Soul and R&B singer in the 1990s. She achieved seven Top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart, her two biggest hits to date being "Sweetness" and "Do You Know"... |
Woo (U Make Me) |
| 2 | Andy Abraham Andy Abraham Andrew Abraham is an English singer. He was the runner-up in the second UK series of TV talent show The X Factor in 2005 to Shayne Ward, and also represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.Before applying for The X Factor, Abraham was a refuse collector... |
Even If Even If "Even If" sung by Andy Abraham, was the United Kingdom's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, Belgrade, Serbia. It was released on 19 May 2008, stated by his official website.... |
Commentators and spokespersons
- Commentators - Paddy O'ConnellPaddy O'ConnellGuy Patrick Bennett O'Connell , known as Paddy O'Connell, is an English television and radio presenter, working mainly for the BBC....
and Caroline FlackCaroline FlackCaroline Louise Flack is a British television presenter. She is known for presenting I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! from 2008 to 2010....
(semi-finals), Sir Terry Wogan - televisionBBC OneBBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, and Ken BruceKen BruceKenneth Robertson Bruce is a British broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9:30am until 12 noon.-Early life and career:...
- radioBBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
(final). - Spokespersons - Carrie GrantCarrie GrantCarrie Grant is a British vocal coach and session singer. She is best known for her work on the television talent contests Fame Academy, Comic Relief does Fame Academy and Pop Idol, together with her husband and colleague David Grant. She is also personal voice coach to many successful pop stars...
Result and reaction
| Country | Points |
|---|---|
| Ireland Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 Ireland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 after Radio Telefís Éireann held a national final, Eurosong 2008, to select the Irish entry for the contest, held in Belgrade, Serbia. For 2008, RTÉ reverted to their multi-song multi-singer format that had previously been used to select the... |
8 |
| San Marino San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 San Marino participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008, marking its debut in the long-running international contest. The Sammarinese national broadcaster Radiotelevisione della Repubblica di San Marino officially confirmed San Marino's participation in the contest in November 2007 after... |
6 |
| Total | 14 |
The United Kingdom's entry finished in 25th position with 14 points, joint last with Germany and Poland. Following Eurovision tie-breaking rules, the United Kingdom was placed last overall as it had fewer 12-point votes than Germany and fewer 10-point votes than Poland.
BBC Eurovision host Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
called Abraham's song Even If
Even If
"Even If" sung by Andy Abraham, was the United Kingdom's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, Belgrade, Serbia. It was released on 19 May 2008, stated by his official website....
"the best UK entry for a while", expressed frustration with the contest result and suggested that Britain follows Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's suit and no longer enter the competition. In his radio show on 27 May, Wogan remarked on a conversation with Abraham, who had said that he was not expecting a high vote for the usual 'block voting' reasons, and 'another reason' which Wogan was not prepared to discuss on air, presumed to be related to Abraham's race. In an interview, Swedish group Bodies Without Organs
Bodies Without Organs
BWO is a Swedish electro pop group, formed in 2004. Prior to early 2006 they used the name Bodies Without Organs. In Sweden they have enjoyed considerable commercial success throughout their career, so far notching up 15 Top 40 singles, including a Number 1 with Temple of Love, and five Top 10...
stated that if the UK put in more effort then they can win. They also mentioned in the interview that they had been invited to participate in a United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
national final before, but refused as they were not allowed to write their own song.