United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Encyclopedia
The United Kingdom
participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
in Düsseldorf
, Germany
, sending their 54th entry to the contest. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the broadcaster responsible for the United Kingdom entry, internally selected successful boy band Blue to compete at Eurovision, where they performed the song "I Can
". Their selection was reported on 29 January 2011, and their song was publicly performed for the first time on 11 March.
Despite being one of the favourites to win the contest, the United Kingdom finished in 11th place in the final, receiving a total of 100 points from 25 of the 43 competing countries. However shortly after the contest "I Can" was seen in the top ten iTunes
download charts in several Eurovision countries.
, the 2nd contest held. The BBC had initially attempted to compete in the first contest
the year before; however, the broadcaster missed the deadline for entries and were unable to participate. The United Kingdom's first entry, "All
" by Patricia Bredin
, was - and still remains - the shortest entry in the history of the contest, at 1:52 minutes. However, their first entry failed to impress the European juries, finishing in 7th place out of 10 songs, with only 6 votes. As a result of their poor placing the BBC did not compete in the 1958 contest
; however, after the success of the Italian entry of that year, "Nel blu dipinto di blu
" performed by Domenico Modugno
, more commonly known as Volare, the United Kingdom decided to return, and began the longest uninterrupted run of entries in the contest to date.
Since that time the United Kingdom has won the contest a total of 5 times: in 1967
with "Puppet on a String
" by Sandie Shaw
; one of four winners of the 1969 contest
with "Boom Bang-a-Bang
" by Lulu
; in 1976
with the Brotherhood of Man
song "Save Your Kisses for Me
"; in 1981
with "Making Your Mind Up
" by Bucks Fizz
; and most recently in 1997
with "Love Shine a Light" by Katrina and the Waves
". The United Kingdom also holds the record for the most number of 2nd place finishes, a total of 15.
Since the mass introduction of televoting in 1998
and the abolition of language restrictions in 1999
the United Kingdom's track record has worsened. Since 1999, the United Kingdom has placed only twice in the top 10 countries, in 2002
and 2009
. At the same time, the United Kindgom has finished last in the contest three times, 2008
, 2010
, and in 2003
after finishing with the infamous Nul points. The country's status as a member of the "Big Four", one of the four biggest financial contributors to the contest, has ensured that the United Kingdom has had an entry in every Eurovision Song Contest, avoiding relegation from 2000 to 2003, and having to compete in the semi-finals from 2004.
and achieving record low viewing figures for the contest it was reported that the BBC were looking at different options for the organisation of the 2011 UK entry. In July 2010, it was reported that the BBC were in negotiations with singer-songwriter Mika
to pen the United Kingdom entry. The broadcaster reported: "It's always a difficult call trying to get a decent song together for Eurovision, as [2010] proved. We had Pete Waterman
overseeing it [...] but we still came last. Mika has all the right ingredients to make a successful song. We hope he says yes". Interest in competing in the contest was also expressed by 2004 Big Brother
winner Nadia Almada
and British actress Margi Clarke
.
, Katherine Jenkins
and Charlotte Church
, reporting that the BBC would return to a format of internally selecting one artist to perform a number of songs in a national final, last used in 1994
.
On 29 January, the BBC announced that established boy band Blue had been internally selected to compete at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. Their song for the contest, "I Can
", was also internally selected by the BBC, making 2011 the first time that the United Kingdom entry has had no input from the British public. Two members of Blue have had previous involvement in the British Eurovision selection: Antony Costa
came 2nd in the 2006 national final Making Your Mind Up
with the song "It's a Beautiful Thing", and Duncan James
was a panellist during Your Country Needs You 2009
and announced the British votes at the 2009 Contest
. James had also been rumoured to enter the 2010 contest as a solo artist with a song penned by Take That
member Gary Barlow
.
incorrectly referred to them as a "nineties boy band", while Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph
attacked the BBC for taking an internal selection, calling it "boardroom meetings and internal discussions involving unspecified members of the BBC hierarchy, imposing both a band and a song on the British public", as well as "high handed Auntie-knows-best arrogance" from "out-of-touch bureaucrats".
Daniel Glatman
, the band's former manager, was also critical of the band taking part in the contest. Glatman called the decision "reckless insanity", and that "They will have to win. Anything less and their reputation would be in tatters". He compared the group entering the contest to "Lewis Hamilton
entering a go-kart race - he will be the strong favourite but there is also the possibility he could lose - so why risk it?".
However Blue have defended their Eurovision goals. Duncan James replied that: "There's been a lot of negativity but all we ask is, please hold off until you hear the song. We believe it's one of the best songs to enter Eurovision in a long time". Simon Webbe added: "We believe this is going to be the best springboard for us to come back on. Who are we to actually think we can just waltz back in with a song and expect everyone to like it? At least this way we can reach 125 million people across Europe and represent our country whilst doing so. There is no other platform like it".
TV presenter Phillip Schofield
has also been extremely critical of Blue's entry for Eurovision, writing on Twitter
after hearing the song: "Well that's Eurovision screwed for another year!!. Sorry guys, I love you together and individually... but that's a shocking song!". However actress and panellist on Loose Women
, Denise Welch
quickly came to Blue's defence saying: "I adore Phillip but I disagree that you should upset people. If they sang on [his] show, would he say after 'that was rubbish'?!!". The group also hit back at the comments, calling them "upsetting" and "hurtful", also accusing him of seeking publicity from being overshadowed by Jason Gardiner
on Dancing on Ice
. The group also reported: "He's British so we'd have thought he'd be a bit more supportive. He's clearly not patriotic – or he wouldn't have gone on Twitter and been so objectionable".
Manchester
synthpop
duo Hurts
also attacked the BBC for choosing Blue, with the band writing on Twitter shortly after the announcement: "In light of the recent dark & depressing Eurovision news from the UK, we have decided to submit our song to the good, good people of Russia
". Which seemed to confirm that the duo had been in negotiations with the BBC over an entry.
In late April group member Simon Webbe discussed how unhappy he was with the lack of support in the United Kingdom for their Eurovision entry, with few radio stations play-listing the song, including BBC radio stations. A spokesman said that the song "will be considered later, on merit".
". Several of these appearances were broadcast on UK television in a special documentary, Your Country Needs Blue, taking on the name of the previous national final Eurovision: Your Country Needs You, broadcast on 16 April on BBC One
. Also featured on the documentary were the band's preparations on the song, as well as receiving advice from Robbie Williams
, choreographer Arlene Phillips
, JLS
, John Barrowman
, Robin Gibb
of the Bee Gees
, composer David Arnold
and former United Kingdom entrants Cliff Richard
and Lulu.
On 12 February Blue performed at the final of the Malta Eurovision Festival 2011
in Valletta
, Malta
. The band performed their UK number one hit "If You Come Back
", due to the band wanting the first performance of "I Can" in the UK. After this Blue performed at the final of Destino Eurovisión 2011
, the Spanish
national final, in Barcelona
. They again performed one of their existing hits, "Breathe Easy
".
On 11 March, Blue revealed their song, "I Can
" on The Graham Norton Show
on BBC One
. The song had been presented to the press the day before, and a 20 second snippet was also released on 10 March. During the press conference Blue rebuked claims by the media that the voting in Eurovision was political, and also discussed the other acts in the competition such as Jedward
for Ireland
and Amaury Vassili
for France
, as well as the return of 2010 winner Lena
for Germany
and 1998
winner Dana International
for Israel
respectively. The group also discussed their future promotional activities, mentioning Germany, France and Bosnia and Herzegovina
as future locations. The day after the song's reveal the BBC released the first version of the song's music video, made to promote the Eurovision documentary. The official video was released by the BBC on 14 April.
Further promotional appearances continued. During the BBC's Red Nose Day
telethon held on 17 May, Blue took part by recording footage of ways in which to raise money for the appeal such as by dressing up, baking and selling cakes, and washing cars. On 26 March the group performed "I Can" on the Italian
version of Top of the Pops
, a country with a large Blue fanbase. 2011 marks the return of Italy
to the Eurovision Song Contest after 14 years. The group have also made appearances in Azerbaijan
.
Blue also appeared nude in British gay monthly magazine Attitude
as part of their naked issue, taking the cover spot as well as a feature article in the magazine. On 22 April the group performed on The Late Late Show
on RTÉ One
in Dublin, Ireland
, and on 24 April the group did several appearances in Ukraine
, performing "I Can" and their hit "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
" on the Ukrainian version of Dancing with the Stars
(Танці з зірками; Tantsi z zirkamy) on commercial channel STB
, as well as performing "I Can" at a large concert for the Ukrainian entrant Mika Newton
in Independence Square
in Kiev
along with several other entries. Blue also performed at the Eurovision in Concert event in Amsterdam
, Netherlands
, alongside 20 other participating acts.
Days before the beginning of rehearsals in Düsseldorf the group continued promotional appearances in the United Kingdom. On 29 April, Blue performed on Paul O'Grady Live
on ITV
, and on 30 April performed during the results show of dance competition So You Think You Can Dance
. The group also performed on ITV chat show Loose Women
and on BBC children's show Blue Peter
on 3 May.
, Italy
, Germany
and Spain
. At the draw for the running order on 15 March the United Kingdom was placed to perform 14th, following the Swiss
entry Anna Rossinelli
and preceding the Moldovan
entry Zdob şi Zdub
. The United Kingdom also gained the right to vote during the first semi-final on 10 May.
The final was broadcast on BBC One
and BBC One HD, commentated by Graham Norton
. Ken Bruce
also provided live coverage on BBC Radio 2
. The two semi-finals were broadcast on BBC Three
and BBC HD
with commentary by Sara Cox
and Scott Mills
, replacing Paddy O'Connell
and Sarah Cawood
. Cox provided live coverage from Düsseldorf, as well as presenting live interviews and reports from the arena. Mills filmed behind the scenes in the lead-up to the contest as well as providing live commentary from London
.
On the night of the contest the United Kingdom was seen as 4th favourite to win the contest according to bookmaker
s, placing behind France, Ireland and Azerbaijan. At the final on 14 May the group performed on stage with two backing singers, dressed in green suits. Four LED screens were featured on stage that showed pictures of the band members and the letters "I CAN" as well as other images such as rain and green "lightning". The stage LED screens were coloured in blue and green. At the close of the voting the United Kingdom finished in 11th place with 100 points. The group received the maximum 12 points from Bulgaria as well as 10 points from Italy. The United Kingdom gave their top marks to Ireland (12 points), Switzerland (10 points) and Moldova (8 points).
On 26 May the EBU revealed the split televoting and jury results of the contest. In the final it was revealed that the United Kingdom had placed 5th in the televoting, however placed 22nd with the juries, leading to a combined finish of 11th place.
class="sortable wikitable" border="1">
Draw
Country
Televote Points
Jury Points
Total
Final Points
1
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
3
3
6
9
5
4
7
2
9
6
5
2
0
2
0
6
12
8
20
12
7
5
3
8
3
8
0
0
0
0
9
4
0
4
0
10
0
0
0
0
11
0
0
0
0
12
0
10
10
7
13
0
12
12
10
14
0
0
0
0
15
10
0
10
8
16
1
0
1
0
17
0
0
0
0
18
0
7
7
2
19
0
1
1
0
20
0
0
0
0
21
8
0
8
4
22
6
0
6
1
23
0
0
0
0
24
0
5
5
0
25
0
4
4
0
Where there were two countries on the same score, the act with the higher public phone vote is judged to have been the winner. Then the votes were converted to the traditional 12, 10, 8, 7 down to 1 scoring.
class="sortable wikitable" border="1">
Draw
Country
Televote Points
Jury Points
Total
Final Points
1
8
0
8
5
2
1
3
4
0
3
2
0
2
0
4
0
0
0
0
5
4
0
4
1
6
0
4
4
0
7
0
0
0
0
8
0
5
5
2
9
0
2
2
0
10
3
8
11
6
11
0
1
1
0
12
0
0
0
0
13
0
0
0
0
14
6
6
12
7
15
7
10
17
10
16
5
0
5
3
17
10
12
22
12
18
0
7
7
4
19
12
0
12
8
Where there were two countries on the same score, the act with the higher public phone vote is judged to have been the winner. Then the votes were converted to the traditional 12, 10, 8, 7 down to 1 scoring.
.
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...
participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Eurovision Song Contest 2011
The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th annual Eurovision Song Contest and was won by Eldar & Nigar performing "Running Scared" for Azerbaijan. The event took place in the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, following Germany's win in the previous year...
in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, sending their 54th entry to the contest. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the broadcaster responsible for the United Kingdom entry, internally selected successful boy band Blue to compete at Eurovision, where they performed the song "I Can
I Can (Blue song)
"I Can" is a song by British pop group Blue. It was the United Kingdom's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 which was held in Düsseldorf, Germany. The song came 11th scoring 100 points. It is the first time in Eurovision Song Contest history that the British entry has been decided...
". Their selection was reported on 29 January 2011, and their song was publicly performed for the first time on 11 March.
Despite being one of the favourites to win the contest, the United Kingdom finished in 11th place in the final, receiving a total of 100 points from 25 of the 43 competing countries. However shortly after the contest "I Can" was seen in the top ten iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
download charts in several Eurovision countries.
Background
The United Kingdom first entered the contest in 1957Eurovision Song Contest 1957
The Eurovision Song Contest 1957 was the 2nd Eurovision Song Contest. Like the first contest, this one was still mainly a radio programme, but there was a noticeable increase in the number of people with televisions....
, the 2nd contest held. The BBC had initially attempted to compete in the first contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1956
The Eurovision Song Contest 1956 was the first edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Teatro Kursaal in Lugano, Switzerland on 24 May 1956...
the year before; however, the broadcaster missed the deadline for entries and were unable to participate. The United Kingdom's first entry, "All
All (song)
"All" was the United Kingdom entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1957 performed in English by Patricia Bredin. At a length of 1:52 minutes, it has the distinction of being the shortest entry in the history of the Contest as well as being the first song to be performed in English.The song was...
" by Patricia Bredin
Patricia Bredin
Patricia Bredin is a British actress and one-time singer from Hull, England, who was best known as the very first United Kingdom representative in the Eurovision Song Contest. She took part in the 1957 contest, held in Frankfurt, and finished in seventh place out of ten entries with the song All,...
, was - and still remains - the shortest entry in the history of the contest, at 1:52 minutes. However, their first entry failed to impress the European juries, finishing in 7th place out of 10 songs, with only 6 votes. As a result of their poor placing the BBC did not compete in the 1958 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1958
The Eurovision Song Contest 1958 was the third Eurovision Song Contest. The convention that the winning country from a year hosted the following year's contest was introduced in this year. France's win was their first. It was the last time to date that the United Kingdom did not enter the contest...
; however, after the success of the Italian entry of that year, "Nel blu dipinto di blu
Volare (song)
"Nel blu dipinto di blu" , popularly known as "Volare" , is Domenico Modugno's signature song....
" performed by Domenico Modugno
Domenico Modugno
Domenico Modugno was an Italian singer, songwriter, actor, and later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu "...
, more commonly known as Volare, the United Kingdom decided to return, and began the longest uninterrupted run of entries in the contest to date.
Since that time the United Kingdom has won the contest a total of 5 times: in 1967
Eurovision Song Contest 1967
The Eurovision Song Contest 1967 was the twelfth Eurovision Song Contest. The presenter became confused whilst the voting was taking place, and declared the United Kingdom's entry to be the winner before the last country, Ireland, had announced its votes...
with "Puppet on a String
Puppet on a String
"Puppet on a String" is the name of the Eurovision Song Contest-winning song in 1967 by British singer Sandie Shaw. It was her thirteenth UK single release....
" by Sandie Shaw
Sandie Shaw
Sandie Shaw is an English pop singer, who was one of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s. In 1967 she was the first UK act to win the Eurovision Song Contest...
; one of four winners of the 1969 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1969
The Eurovision Song Contest 1969 was the 14th in the series. It was the first time that the contest resulted in a tie for first place, with four countries each gaining 18 votes. Since there was at the time no rule to cover such an eventuality, all four countries were declared joint winners...
with "Boom Bang-a-Bang
Boom Bang-a-Bang
"Boom Bang-a-Bang" was the United Kingdom entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1969It was sung by Lulu, and was co-written by Alan Moorhouse and Peter Warne aka Michael Julien, the latter of who also wrote "Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me" for Shirley Bassey....
" by Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
; in 1976
Eurovision Song Contest 1976
The Eurovision Song Contest 1976, the 21st in the series, was held in The Hague, Netherlands, on 3 April 1976. With Corry Brokken as the presenter – the first time a previous winner of the contest had played hostess – the contest was won by Brotherhood of Man, representing the United...
with the Brotherhood of Man
Brotherhood of Man
Brotherhood of Man are a British pop group who achieved success in the 1970s, most notably by winning the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest with "Save Your Kisses for Me"....
song "Save Your Kisses for Me
Save Your Kisses For Me
"Save Your Kisses for Me" was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1976, performed for the United Kingdom by Brotherhood of Man in The Hague, Netherlands. The lyrics and music were written by Tony Hiller, Lee Sheriden, and Martin Lee, the latter two being members of the band...
"; in 1981
Eurovision Song Contest 1981
The Eurovision Song Contest 1981 was the 26th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 4 April 1981 at the Simmonscourt Pavilion of the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin. The presenter was Doireann Ní Bhriain...
with "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...
" by Bucks Fizz
Bucks Fizz (band)
Bucks Fizz are an English pop group who achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up". The group was formed in January 1981 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists: Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and...
; and most recently in 1997
Eurovision Song Contest 1997
The Eurovision Song Contest 1997, was the 42nd Eurovision Song Contest and it was held at the Point Theatre Dublin, Ireland, on 3 May 1997. Boyzone member Ronan Keating and Carrie Crowley were the presenters of the show....
with "Love Shine a Light" by Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves was an English pop rock band, best known for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine" and their 1997 Eurovision Song Contest victory with the song "Love Shine a Light".-Pre-history: The Waves and Mama's Cookin' :...
". The United Kingdom also holds the record for the most number of 2nd place finishes, a total of 15.
Since the mass introduction of televoting in 1998
Eurovision Song Contest 1998
The Eurovision Song Contest 1998 was the 43rd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 9 May 1998 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The presenters were Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson...
and the abolition of language restrictions in 1999
Eurovision Song Contest 1999
The Eurovision Song Contest 1999 was the 44th Eurovision Song Contest, held on 29 May 1999 in Jerusalem, Israel after Dana International won the contest the previous year in the United Kingdom. The venue for the contest was the International Convention Center...
the United Kingdom's track record has worsened. Since 1999, the United Kingdom has placed only twice in the top 10 countries, in 2002
Eurovision Song Contest 2002
The Eurovision Song Contest 2002 was the 47th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place on 25 May 2002 at the Saku Suurhall Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
and 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
. At the same time, the United Kindgom has finished last in the contest three times, 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...
, 2010
Eurovision Song Contest 2010
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest, broadcast from the Telenor Arena in Bærum, Greater Oslo, Norway. It was the third time Norway had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1986 and 1996. The 2010 winner was Germany with Lena singing "Satellite",...
, and in 2003
Eurovision Song Contest 2003
The Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was the forty-eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Skonto Hall in Riga, Latvia on 24 May 2003. The hosts were Marie N and Renārs Kaupers. Sertab Erener, the Turkish entrant, won the contest with "Everyway That I Can", scoring 167 points. The winning...
after finishing with the infamous Nul points. The country's status as a member of the "Big Four", one of the four biggest financial contributors to the contest, has ensured that the United Kingdom has had an entry in every Eurovision Song Contest, avoiding relegation from 2000 to 2003, and having to compete in the semi-finals from 2004.
Early rumours
After finishing last in the 2010 contestEurovision Song Contest 2010
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest, broadcast from the Telenor Arena in Bærum, Greater Oslo, Norway. It was the third time Norway had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1986 and 1996. The 2010 winner was Germany with Lena singing "Satellite",...
and achieving record low viewing figures for the contest it was reported that the BBC were looking at different options for the organisation of the 2011 UK entry. In July 2010, it was reported that the BBC were in negotiations with singer-songwriter Mika
Mika (singer)
Mika is a British singer-songwriter.After recording his first extended play, Dodgy Holiday EP, Mika released his first full-length studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion, on Island Records in 2007. Life in Cartoon Motion sold more than 5.6 million copies worldwide and helped Mika win a Brit...
to pen the United Kingdom entry. The broadcaster reported: "It's always a difficult call trying to get a decent song together for Eurovision, as [2010] proved. We had Pete Waterman
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...
overseeing it [...] but we still came last. Mika has all the right ingredients to make a successful song. We hope he says yes". Interest in competing in the contest was also expressed by 2004 Big Brother
Big Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
winner Nadia Almada
Nadia Almada
Nadia Conceicao Almada is a Madeiran-born UK reality television star, best known for being the first transsexual winner of Big Brother in series 5 in 2004.-Big Brother:...
and British actress Margi Clarke
Margi Clarke
Margi Clarke is a British actress . She was born in Liverpool and raised in Kirkby , and is known for her Scouse accent and platinum-blonde hair.-Early career:...
.
Internal selection
By January 2011, an announcement by the BBC on their plans for the Eurovision selection were imminent. Acts rumoured to have been internally selected by the BBC included Pixie LottPixie Lott
Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...
, Katherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.-Early life and education:...
and Charlotte Church
Charlotte Church
Charlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
, reporting that the BBC would return to a format of internally selecting one artist to perform a number of songs in a national final, last used in 1994
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1994
For the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, the UK entered "Lonely Symphony ", performed by Frances Ruffelle. It received 63 points and 10th place.The voting for the UK's entry took place on March 18, 1994 in a show hosted by Terry Wogan...
.
On 29 January, the BBC announced that established boy band Blue had been internally selected to compete at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. Their song for the contest, "I Can
I Can (Blue song)
"I Can" is a song by British pop group Blue. It was the United Kingdom's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 which was held in Düsseldorf, Germany. The song came 11th scoring 100 points. It is the first time in Eurovision Song Contest history that the British entry has been decided...
", was also internally selected by the BBC, making 2011 the first time that the United Kingdom entry has had no input from the British public. Two members of Blue have had previous involvement in the British Eurovision selection: Antony Costa
Antony Costa
Antony Daniel Costa is an English singer-songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the boyband Blue.-Career:One of Costa's earliest television roles was as a pupil in Steven Moffat's sitcom Chalk...
came 2nd in the 2006 national final Making Your Mind Up
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The United Kingdom was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 by Daz Sampson with the song "Teenage Life". He finished in 19th place with 25 points.-National final:...
with the song "It's a Beautiful Thing", and Duncan James
Duncan James
Duncan Matthew James Inglis is an English singer, actor and television presenter. He is best known as a member of the boyband Blue.-Early life:...
was a panellist during Your Country Needs You 2009
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The United Kingdom and the British Broadcasting Corporation confirmed their participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, despite their last place finish in 2008. Jade Ewen was selected on 31 January 2009, to represent the UK at Eurovision with "It's My Time", a song composed by...
and announced the British votes at the 2009 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
. James had also been rumoured to enter the 2010 contest as a solo artist with a song penned by Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
member 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...
.
Criticism
Response to the BBC's choice of Blue was less than impressed. The Sun labelled the band as "ageing", The IndependentThe Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
incorrectly referred to them as a "nineties boy band", while Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
attacked the BBC for taking an internal selection, calling it "boardroom meetings and internal discussions involving unspecified members of the BBC hierarchy, imposing both a band and a song on the British public", as well as "high handed Auntie-knows-best arrogance" from "out-of-touch bureaucrats".
Daniel Glatman
Daniel Glatman
Daniel Glatman is a multi award winning English pop music manager, best known for co-creating and managing the boy band Blue....
, the band's former manager, was also critical of the band taking part in the contest. Glatman called the decision "reckless insanity", and that "They will have to win. Anything less and their reputation would be in tatters". He compared the group entering the contest to "Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire...
entering a go-kart race - he will be the strong favourite but there is also the possibility he could lose - so why risk it?".
However Blue have defended their Eurovision goals. Duncan James replied that: "There's been a lot of negativity but all we ask is, please hold off until you hear the song. We believe it's one of the best songs to enter Eurovision in a long time". Simon Webbe added: "We believe this is going to be the best springboard for us to come back on. Who are we to actually think we can just waltz back in with a song and expect everyone to like it? At least this way we can reach 125 million people across Europe and represent our country whilst doing so. There is no other platform like it".
TV presenter Phillip Schofield
Phillip Schofield
Phillip Bryan Schofield is an English broadcaster and television personality best known for presenting shows such as This Morning, Dancing on Ice, and various game shows including The Cube.-Early life and career:...
has also been extremely critical of Blue's entry for Eurovision, writing on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
after hearing the song: "Well that's Eurovision screwed for another year!!. Sorry guys, I love you together and individually... but that's a shocking song!". However actress and panellist on Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
, Denise Welch
Denise Welch
Jacqueline Denise Healy is an English actress, dancer and television presenter.-Early life:Denise Welch was born in Ebchester, County Durham, to father Vin and mother Ann and has a younger sister Debbie...
quickly came to Blue's defence saying: "I adore Phillip but I disagree that you should upset people. If they sang on [his] show, would he say after 'that was rubbish'?!!". The group also hit back at the comments, calling them "upsetting" and "hurtful", also accusing him of seeking publicity from being overshadowed by Jason Gardiner
Jason Gardiner
-Theatre:*1987- Cats – Australian Cast - Theatre Royal Sydney*1988- 42nd Street – Original Australian Cast – Her Majesty’s Theatre*1991- West Side Story – USA National Tour – Dance Captain*1992- Kizmet – Miami – Jackie Gleeson Theatre USA...
on Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
. The group also reported: "He's British so we'd have thought he'd be a bit more supportive. He's clearly not patriotic – or he wouldn't have gone on Twitter and been so objectionable".
Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
duo Hurts
Hurts
Hurts are a British synthpop duo formed in 2009, consisting of singer Theo Hutchcraft and synthesist Adam Anderson . Their debut album Happiness, which was released in September 2010, has reached the Top 10 in 12 European countries, and has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide...
also attacked the BBC for choosing Blue, with the band writing on Twitter shortly after the announcement: "In light of the recent dark & depressing Eurovision news from the UK, we have decided to submit our song to the good, good people of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
". Which seemed to confirm that the duo had been in negotiations with the BBC over an entry.
In late April group member Simon Webbe discussed how unhappy he was with the lack of support in the United Kingdom for their Eurovision entry, with few radio stations play-listing the song, including BBC radio stations. A spokesman said that the song "will be considered later, on merit".
Promotion
Prior to the contest in Düsseldorf, Blue made a series of promotional appearances in the United Kingdom and around Europe to promote their entry for Eurovision "I CanI Can (Blue song)
"I Can" is a song by British pop group Blue. It was the United Kingdom's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 which was held in Düsseldorf, Germany. The song came 11th scoring 100 points. It is the first time in Eurovision Song Contest history that the British entry has been decided...
". Several of these appearances were broadcast on UK television in a special documentary, Your Country Needs Blue, taking on the name of the previous national final Eurovision: Your Country Needs You, broadcast on 16 April 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...
. Also featured on the documentary were the band's preparations on the song, as well as receiving advice from Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
, choreographer Arlene Phillips
Arlene Phillips
Arlene Phillips OBE is an English choreographer, theatre director, talent scout, TV presenter, TV judge and former dancer, who has worked in many fields of entertainment...
, JLS
JLS
- Music :* JLS, an English boyband** JLS , debut album by JLS* JLS a Spanish Rock band based in Zaragoza , Spain formed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by lead Leo Susana.- Organizations :...
, 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...
, Robin Gibb
Robin Gibb
Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his twin brother Maurice , and elder brother Barry....
of the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
, composer David Arnold
David Arnold
David Arnold is an English film composer best known for scoring five James Bond films, the 1994 film Stargate, the 1996 film Independence Day, and the television series Little Britain.-Film and television career:...
and former United Kingdom entrants Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
and Lulu.
On 12 February Blue performed at the final of the Malta Eurovision Festival 2011
Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany, selecting their entry through the national selection Malta Eurosong 2011, organised by Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services .-Changes in Selection:...
in Valletta
Valletta
Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. The band performed their UK number one hit "If You Come Back
If You Come Back
"If You Come Back" is a song by Blue, released as the third single from their debut album All Rise. It was number one in the UK. It sold over 1 million singles worldwide. The song was produced by Ray Ruffin & co-written by multi platinum singer-songwriter Nicole Formescu ,[Ray Ruffin]], Lee...
", due to the band wanting the first performance of "I Can" in the UK. After this Blue performed at the final of Destino Eurovisión 2011
Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Spain participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany and selected their entry through a televised national final, organised by the Spanish broadcaster Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española...
, the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
national final, in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. They again performed one of their existing hits, "Breathe Easy
Breathe Easy
"Breathe Easy" is a song written by Lars Halvor Jensen, Martin Michael Larsson and Lee Ryan and released by the British boyband Blue. The song was included on their third studio album, Guilty. It was released as a single on 22 March 2004 in both the United Kingdom and the United States...
".
On 11 March, Blue revealed their song, "I Can
I Can
"I Can" is the second single from the Nas album, God's Son.The song samples Beethoven's Für Elise and The Honeydrippers' "Impeach the President"....
" on The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show is a British comedy chat show that is broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom. It was originally shown on BBC Two from February 2007 to May 2009 until it moved to BBC One from October 2009...
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...
. The song had been presented to the press the day before, and a 20 second snippet was also released on 10 March. During the press conference Blue rebuked claims by the media that the voting in Eurovision was political, and also discussed the other acts in the competition such as Jedward
Jedward
John Paul Henry Daniel Richard Grimes and Edward Peter Anthony Kevin Patrick Grimes are an Irish hip pop duo. They are identical twins and perform under the name Jedward...
for Ireland
Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Ireland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany with the song "Lipstick" performed by Jedward. The song was selected by the Irish public through the national final Eurosong 2011 competition, organised by the Irish broadcaster, Raidió Teilifís Éireann .-Eurosong...
and Amaury Vassili
Amaury Vassili
Amaury Vassili is a French singer and the professional tenor. His debut album Vincerò from 2009 went double platinum in France, and he has had international success with releases in Canada, South Africa and South Korea.-Biography:Amaury Vassili, born Amaury Vassili Chotard, began singing around...
for France
France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
France participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany, selecting their entry through an internal selection, organised by the French broadcaster France 3.-Selection process:...
, as well as the return of 2010 winner Lena
Lena Meyer-Landrut
Lena Meyer-Landrut , known professionally as Lena, is a German singer-songwriter. She represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Oslo, Norway, and won the contest with the song "Satellite"...
for Germany
Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Germany hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf and selected their song through a national final, organised by German broadcaster NDR which is part of ARD...
and 1998
Eurovision Song Contest 1998
The Eurovision Song Contest 1998 was the 43rd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 9 May 1998 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The presenters were Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson...
winner Dana International
Dana International
Sharon Cohen , professionally known as Dana International is an Israeli pop singer of Yemenite Jewish ancestry. She has released eight albums and three additional compilation albums, positioning herself as one of Israel's most successful musical acts ever...
for Israel
Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Israel participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany, selecting their entry through the national selection Kdam Eurovision, organised by the Channel 1 .-Kdam Eurovision 2011:...
respectively. The group also discussed their future promotional activities, mentioning Germany, France and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
as future locations. The day after the song's reveal the BBC released the first version of the song's music video, made to promote the Eurovision documentary. The official video was released by the BBC on 14 April.
Further promotional appearances continued. During the BBC's Red Nose Day
Red Nose Day 2011
Red Nose Day 2011 was a fundraising event organised by Comic Relief. There was a live telethon broadcast on BBC One and BBC Two from the evening of 18 March 2011 to early the following morning as well as a number of run-up events...
telethon held on 17 May, Blue took part by recording footage of ways in which to raise money for the appeal such as by dressing up, baking and selling cakes, and washing cars. On 26 March the group performed "I Can" on the Italian
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...
version of Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, a country with a large Blue fanbase. 2011 marks the return of Italy
Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
The European Broadcasting Union announced that Italy would compete in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, set to be held in Düsseldorf, Germany. Italy returned to the contest after a 14 year absence, having last competed in the 1997 Contest...
to the Eurovision Song Contest after 14 years. The group have also made appearances in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
.
Blue also appeared nude in British gay monthly magazine Attitude
Attitude (magazine)
Attitude is a British gay lifestyle magazine owned by Vitality Publishing. It is sold worldwide as a physical magazine and a digital download for the iPad and iPhone via the App Store. The first issue appeared in May 1994....
as part of their naked issue, taking the cover spot as well as a feature article in the magazine. On 22 April the group performed on The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
in Dublin, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, and on 24 April the group did several appearances in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, performing "I Can" and their hit "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was recorded by Elton John and released in 1976, both as a single and as part of the Blue Moves album. It was his second single on Rocket Records. The song is a mournful ballad about a romantic relationship...
" on the Ukrainian version of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
(Танці з зірками; Tantsi z zirkamy) on commercial channel STB
STB (Channel)
STB is a Ukrainian commercial television network. Today, the coverage area of the network is 85% of Ukraine's territory. It is broadcast in all oblast centers and all Ukrainian cities with a population greater than 50,000...
, as well as performing "I Can" at a large concert for the Ukrainian entrant Mika Newton
Mika Newton
Mika Newton , born on 5 March 1986, is a Ukrainian singer from the city of Burshtyn. She leads a rock band whose other members are known as Uncle Fe, Snow, Andrew and "Loco" Vitalii. Their début album Anomaliya was released in 2005.-Style:Newton has been singing since the age of nine...
in Independence Square
Maidan Nezalezhnosti
Maidan Nezalezhnosti is the central square of Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine. One of the main city squares, it is located on the Khreschatyk Street...
in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
along with several other entries. Blue also performed at the Eurovision in Concert event in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, alongside 20 other participating acts.
Days before the beginning of rehearsals in Düsseldorf the group continued promotional appearances in the United Kingdom. On 29 April, Blue performed on Paul O'Grady Live
Paul O'Grady Live
Paul O'Grady Live was a British comedy chat show hosted by Paul O'Grady, that began airing on 10 September 2010 on ITV1 and ITV1 HD/STV HD/UTV HD in the United Kingdom. The show is a Friday night chat show that features a mixture of celebrity guests, airing at 21:00. The show culminates with...
on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, and on 30 April performed during the results show of dance competition So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (UK)
So You Think You Can Dance is a televised dance competition and reality show that launched in the United Kingdom in January 2010 and similar to the version of the program that has began airing in the USA in 2005. The show is broadcast on BBC One. The content of the show is similar premise to the...
. The group also performed on ITV chat show Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
and on BBC children's show Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
on 3 May.
At Eurovision
As one of the five biggest financial contributors to the Eurovision Song Contest ("Big Five"), the United Kingdom gained the right to compete in the final on 14 May automatically, along with FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 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...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. At the draw for the running order on 15 March the United Kingdom was placed to perform 14th, following the Swiss
Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Switzerland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany and selected their entry through the national final Die grosse Entscheidungs Show, organised by Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR idée suisse .-Selection process:...
entry Anna Rossinelli
Anna Rossinelli
Anna Rossinelli is a Swiss singer-songwriter. Rossinelli sings as a part of a pop-soul trio band, which performs under her name.- Eurovision Song Contest :...
and preceding the Moldovan
Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Moldova participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany and selected their entry through a televised national final, O melodie pentru Europa , organised by Moldovan broadcaster TeleRadio-Moldova...
entry Zdob şi Zdub
Zdob si Zdub
Zdob şi Zdub is a Moldovan band, based in Chişinău, whose work for the last several years has combined elements of hip-hop , hardcore punk and comical lyrics with traditional Romanian folk music. The name is onomatopoeic for the sound of a drum beat...
. The United Kingdom also gained the right to vote during the first semi-final on 10 May.
The final 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...
and BBC One HD, commentated by Graham Norton
Graham Norton
Graham William Walker, known by his stage name Graham Norton , is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist...
. Ken Bruce
Ken Bruce
Kenneth 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:...
also provided live coverage on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC 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...
. The two semi-finals were broadcast on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
and BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
with commentary by Sara Cox
Sara Cox
Sara Cox , known as "Coxy", is an English TV presenter and radio DJ, most well known for presenting the breakfast show on BBC Radio 1 between 2000 and 2003...
and Scott Mills
Scott Mills
Scott Robert Mills is a British radio DJ, television presenter and occasional actor, best known for presenting The Scott Mills Show on BBC Radio 1...
, replacing Paddy O'Connell
Paddy O'Connell
Guy Patrick Bennett O'Connell , known as Paddy O'Connell, is an English television and radio presenter, working mainly for the BBC....
and Sarah Cawood
Sarah Cawood
Sarah Cawood is an English television presenter.-Career:Cawood grew up in the Cambridgeshire village of Maxey and was educated at Stamford High School, Lincolnshire near Peterborough, United Kingdom. She also attended the Royal Ballet School and Arts Educational Schools London.Between 1995 and...
. Cox provided live coverage from Düsseldorf, as well as presenting live interviews and reports from the arena. Mills filmed behind the scenes in the lead-up to the contest as well as providing live commentary from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
On the night of the contest the United Kingdom was seen as 4th favourite to win the contest according to bookmaker
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
s, placing behind France, Ireland and Azerbaijan. At the final on 14 May the group performed on stage with two backing singers, dressed in green suits. Four LED screens were featured on stage that showed pictures of the band members and the letters "I CAN" as well as other images such as rain and green "lightning". The stage LED screens were coloured in blue and green. At the close of the voting the United Kingdom finished in 11th place with 100 points. The group received the maximum 12 points from Bulgaria as well as 10 points from Italy. The United Kingdom gave their top marks to Ireland (12 points), Switzerland (10 points) and Moldova (8 points).
On 26 May the EBU revealed the split televoting and jury results of the contest. In the final it was revealed that the United Kingdom had placed 5th in the televoting, however placed 22nd with the juries, leading to a combined finish of 11th place.
Results of the Individual Jury and Televote Results in the Final
The United Kingdom's televoting and jury results for the final were as followshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/eurovision/2011/05/uk-televoting-and-jury-votes-r.shtml:Where there were two countries on the same score, the act with the higher public phone vote is judged to have been the winner. Then the votes were converted to the traditional 12, 10, 8, 7 down to 1 scoring.
Results of the Individual Jury and Televote Results in the First Semi-Final
The United Kingdom was randomly selected to vote in the first semi-final. The United Kingdom's televoting and jury results for the semi-final were as followshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/eurovision/2011/05/uk-televoting-and-jury-votes-r.shtml:Where there were two countries on the same score, the act with the higher public phone vote is judged to have been the winner. Then the votes were converted to the traditional 12, 10, 8, 7 down to 1 scoring.
After Eurovision
Viewing figures reported for the final evening of the contest showed a marked increase in viewers watching the show on BBC. An average of 9.54 million viewers watched the show, representing 40.4% of the audience share, with a high of 12.7 million viewers (62% market share) watching the voting sequence. The figures for the contest were more that double the viewers from the 2010 contest, and represented the highest figures since 1999Eurovision Song Contest 1999
The Eurovision Song Contest 1999 was the 44th Eurovision Song Contest, held on 29 May 1999 in Jerusalem, Israel after Dana International won the contest the previous year in the United Kingdom. The venue for the contest was the International Convention Center...
.