The British Story
The Eurovision Song Contest
Course 1 · Chapter 8 · The United Kingdom and Eurovision
Britain's relationship with Eurovision is unusual: a country with one of the largest music industries in the world, a founding group of entrants, five wins and a record number of second places, which has also finished last and even with no points. The British viewer's attitude has moved between enthusiasm, irony and indifference, and the British press has long had theories about why the results are what they are. This chapter follows that story and looks at the two attempts to change it that people remember best: Andrew Lloyd Webber in 2009 and Sam Ryder in 2022. Placings and years are given from general knowledge and flagged for checking, and the chapter does not claim to cover the most recent contests in full.
The Wins
| Year | Song and act | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | "Puppet on a String", Sandie Shaw | Performed barefoot; the first UK win |
| 1969 | "Boom Bang-a-Bang", Lulu | One of four countries that tied for first; the tie is discussed below |
| 1976 | "Save Your Kisses for Me", Brotherhood of Man | A pop group win |
| 1981 | "Making Your Mind Up", Bucks Fizz | Remembered for the skirt routine (Chapter 5) |
| 1997 | "Love, Shine a Light", Katrina and the Waves | The most recent British win |
The UK is also widely reported to have finished second more often than any other country, including Cliff Richard's "Congratulations" in 1968, which was close behind the winner. The 1969 contest ended in a four-way tie for first place, between the UK, France, Spain and the Netherlands, and no tie-break rule existed, so all four were declared winners. This episode led to the introduction of tie-break rules. Check the details before quoting them. Lulu, one of the winners, was born in Scotland.
The Hosting Record
Because Britain won, and because it stepped in for others (Chapter 6), the UK has hosted the contest more often than most countries. Cities that have staged it include London, Edinburgh (1972, the Usher Hall), Brighton (1974), Harrogate (1982), Birmingham (1998) and Liverpool (2023). Several of these were not the result of a British win but of the BBC acting on behalf of a country that could not host.
The Slide
After 1997, British results fell. There were a few good years, and many poor ones, and the low points are well known: a last place in 2008 and 2010, a last place in 2019, and no points at all in 2003 and again in 2021. Several of the recent entries finished in the lower half. This pattern became the subject of a popular question: why does a country with so much music do so poorly?
"It's political"
The most famous theory is that countries vote against Britain for political reasons, such as the 2003 Iraq war, or later Brexit. Commentators including the long-time BBC commentator Terry Wogan were associated with the view that politics sometimes beat the music. The evidence is thin, and the theory is hard to test.
"The songs were weak"
An unromantic explanation is that the entries were not good enough, or were not suited to the contest, and that serious artists did not want to enter.
"The effort was half-hearted"
For some years the selection was treated as an afterthought, with little investment in the song and the staging, while countries that cared did better.
"The contest changed"
Voting, the order of the show and the styles of music that win have shifted, and the older British formula of a polished pop song did not travel as well.
Two Attempts to Change the Result
2009: Andrew Lloyd Webber. The composer Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the British entry, "It's My Time", sung by Jade Ewen, and the BBC chose the act in a televised selection. Lloyd Webber appeared on stage at the piano in Moscow. The entry finished fifth, which was the best British result in some years. It is generally treated as the first sign of a serious effort to improve, and a mark of how a high-profile name could change attention. Confirm the placing and the number of points.
2022: Sam Ryder. Sam Ryder's "Space Man" finished second in Turin. It won the jury vote, which was a notable result for a country thought to be unpopular with juries, and was behind Ukraine overall after the very large public vote for Kalush Orchestra (Chapter 7). It was the best British result since 1998, according to general reporting, and led to the 2023 contest in Liverpool, hosted on behalf of Ukraine. The success was widely attributed to a strong song, a strong live performance and an investment of effort, a point that sits awkwardly with the "political" theory.
After the high of 2022 the UK's results fell again in 2023 and 2024, according to the usual reports, which supports the view that quality and effort matter from year to year and that a single good year does not alter a trend. The course does not cover the latest contests in detail.
The Voice of British Viewers
For many British viewers, the contest is as much the BBC's commentary as the songs. The commentator for many years was Terry Wogan, whose dry, affectionate mockery set a tone for how a large British audience watched the show, and the role passed afterwards to Graham Norton. The commentary matters here, because it is part of why the contest in Britain is watched with a mixture of enthusiasm and irony. The UK selection show has had several names, and its older name, A Song for Europe, is the title of a famous sitcom episode (Chapter 9).
Exercises
List the five British winning years and one act for each. Say what happened in 1969 and why the contest needed a tie-break rule afterwards.
Pick two of the four theories for Britain's decline and give one point for and one against each. Say which you find strongest.
Compare 2009 (Andrew Lloyd Webber) and 2022 (Sam Ryder). What did each try, what happened, and what does each tell you about the "political" theory?
Quick Reference
- UK wins: 1967, 1969, 1976, 1981, 1997
- 1969: four-way tie for first, between the UK, France, Spain and the Netherlands
- Hosting: London, Edinburgh 1972, Brighton 1974, Harrogate 1982, Birmingham 1998, Liverpool 2023
- Low points: no points in 2003 and 2021; last places in 2008, 2010 and 2019
- 2009: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jade Ewen, fifth
- 2022: Sam Ryder, "Space Man", second, with the jury win
- Commentators: Terry Wogan for many years, then Graham Norton
- Check: all placings, the 1969 tie and the claim about second places
Next chapter: Eurovision in Fiction and Fandom, which looks at the contest as a comic and cultural subject.