I’m happy about Eurovision – it’s no longer a case of nul points for the UK

“It’s great to see you guys trying for once!” This was the general consensus backstage in the press area at the Eurovision Song Contest this year, where the UK entry, singer-songwriter and Tik Tok star Sam Ryder, came second place with his song “Space Man”.

Our music editor was stationed in Turin, Italy, for the contest at the city’s 2006 Winter Olympics venue, the Pala Alpitour, where she was live blogging the event.

After the voting was done and dusted, there was great excitement as war-torn Ukraine won the contest with Kalush Orchestra’s song “Stefania”.

Now that Ryder is a UK Eurovision hero, it has proved once and for all that our spectacular run of flops – in 2021 we achieved “nul points” with James Newman’s “Embers” – hasn’t been because of Brexit or Europe’s dislike of the UK. It’s simply because we haven’t entered anything good enough.

The UK has won the Eurovision Song Contest five times with acts like Sandie Shaw’s “Puppet on a String” in 1967 and Bucks Fizz’s “Making your Mind Up” in 1981. But it’s been 25 years since the UK won with Katrina and the Waves and their “Love Shine a Light” in 1997. In the last decade, the UK has come last five times. It’s not a good look.

We used to act like Eurovision was uncool and cheesy in the Nineties but changing attitudes are why we did so well this year, we actually sent a good singer with proper live performance credentials.

As the amusing host, Graham Norton, said: “All those people whinging on about how Europe hates us. I kept saying: ‘No… it is possible that with the right song, the right performer in the right year, we can do it’ – and we did.”

Yours,

Charlotte Cripps

Senior culture writer