The words ‘Eurovision winner’ and ‘UK’ being in the same sentence may seem laughable to modern audiences, but once upon a time that was not the case. The UK is tied for the second most wins in competition history, and one of those winners - Cheryl Baker of Bucks Fizz - has offered her thoughts on why glory has eluded us for so long.
Speaking on behalf of Slingo, she believes the UK has struggled for votes because the nation has ‘taken the mickey out of Eurovision’ annoying other participants as to them, who the competition is ‘massively important’ to.
However, she believes attitudes are changing for the better and it is now ‘being taken more seriously’, which is one of the main ways in which second-placed Sam Ryder ‘got it right’.
She adds that Remember Monday are clearly going into the weekend with a similar level of respect and excitement for the competition, which bodes well for their chances of victory.
Elsewhere, she admits the group's current iteration as ‘The Fizz’ would be unlikely to do Eurovision again unless the ‘cameras are far enough away’ and worries that audiences would feel they are ‘getting on a bit’.
Speaking on behalf of Slingo, Baker states…
Would you ever consider representing the UK in Eurovision again?
“I mean, we’ve got our two new guys, they’re great singers and if the cameras are far enough away… I’d hate for them to do camera close ups of Jay and I, and go, ooothey’re getting on a bit. I feel vocally we’re stronger now than we have been for years, because there’s four of us and the boys are tremendous but I don’t think we could do Eurovision again.”
Who would you love to see do Eurovision for the UK?
“That’s an interesting one, isn’t it, because would someone famous want to risk it. James Newman, a few years ago was a great songwriter and I thought, has that damaged his career at all? It’sa big risk for an artist to take. Who I’d like to see do it is Ed Sheeran, I’m not sure what the rules are now, though. If you’re worldwide famous, are you allowed to do it? I’m feeling quietly confident in the girls because they’re great and they’re really enjoying this journey. They’re doing loads of promo all over Europe, which is necessary, that’s what Sam did. It would be amazing if they get in the top five. We’re working with them, we’re doing Blackpool Pride in July and they’re doing it too.”
The UK hasn’t done very well in the past 10-20 years, what would you say our acts are lacking?
“I think Sam Ryder got it right and I think the girls have got it right this year, not so much last year. I think we need to put as much effort in as the other countries and we have done this year. TV and radio are behind the girls. That’s the thing, the rest of Europe knows we have, before now, almost taken the mickey out of Eurovision and they don’t like it, because Eurovision to them is massively important. Now it’s being taken more seriously, other nations hopefully appreciate that more and we’ll get more votes from them.”
How do you feel about the general UK attitude towards Eurovision at the moment?
“It’s so much better than it was, it had its dark days, when the feeling was, ‘we're just going to get nil points, what’s the point of being in it?’ I think possibly since it came to Liverpool, and Sam Ryder took part, it’s turned back to being great, a great event we all want to be involved in. I think the attitude has changed a lot, it’s overturned and gone the other way, we’re all loving it and having parties. Even the semi-finals are on BBC One, at one point it was on BBC Four, they’re taking it seriously and it’s back in favour.”
