Wogan unhappy at UK Eurovision flop

[EZRida4JC]

Press Assoc. - 2 hours 56 minutes ago

Veteran Eurovision Song Contest commentator Sir Terry Wogan has cast doubt on whether he would be involved in covering the event again.

He said it was "no longer a music contest" and that prospects for Western European participants were "poor".

He spoke out near the end of his TV commentary after Britain's entry Andy Abraham had finished joint last of the 25 finalists.

Russian heartthrob Dima Bilan romped to victory with a massive 272 points with a big ballad, produced by US R&B star Timbaland, called Believe.

The contest was held in the Serbian capital Belgrade and was due to be watched by more than 100 million television viewers across Europe.

Sir Terry said 43-year-old former dustman Abraham, who found fame on TV talent show the X Factor, deserved more votes from other countries than he received.

He said: "It's a disappointment, considering that Andy Abraham gave, I think, the performance of his life with a song that certainly deserved more marks than it got."

Referring to certain other songs in the competition, he added: "You have to say that this is no longer a music contest."

And he said: "I have to decide whether I want to do this again. Western European participants have to decide whether they want to to take part from here on in, because their prospects are poor."

He did not want to take anything away from Russia, though, which had won comfortably...

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20080525/ten-sir-terry-disgruntled-at-eurovision-ea4616c.html

Is this the end of an era?

C&P failed but it sure sounds clear that Sir Terry won't do the show again

& thinks Western Europe may well pull out en bloc

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7418940.stm


See www.bbc.co.uk/news & click 'Have your say'

It isn't there there yet, but here's the click to ask for a debate @ it:-




http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/2804227.stm

Arfa Mo'

 

[Kalevalatar]

Every year the same old same old sour grapes songs.

 

[Allister]

The voting is tactical, clearly, and is not based on merit. When it comes to tactical voting the Eastern European nations have an advantage because they no longer exist as large kingdoms or multi-national entities but as separate, individual nations. If the western multi-national countries entered singularly, with England, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, NI, Brittany, Catalonia etc., the Western Europeans would score a lot better.

 

[Kalevalatar]

The voting is tactical, clearly, and is not based on merit. When it comes to tactical voting the Eastern European nations have an advantage because they no longer exist as large kingdoms or multi-national entities but as separate, individual nations. If the western multi-national countries entered singularly, with England, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, NI, Brittany, Catalonia etc., the Western Europeans would score a lot better.

And yet, somehow, Finland, slated to get those surefire points only from Estonia and Norway (as neighbours Russia and Sweden don't feel "obliged" to vote for the Finns), did win two years ago with, I believe, record number of votes.

So much of the bloc vote conspiracy then.

 

[EZRida4JC]

The voting is tactical, clearly, and is not based on merit. When it comes to tactical voting the Eastern European nations have an advantage because they no longer exist as large kingdoms or multi-national entities but as separate, individual nations. If the western multi-national countries entered singularly, with England, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, NI, Brittany, Catalonia etc., the Western Europeans would score a lot better.

Good point, dude!

Breaking the tactical voting is the only problem I see

Yahoo had a headline just now, "Wogan supported @ concerns"

I began a Yahoo Answers thread to encourage folk to bombard the BBC - only with coments & ideas, of course!

Arfa Mo'