The below editorial is the opinion of the author, and does not necessarily represent the views of ESC United as a whole and its staff members, and does not represent the views of anyone associated with the EBU and Eurovision.
22 May 2021. I sit in my bedroom, thrilled to have seen the Eurovision Song Contest return to our screens following a gruelling 12 months of pandemic life. And yet, as the end credits rolled on a Rotterdam contest that I was sadly unable to attend, I am shell-shocked for another, non-lockdown related reason. In a voting system that should’ve seen it impossible to get 0 points, my country said “hold my beer”.
As I tried to pick out the pieces of Italy’s deserved win, the otherwise excellent 2021 results and looking forward to the contest being hosted in the land of pizza and gelato (and dreaming of being able to hopefully return to Eurovision live in a post-COVID era), it is hard to hide the visible dismay on my face while livestreaming to our lovely audience. It had now been two years since the United Kingdom last picked up even a single point at the contest.
How could it happen? It wasn’t really anything wrong that James Newman did – I liked Embers, and I still do – but the year out seemed to reinvigorate life into the contest we love, and the quality ramped up considerably in Rotterdam. “Must try harder” were the words written into the UK’s report card in 2021. Luckily, British delegation member Lee Smithurst thought the same, and unbeknownst to me on that night in some bar in Rotterdam, began concocting plans for 2022 with his Spanish counterpart.
Now, 15 months on from that unusual evening, I am shell-shocked in an entirely different, and much more pleasant way. I was able to look back on a wonderful time in Turin, feeling refreshed after experiencing the bubble following a three year absence. But no, it didn’t end there – luckily for the United Kingdom, the force of nature Sam Ryder rode in like a galactic knight in shining armour, bringing the strongest package us Brits have had represent us in years.
“Shine brightly my friends”, Sam proclaimed after wowing PalaOlimpico with a well-placed guitar solo in “Space Man” – “grazie a tutti!”
Well, grazie mille Sam. A stunning second place finish with 466 (FOUR hundred and SIXTY SIX) points was just the tonic myself and the long-suffering British fandom yearned for. And, while it is of course not in the circumstance any of us would have wanted, the Eurovision Song Contest is returning to these strange old shores for the first time in 25 years.
Now, next year’s contest promises to be both poignant and exciting already. Ukraine’s national broadcaster is sure to bring plenty of flavour to the production, and the exciting mixture of influences between UA:PBC and the BBC could see a real innovative and memorable contest. But it is still with real shock and awe that I type the words; the United Kingdom is hosting Eurovision next year.
Enjoy the moment, British fans. God knows we have suffered, and god knows how much longer we will have to wait to see this momentous occasion again. While the shortlist has only just come out and we await the final decision, let’s savour the surreal moments we have seen of Swindon, Wolverhampton and my current location of Nottingham throwing their hat into the ring to host the actual bloody Eurovision Song Contest. Where the contest will end up is anyone’s guess, but it is still so jarring to see the British map when it comes to deciding a host city.
Let’s hope for two things; one, that we don’t have to wait too much longer to savour this moment again, and more importantly, our fingers are firmly crossed we can travel to a free and liberated Ukraine for the party to end all parties in the near future. No British hosting could be sweeter than that right now.
What do #YOU think of the United Kingdom hosting Eurovision 2023? Where should the contest be hosted? Share your thoughts with us on our forum HERE or join the discussion below and on social media!
