United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009

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Eurovision Song Contest 2009
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
National selection
Selection process Eurovision: Your Country Needs You
Selection date(s)Introduction show:
3 January 2009
Heats:
10 January 2009
17 January 2009
Semi-final:
24 January 2009
Final:
31 January 2009
Selected entrant Jade Ewen
Selected song"It's My Time"
Selected songwriter(s)
Finals performance
Final result5th, 173 points
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2008 •2009• 2010►

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "It's My Time" written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren. The song was performed by Jade Ewen. The British entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia was selected via the national final Eurovision: Your Country Needs You , organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Six acts competed in the national final which consisted of two heats, a semi-final and a final, during which the winner was selected entirely through a public televote.

Contents

As a member of the "Big Four", the United Kingdom automatically qualified to compete in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Performing in position 23, the United Kingdom placed 5th out of the 25 participating countries with 173 points.

Background

Prior to the 2009 contest, the United Kingdom has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest fifty-one times. [1] Thus far, the United Kingdom has won the contest five times: in 1967 with the song "Puppet on a String" performed by Sandie Shaw, in 1969 with the song "Boom Bang-a-Bang" performed by Lulu, in 1976 with the song "Save Your Kisses for Me" performed by Brotherhood of Man, in 1981 with the song "Making Your Mind Up" performed by Bucks Fizz and in 1997 with the song "Love Shine a Light" performed by Katrina and the Waves. To this point, the nation is noted for having finished as the runner-up in a record fifteen contests. Up to and including 1998, the UK had only twice finished outside the top 10, in 1978 and 1987. Since 1999, the year in which the rule was abandoned that songs must be performed in one of the official languages of the country participating, the UK has had less success, thus far only finishing within the top ten once: in 2002 with the song "Come Back" performed by Jessica Garlick. For the 2008 contest, the United Kingdom finished in twenty-fifth place (last) out of twenty-five competing entries with the song "Even If" performed by Andy Abraham.

The British national broadcaster, BBC, broadcasts the event within the United Kingdom and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. Despite calls from the leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron for a withdrawal due to the 2008 South Ossetia war, BBC announced that the United Kingdom would participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 on 28 May 2008. [2] [3] BBC has traditionally organised a national final featuring a competition among several artists and songs to choose the British entry for Eurovision. For their 2009 entry, the broadcaster announced that a national final involving a public vote would be held to select United Kingdom's entry.

Before Eurovision

Eurovision: Your Country Needs You 2009

Eurovision: Your Country Needs You 2009 was the national final developed by the BBC in order to select the British entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. Six acts competed over four televised shows between 10 and 31 January 2009 held at the BBC Television Centre in London and hosted by Graham Norton. [4] All shows in the national final were broadcast on BBC One as well as streamed online via the broadcaster's website bbc.co.uk. [5]

Contestants

On 18 October 2008, BBC announced an open application for interested artists to submit their applications in the form of a video recording of themselves performing a cover version of a popular song or a self-written song. Eligible artists were those being 17 years old by 1 January 2009 and living in a country within the European Economic Area. The application period lasted until 21 November 2008. [6] [7] All applicants were presented to a professional panel consisting of Andrew Lloyd Webber (composer of the British song) and Colin Barlow (record company executive) that ultimately selected six artists to compete in the national final. [8] [9] [10] An introduction show was broadcast on 3 January 2009 which involved the background preparation processes of the national final. [11] The six contestants were also announced during the show: Charlotte Finlay, Damien Flood, Emperors of Soul, Francine and Nicola Gleadall, Jade Ewen and Mark Evans. [12] [13]

Results summary

Colour key
  Act received the most public votes
  Act was in the "danger zone" but saved by Andrew Lloyd Webber
  Act was eliminated by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Weekly results per act
ActHeat 1Heat 2Semi-finalFinal
Jade Ewen SafeSafeSafeWinner
Francine and Nicola GleadallSafeSafeSafeRunner-up
Mark Evans SafeSafeSafe3rd place
Emperors of SoulSafeSafeEliminatedEliminated
(Heat 3)
Charlotte FinlaySafeEliminatedEliminated
(Heat 2)
Damien FloodEliminatedEliminated
(Heat 1)

Shows

Introduction show (3 January 2009)

The introduction show was aired on 3 January 2009. The show involved the background preparation processes including the selection of the six contestants and the visitation of Norton and Lloyd Webber to Russia (at the venue of the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 Olimpiysky Arena), Poland and Hungary. The show also included meetings and interviews with the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and previous Eurovision Song Contest winner Dima Bilan, who won the contest for Russia in 2008 with the song "Believe", and several Russian Eurovision fans who suggested that the United Kingdom should avoid amateur artists and focus on a more professional approach to the contest. Back in Britain, Lloyd Webber teamed up with record company executive Colin Barlow, who has worked with the likes of Take That and Girls Aloud, having had 15 number ones and sold over 40 million albums as a producer, to help select the lucky six performers who will progress to the live shows. After seeing a number of entries sent into the BBC by the people, getting a "fabulous look at people's living rooms" as Norton said, we got a sense of who may be the future qualifiers to the live shows. After a number of auditions and workshops, showing some potential qualifiers rehearsing at their homes and elsewhere, the final six qualifiers were finally introduced.

Heat 1 (10 January 2009)

Six acts competed in the first heat on 10 January 2009. All contestants were also accompanied by a 17-piece band during their performances. [14] [15] In addition to their performances, the female contestants performed "One Rock & Roll Too Many" from Lloyd Webber's musical Starlight Express, while the male contestants performed the song "No Matter What" by Boyzone. Guest performer was Lemar performing the song "Weight of the World" from his latest album The Reason . [16] [17]

A panel of experts provided feedback alongside Lloyd Webber regarding the performances during the show. The panel consisted of Lulu (Eurovision Song Contest winner for the United Kingdom in 1969 with "Boom Bang-a-Bang") and Arlene Phillips (choreographer, talent scout and television presenter). A public televote saved four of the contestants from the "danger zone", while Lloyd Webber saved Charlotte Finlay and eliminated Damien Flood.

DrawArtistSong (Original artist)Result
1Emperors of Soul"Love Train" (The O'Jays)Safe
2 Mark Evans "Your Game" (Will Young)Safe
3Charlotte Finlay"Because of You" (Kelly Clarkson)"Danger Zone"
4Damien Flood"How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" (Michael Bolton)Eliminated
5Francine and Nicola Gleadall"You've Got a Friend" (Carole King)Safe
6 Jade Ewen "Déjà Vu" (Beyoncé)Safe
Heat 2 (17 January 2009)

The five remaining acts competed in the second heat on 17 January 2009. All contestants were also accompanied by a 17-piece band during their performances. [14] [15] In addition to their performances, the female contestants performed the song "Rhythm of the Night" by DeBarge, while the male contestants performed the song "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship. The contestants together also performed the winning song for the United Kingdom in 1976 "Save Your Kisses for Me" by Brotherhood of Man. Guest performer was the group The Saturdays performing the song "Up" from their latest album. [18] [19] [20]

A panel of experts provided feedback alongside Lloyd Webber regarding the performances during the show. The panel consisted of Lulu and Duncan James (singer, actor and member of Blue). A public televote saved three of the contestants from the "danger zone", while Lloyd Webber saved Emperors of Soul and eliminated Charlotte Finlay. [21] [22]

DrawArtistSong (Original artist)Result
1Francine and Nicola Gleadall"The Promise" (Girls Aloud)Safe
2Emperors of Soul"Kiss" (Prince)"Danger Zone"
3 Jade Ewen "The Voice Within" (Christina Aguilera)Safe
4Charlotte Finlay"Rain on Your Parade" (Duffy)Eliminated
5 Mark Evans "Me and Mrs. Jones" (Billy Paul)Safe
Semi-final (24 January 2009)

The four remaining acts competed in the semi-final on 24 January 2009. All contestants were also accompanied by a 17-piece band during their performances. [14] [15] In addition to their performances, the female contestants performed the song "I'll Stand by You" by The Pretenders, while the male contestants performed the song "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" by Elton John. Guest performers were Lulu performing the winning song for the United Kingdom in 1969 "Boom Bang-a-Bang", and Alesha Dixon performing the song "Breathe Slow". [23] [24]

A panel of experts provided feedback alongside Lloyd Webber regarding the performances during the show. The panel consisted of Dixon and Emma Bunton (singer-songwriter and actress). [22] The contestants each performed two songs: a ballad and an up-tempo song. [25] A public televote saved two of the contestants from the "danger zone", while Lloyd Webber saved Jade Ewen and eliminated Emperors of Soul. [26] [27]

ArtistDrawFirst Song (Original artist)DrawSecond Song (Original artist)Result
Mark Evans 1"Rock Your Body" (Justin Timberlake)5"I Don't Want to Talk About It" (Rod Stewart)Safe
Jade Ewen 2"All by Myself" (Eric Carmen)6"Think" (Aretha Franklin)"Danger Zone"
Emperors of Soul3"Patience" (Take That)7"Uptown Girl" (Billy Joel)Eliminated
Francine and Nicola Gleadall4"About You Now" (Sugababes)8"All I Have to Do Is Dream" (The Everly Brothers)Safe
Final

The three remaining acts competed in the final on 31 January 2009. In addition to their performances, the contestants performed the winning song for the United Kingdom in 1981 "Making Your Mind Up" by Bucks Fizz in a group. Guest performers included Lulu performing the song "Relight My Fire" by Dan Hartman with the eliminated contestants Damien Flood, Charlotte Finlay and Emperors of Soul, and previous Eurovision Song Contest winner Dima Bilan who won the contest for Russia in 2008 with the song "Believe". [26] [28]

A panel of experts provided feedback alongside Lloyd Webber regarding the performances during the show. The panel consisted of previous panellists Lulu and James. The contestants each performed three songs, including a previously performed song during the preceding three heats and the British song "It's My Time". [29] [30] A public televote selected Jade Ewen as the winning artist.

ArtistDrawFirst Song (Original artist)DrawSecond Song (Original artist)DrawEurovision SongPlace
Jade Ewen 1"Lady Marmalade" (Labelle)6"The Promise" (Girls Aloud)9"It's My Time"1
Mark Evans 2"Try a Little Tenderness" (The Commitments)5"Déjà Vu" (Beyoncé)73
Francine and Nicola Gleadall3"Sweet About Me" (Gabriella Cilmi)4"Me and Mrs. Jones" (Billy Paul)82

Ratings

Viewing figures by show
ShowDateViewers
(in millions)		ShareRef.
Introduction show3 January 20094.921% [31] [32]
Heat 110 January 20095.022% [33]
Heat 217 January 20094.622% [34]
Semi-final24 January 2009Un­known
Final31 January 20095.530% [35]

Promotion

Jade Ewen made several appearances across Europe to specifically promote "It's My Time" as the British Eurovision entry. On 7 February, Jade Ewen performed "It's My Time" during the final of the Maltese Eurovision national final. [36] She also performed the song between 18 February and 7 March during the Greek Eurovision national final, [37] the presentation show of the 2009 Bosnian Eurovision entry, [38] and the Russian and Ukrainian Eurovision national finals. [39] [40] On 18 April, Ewen performed during the Eurovision in Concert event which was held at the Amsterdam Marcanti venue in Amsterdam, Netherlands and hosted by Marga Bult and Maggie MacNeal, and appeared during the RTL 4 programme Life and Cooking. [41] On 3 May, Ewen performed "It's My Time" during Taniec z Gwiazdami , the Polish version of Strictly Come Dancing . [42] Prior to the contest, Ewen was interviewed by Russian magazine OK! which gave away copies of "It's My Time". [43]

In addition to their international appearances, on 17 May, Jade Ewen performed during the UK Eurovision Preview Party, which was held in London, United Kingdom and hosted by Nicki French and Paddy O'Connell. [44] On 1, 2 and 4 May, Ewen appeared on the BBC One programmes Friday Night with Jonathan Ross , Saturday Kitchen and The One Show , respectively.

At Eurovision

Jade Ewen during a press meet and greet Jadewen2009.jpg
Jade Ewen during a press meet and greet

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top nine songs from each semi-final as determined by televoting progress to the final, and a tenth was determined by back-up juries. As a member of the "Big Four", the United Kingdom automatically qualified to compete in the final on 16 May 2009. [45] In addition to their participation in the final, France is also required to broadcast and vote in one of the two semi-finals. During the semi-final allocation draw on 30 January 2009, the United Kingdom was assigned to broadcast and vote in the first semi-final on 12 May 2009.

In the United Kingdom, the semi-finals were broadcast on BBC Three with commentary by Paddy O'Connell and Sarah Cawood, while the final was televised on BBC One with commentary by Graham Norton and broadcast on BBC Radio 2 with commentary by Ken Bruce. [46] [47] [48] Norton replaced Terry Wogan following his retirement as the British commentator since 1980. [49] [50] The British spokesperson, who announced the British votes during the final, was Duncan James.

Final

Jade Ewen took part in technical rehearsals on 9 and 10 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 15 and 16 May. This included the jury final on 15 May where the professional juries of each country watched and voted on the competing entries. The running order for the semi-finals and final was decided by through another draw on 16 March 2009 and the United Kingdom was subsequently placed to perform in position 23, following the entry from Romania and before the entry from Finland. [51] [52]

The British performance featured Jade Ewen on stage with the LED screens displaying white chandeliers. Ewen made her entrance on a staircase in the middle of the stage with four violinists dressed in black tailcoats and bow ties, and was later joined by the co-composer of "It's My Time" Andrew Lloyd Webber who played the piano. [53] [54] The singer wore a dress designed by designer Amanda Wakeley during the performance, which was choreographed by Arlene Philips. [55] The performance also featured smoke effects. [56] [57] The United Kingdom placed fifth in the final, scoring 173 points. [58]

Voting

The voting system for 2009 involved each country awarding points from 1–8, 10 and 12, with the points in the final being decided by a combination of 50% national jury and 50% televoting. Each nation's jury consisted of five music industry professionals who are citizens of the country they represent. This jury judged each entry based on: vocal capacity; the stage performance; the song's composition and originality; and the overall impression by the act. In addition, no member of a national jury was permitted to be related in any way to any of the competing acts in such a way that they cannot vote impartially and independently.

Following the release of the full split voting by the EBU after the conclusion of the competition, it was revealed that the United Kingdom had placed tenth with the public televote and third with the jury vote in the final. In the public vote, the United Kingdom scored 105 points, while with the jury vote, the United Kingdom scored 223 points.

Below is a breakdown of points awarded to the United Kingdom and awarded by the United Kingdom in the second semi-final and grand final of the contest, and the breakdown of the jury voting and televoting conducted during the two shows:

Points awarded to the United Kingdom

Points awarded to the United Kingdom (Final) [59]
ScoreCountry
12 pointsFlag of Greece.svg  Greece
10 points
8 points
7 points
6 points
5 points
4 points
3 points
2 points
1 point

Points awarded by the United Kingdom

Detailed voting results

The following members comprised the British jury:

Detailed voting results from the United Kingdom (Final) [61] [62]
DrawCountryResultsPoints
JuryTelevotingCombined
01Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 884
02Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
03Flag of France.svg  France 441
04Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
05Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
06Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal 11
07Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 105158
08Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 10105
09Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia 22
10Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
11Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan 1453
12Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina 33
13Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova
14Flag of Malta.svg  Malta 76136
15Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
16Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 33
17Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 122147
18Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 6121812
19Flag of Albania.svg  Albania
20Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 871510
21Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 552
22Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
23Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
24Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
25Flag of Spain.svg  Spain

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Bulgaria participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Illusion" written by Krassimir Avramov, William Tabanou and Casie Tabanou. The song was performed by Avramov. The Bulgarian broadcaster Bulgarian National Television (BNT) organised the national final Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2009” in order to select the Bulgarian entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. 45 entries were selected to participate in the first phase of the national final, Be a Star, which consisted of three monthly selections. Nine entries qualified to compete in Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2009” which consisted of two shows: a semi-final and a final, held on 24 January 2009 and 21 February 2009, respectively. Eighteen entries competed in the semi-final and the top nine songs as determined by an eight-member jury panel qualified to the final alongside three pre-qualified songs. In the final, public televoting exclusively selected "Illusion" performed by Avramov as the winning entry with 19,553 votes.

France participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Et s'il fallait le faire" written by Fred Blondin and Anse Lazio. The song was performed by Patricia Kaas. The French broadcaster France Télévisions in collaboration with the television channel France 3 internally selected the French entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. Patricia Kaas was officially announced by France 3 as the French entrant on 28 January 2009 and later the song was presented to the public as the contest entry on 1 February 2009.

The Netherlands participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Shine" written by Bas van den Heuvel and Gordon Heuckeroth. The song was performed by the group De Toppers, which was internally selected by the Dutch broadcaster Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) to represent the Netherlands at the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. De Toppers' appointment as the Dutch representative was announced on 19 September 2008, while the national final Nationaal Songfestival 2009 was organised in order to select the song. Six songs competed in the national final on 1 February 2009 where "Shine" was selected as the winning song following the combination of votes from a five-member jury panel and a public vote.

Denmark participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Believe Again" written by Lars Halvor Jensen, Martin Michael Larsson and Ronan Keating. The song was performed by Brinck. The Danish broadcaster DR organised the national final Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2009 in order to select the Danish entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. Ten songs competed in a televised show where the winner was selected over three rounds of voting. The results of the first round were decided upon through the combination of jury voting and public voting while the results in the second and third round were determined solely by public televoting. "Believe Again" performed by Brinck was the winner after gaining the most public votes in the third round.

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "What If We" written by Marc Paelinck and Gregory Bilsen. The song was performed by Chiara, who had previously represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest in the 1998 and 2005 edition where she achieved third and second place with the songs "The One That I Love" and "Angel", respectively. The Maltese entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia was selected through the national final GO Malta EuroSong 2009, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of a semi-final round and a final, held between 8 November 2008 and 7 February 2009, where "What If We" performed by Chiara eventually emerged as the winning entry after scoring the most points from a jury in the first round and gaining the most votes from a public televote in the second round with 12,249 votes.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Is It True?" written by Óskar Páll Sveinsson, Tinatin Japaridze and Christopher Neil. The song was performed by Yohanna, which is the artistic name of singer Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir. The Icelandic entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia was selected through the national final Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of four semi-finals and a final, held on 10 January, 17 January, 24 January, 31 January and 14 February 2009, respectively. Four songs competed in each semi-final with the top two as selected by a public televote advancing to the final. In the final, "Is It True?" performed by Yohanna emerged as the winner exclusively through public televoting.

Slovenia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Love Symphony" written by Andrej Babić and Aleksandar Valenčić. The song was performed by the group Quartissimo featuring Martina. Slovenian broadcaster Radiotelevizija Slovenija organised the national final EMA 2009 in order to select the Slovenian entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. 20 entries competed in the national final which consisted of two shows: a semi-final and a final. Fourteen of the entries competed in the semi-final and the top eight entries were selected to advance alongside six pre-qualified songs following the combination of votes from a three-member jury panel and a public televote. Fourteen entries qualified to compete in the final where "Love Symphony" performed by Quartissimo and Martina Majerle was selected as the winner following the combination of votes from a three-member jury panel and a public televote.

Slovakia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Leť tmou" written by Rastislav Dubovský, Petronela Kolevská and Anna Žigová. The song was performed by Kamil Mikulčík and Nela Pocisková. In September 2008, the Slovak broadcaster Slovenská televízia (STV) announced that they would return to the Eurovision Song Contest after an eleven-year absence. The broadcaster selected the Slovak entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia through the national final Eurosong 2009. 50 entries competed in the national final which consisted of six shows: five semi-finals and a final. Entries were selected to advance from the semi-finals based on the votes of a seven-member jury panel as well as the votes from the public. Sixteen entries ultimately qualified to compete in the final on 8 March 2009 where a public televote selected three of the entries to proceed to a second round of voting. In the second round of voting, "Leť tmou" performed by Kamil Mikulčík and Nela Pocisková was selected as the winner after scoring the most points from the jury.

Belarus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Eyes That Never Lie" written by Petr Elfimov and Valery Prokhozhy. The song was performed by Petr Elfimov. The Belarusian entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia was selected through the national final Eurofest 2009, organised by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC). The national final was a televised production which consisted of a semi-final and a final held on 15 December 2008 and 19 January 2009, respectively. Fifteen competing acts participated in the semi-final where the top five entries as determined by a jury panel qualified to the final. In the final, public televoting selected "Eyes That Never Lie" performed by Petr Elfimov as the winner with 11,475 votes.

Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Bistra voda" written by Aleksandar Čović. The song was performed by the band Regina. On 12 January 2009, the Bosnian broadcaster Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) revealed that they had internally selected Regina to compete at the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. Their song, "Bistra voda", was presented to the public during a show entitled BH Eurosong Show 2009 on 1 March 2009.

Croatia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Lijepa Tena" written by Tonči Huljić and Vjekoslava Huljić. The song was performed by Igor Cukrov featuring Andrea. The Croatian broadcaster Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) organised the national final Dora 2009 to select the Croatian entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. A total of twenty-four entries competed in the national final which consisted of two shows: a semi-final and a final. In the semi-final on 27 February 2009, six entries qualified to compete in the final on 28 February 2009 alongside ten pre-qualified songs. In the final, "Lijepa Tena" performed by Igor Cukrov was selected as the winner following the combination of votes from a six-member jury panel and a public televote.

Ukraine participated in Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Be My Valentine! " written by Evheniy Matyushenko and Svetlana Loboda. The song was performed by Svetlana Loboda. The Ukrainian broadcaster National Television Company of Ukraine (NTU) organised a national final in order to select the Ukrainian entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. The national selection consisted of a semi-final, held on 21 February 2009, and a final, held on 8 March 2009; thirty-one entries competed in the semi-final with the top fifteen advancing to the final. In the final, "Be My Valentine!" performed by Svetlana Loboda was selected as the winner following the combination of votes from a seven-member jury panel and a public televote. The song was later retitled as "Be My Valentine! ".

Hungary participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Dance with Me" written by Zé Szabó and Kasai. The song was performed by Zoli Ádok. The Hungarian entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia was selected internally by the Hungarian public broadcaster Magyar Televízió (MTV). "If You Wanna Party" performed by Márk Zentai was initially announced as the Hungarian entry on 3 February 2009, however, the song was withdrawn on 4 February 2009 as it was presented in 2004 as the Swedish Big Brother theme song "We Became Friends". "Magányos csónak" performed by Kátya Tompos was announced as the replacement entry on the same day, however, the song was also withdrawn on 10 February 2009 and "Dance with Me" performed by Zoli Ádok was announced as the final replacement on 23 February 2009.

Poland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "I Don't Wanna Leave" written by Alex Geringos and Bernd Klimpel. The song was performed by Lidia Kopania. The Polish broadcaster Telewizja Polska (TVP) organised the national final Piosenka dla Europy 2009 in order to select the Polish entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. The national final took place on 14 February 2009 and featured ten entries. "I Don't Wanna Leave" performed by Lidia Kopania was selected as the winner after gaining the most points following the combination of votes from a four-member jury panel and a public vote.

Georgia originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "We Don't Wanna Put In" written by Stephane Mgebrishvili and Bibi Kvachadze. The song was performed by the group Stephane and 3G. The Georgian broadcaster Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) held a national final in order to select the Georgian entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. An open call for submissions was held which resulted in the shortlisting of ten entries that were presented to the public during a televised production on 18 February 2009. The results of a public televote combined with the votes of an expert jury resulted in the selection of "We Don't Wanna Put In" performed by Stephane and 3G as the Georgian entry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's My Time (Jade Ewen song)</span> Song

"It's My Time" is a song by Jade Ewen, the British entry for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Moscow, Russia, in May 2009. The song was composed and written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren and became the UK's most successful Eurovision entry since 2002 by coming fifth, and a significant improvement on the previous and following year's entries, which came last in the contest. Ewen remained the one with the highest score for the UK since their victory in 1997, until 2022 when Sam Ryder finished in 2nd place with the song Space Man.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song "That Sounds Good to Me" written by Pete Waterman, Mike Stock and Steve Crosby. The song was performed by Josh Dubovie. The British entry for the 2010 contest in Oslo, Norway was selected via the national final Eurovision: Your Country Needs You 2010, organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Six acts competed in the national final and the winner was selected through two rounds of voting.

References

  1. ↑ "United Kingdom | Country profile | Eurovision Song Contest". Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  2. ↑ Devine, Peter (20 August 2008). "If David Cameron was Prime Minister". Manchester Evening News . Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  3. ↑ Kuipers, Michael (28 May 2008). "United Kingdom will not withdraw". ESCToday. Retrieved 26 May 2008.
  4. ↑ Viniker, Barry (17 September 2008). "UK: X Factor style selection for Eurovision". ESCToday. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  5. ↑ Klier, Marcus (31 January 2009). "Tonight - United Kingdom: National final". Esctoday. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  6. ↑ Davies, Russell (18 October 2008). "UK selection – "Your country needs you"". ESCToday. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  7. ↑ "Your country needs you – How to Enter". BBC. 18 October 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  8. ↑ "Lloyd Webber pens Eurovision song". BBC News. 18 October 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
  9. ↑ "US writer pens UK Eurovision song". BBC News. 10 January 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  10. ↑ Eurovision: Your Country Needs You: Introduction Show. British Broadcasting Corporation (3 January 2009). Retrieved on 2009-01-03.
  11. ↑ Fisher, Luke (3 January 2009). "Live on BBC One, the Eurovision 'Introductory' Show". Oikotimes. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  12. ↑ Viniker, Barry (3 January 2009). "UK: The six acts competing for Eurovision". esctoday.com. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
  13. ↑ Murray, Gavin (3 January 2009). "UK National Selection – Introduction show" . Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  14. 1 2 3 Viniker, Barry (9 January 2009). "Exclusive: Biggest UK promotion push for Eurovision planned". ESCToday. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  15. 1 2 3 Fisher, Luke (9 January 2009). "United Kingdom: 17-piece band on Your Country Needs You!". Oikotimes. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  16. ↑ Murray, Gavin (10 January 2009). "United Kingdom: First elimination show" . Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  17. ↑ Wells, Simon (10 January 2009). "Live from London, Your Country Needs You". Oikotimes. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  18. ↑ Murray, Gavin (17 January 2009). "United Kingdom: Second elimination show" . Retrieved 17 January 2009.
  19. ↑ Fisher, Luke (17 January 2009). "Live from London, Your Country Needs You #3". Oikotimes. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
  20. ↑ Davies, Russell (16 January 2009). "UK: This weeks song choices". ESCToday. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  21. ↑ Klier, Marcus (17 January 2009). "United Kingdom: four Eurovision acts to the semi-final". ESCToday. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
  22. 1 2 Fisher, Luke (17 January 2009). "United Kingdom: Charlotte leaves Your Country Needs You". oikotimes. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
  23. ↑ Murray, Gavin (24 January 2009). "United Kingdom: National Semi-final" . Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  24. ↑ Wells, Simon (24 January 2009). "Live from London, 'Your Country Needs You' Semifinal". Oikotimes. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  25. ↑ Davies, Russell (22 January 2009). "United Kingdom: semi-final song choices!". ESCToday. Retrieved 22 January 2009.
  26. 1 2 Wells, Simon (24 January 2009). "United Kingdom: Lineup and details for 'Your Country Needs You' final". Oikotimes. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  27. ↑ Klier, Marcus (24 January 2009). "United Kingdom: three acts to the national final". ESCToday. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  28. ↑ Klier, Marcus (25 January 2009). "United Kingdom: Song title announced". ESCToday. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
  29. ↑ Klier, Marcus (28 January 2009). "United Kingdom: Saturday's song choices". ESCToday. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
  30. ↑ "Songs for the Grand Final". BBC. 28 January 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
  31. ↑ Viniker, Barry (5 January 2009). "British Public answer nation's Eurovision call". ESCToday. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  32. ↑ Fisher, Luke (5 January 2009). "United Kingdom: Positive viewing figures for Your Country Needs You". Oikotimes. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  33. ↑ Viniker, Barry (12 January 2009). "Five million tune in for UK Eurovision live show". ESCToday. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
  34. ↑ Plunkett, John (19 January 2009). "TV ratings: ITV's Demons lose some magic". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  35. ↑ "Your Country Needs You show watched by 5.4m". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  36. ↑ Horvat, Ivan (21 January 2009). "Malta: Hadise and UK representative in Eurosong final". esctoday.com. Retrieved 22 January 2009.
  37. ↑ Viniker, Barry (16 February 2009). "Jade to perform Eurovision entry in Greece". ESCToday. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  38. ↑ Klier, Markus (1 March 2009). "Live – Song Presentation in Bosnia and Herzegovina". ESC Today. Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  39. ↑ Klier, Markus (7 March 2009). "National Final in Russia". ESC Today. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  40. ↑ McLoughlin, Jamie (6 March 2009). "The Further Adventure of Jade Ewen – Boom Bang a Blog". Boom Bang a Blog. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  41. ↑ Romkes, René (26 March 2008). "Netherlands: Eurovision in Concert 2009". ESCToday. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  42. ↑ "YouTube" . Retrieved 7 June 2014– via YouTube.[ dead YouTube link ]
  43. ↑ "UK: Jade Ewen – The queen of Russian media". ESCToday. 5 May 2009. Archived from the original on 9 May 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
  44. ↑ Hondal, Victor (17 April 2009). "Scala ready for another big Eurovision evening". ESCToday. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  45. ↑ Viniker, Barry (14 September 2008). "Eurovision 'Big Four' final spots confirmed". ESCToday. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
  46. ↑ "Eurovision Song Contest 2009 Semi-final 1". Radio Times. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  47. ↑ Rendall, Alasdair (5 December 2008). "United Kingdom: Bye bye Terry...hello Graham". Oikotimes. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
  48. ↑ Viniker, Barry (18 May 2009). "Jump in viewing figures proves Cowell wrong Britain's got Eurovision Talent". esctoday.com. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
  49. ↑ "Norton is Eurovision's new Wogan". BBC News. 5 December 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
  50. ↑ Repo, Juha (5 December 2008). "UK: Terry Wogan retires from Eurovision". ESCToday. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
  51. ↑ Siim, Jarmo (16 March 2009). "Results: Draw for the Running Order!". EBU . Retrieved 16 March 2009.
  52. ↑ Klier, Marcus (16 March 2009). "Live: Draw of the running order". ESCToday. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
  53. ↑ Nikkhah, Roya (31 January 2009). "No more nul points at Eurovision?". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  54. ↑ West-Soley, Richard (15 May 2009). "The final : First dress rehearsal". Esctoday. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  55. ↑ "Jade Ewen – The UK (It's My Time) – Exclusive interview during her promotional tour!". 20 April 2009. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2014– via YouTube.
  56. ↑ "Is it the United Kingdom's time?". eurovision.tv. 9 May 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  57. ↑ "UK: Jade balancing with Lloyd Webber". eurovision.tv. 10 May 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  58. ↑ "Grand Final of Moscow 2009". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  59. 1 2 "Results of the Grand Final of Moscow 2009". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  60. ↑ "Results of the First Semi-final of Moscow 2009". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  61. ↑ Bakker, Sietse (31 July 2009). "Exclusive: Split jury/televoting results out!". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  62. ↑ "Eurovision Song Contest 2009 – Full Results". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original (XLS) on 6 June 2011.
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