United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013

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Eurovision Song Contest 2013
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
National selection
Selection processInternal selection
Selection date(s)7 March 2013
Selected entrant Bonnie Tyler
Selected song"Believe in Me"
Selected songwriter(s)
Finals performance
Final result19th, 23 points
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2012 •2013• 2014►

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Believe in Me" written by Desmond Child, Lauren Christy and Christopher Braide. The song was performed by Bonnie Tyler, who was internally selected by the British broadcaster BBC to represent the United Kingdom at the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden. Tyler and the song "Believe in Me" were announced as the British entry on 7 March 2013.

Contents

As a member of the "Big Five", the United Kingdom automatically qualified to compete in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Performing in position 15, the United Kingdom placed 19th out of the 26 participating countries with 23 points.

Background

Prior to the 2013 contest, the United Kingdom has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest fifty-five 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 twice: in 2002 with the song "Come Back" performed by Jessica Garlick and in 2009 with the song "It's My Time" performed by Jade Ewen. For the 2012 contest, the United Kingdom finished in nineteenth place out of twenty-six competing entries with the song "Love Will Set You Free" performed by Engelbert Humperdinck.

The British national broadcaster, BBC, broadcasts the event within the United Kingdom and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. BBC announced that the United Kingdom would participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 on 14 September 2012. [2] In 2011 and 2012, BBC opted to internally select the British entry, a selection procedure that continued for their 2013 entry despite demands subsequent to the 2012 contest for the return of a national final to choose the British entry for Eurovision.

Before Eurovision

Internal selection

Bonnie Tyler was internally selected to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Bonnie Tyler live in Bucharest, Romania.jpg
Bonnie Tyler was internally selected to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012

On 17 January 2013, BBC announced that the British entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 would be selected internally. Artists that were rumoured in the media included singer Alesha Dixon, musical stage actress Bonnie Langford, the group Girls Aloud and group member Kimberly Walsh who would perform a song written by Swedish composer Fredrik Kempe after she had been recording songs in Sweden with Kempe for her solo debut album. [3]

On 7 March 2013, the song "Believe in Me" written by Desmond Child, Lauren Christy and Christopher Braide and performed by Bonnie Tyler was revealed as the British entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013. [4] The selection of Bonnie Tyler as the British representative was reported in February 2013 by blogger The Kickdrum after she had a new album set for release, and had just set up new social media accounts and a website. [5] Tyler was also the fifth Welsh-born solo act to represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision, following Mary Hopkin (1970), Emma (1990), Jessica Garlick (2002) and James Fox (2004). Tyler and the song were selected by the BBC in late 2012 through an advance copy of her new album Rocks and Honey . [6]

Preparation

On 11 May, BBC Three aired a two-hour show entitled How to Win Eurovision, hosted by Greg James and Russell Kane. Former British Eurovision representatives Bucks Fizz, Sonia, Jemini, Javine, Daz Sampson, Scooch and Josh Dubovie was featured as guests during the show.

At Eurovision

Bonnie Tyler during a press meet and greet Bonnie Tyler, ESC2013 press conference 02.jpg
Bonnie Tyler during a press meet and greet

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to compete in one of two semi-finals, and qualify in order to participate in the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. As a member of the "Big 5", the United Kingdom automatically qualified to compete in the final on 18 May 2013. In addition to their participation in the final, the United Kingdom is also required to broadcast and vote in one of the two semi-finals. During the semi-final allocation draw on 17 January 2013, the United Kingdom was assigned to broadcast and vote in the first semi-final on 14 May 2013. [7]

In the United Kingdom, the semi-finals were broadcast on BBC Three with commentary by Scott Mills and Ana Matronic. The final was televised on BBC One with commentary by Graham Norton and broadcast on BBC Radio 2 with commentary by Ken Bruce. The British spokesperson, who announced the British votes during the final, was Scott Mills.

Final

Bonnie Tyler during a rehearsal before the final ESC - United Kingdom 08.JPG
Bonnie Tyler during a rehearsal before the final

Bonnie Tyler took part in technical rehearsals on 12 and 15 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 17 and 18 May. This included the jury final on 17 May where the professional juries of each country watched and voted on the competing entries. [8] During the British delegation's press conference on 15 May, Tyler took part in a draw to determine in which half of the final the British entry would be performed. United Kingdom was drawn to compete in the second half. [9] Following the conclusion of the second semi-final, the shows' producers decided upon the running order of the final. The running order for the semi-finals and final was decided by the shows' producers rather than through another draw, so that similar songs were not placed next to each other. United Kingdom was subsequently placed to perform in position 15, following the entry from Romania and before the entry from Sweden. [10]

The British performance featured Bonnie Tyler performing on a predominately orange and yellow coloured stage in front of a stage set-up which included a drummer and four backing vocalists/instrumentalists. Tyler concluded the performance by walking down the catwalk stage before being raised high on the platform on the catwalk, with the overhead lighting effects lowering down from the ceiling at the same time. [11] The supporting performers that joined Tyler for the performance were Grant Mugent-Kershaw, Anthony Goldsbrough, Michael Gazzard, Hayley Sanderson and Kristen Cummings. [12] The United Kingdom placed nineteenth in the final, scoring 23 points. [13]

Voting

Voting during the three shows involved each country awarding points from 1–8, 10 and 12 as determined 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, with their names published before the contest to ensure transparency. 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 twenty-second with the public televote and fifteenth with the jury vote. In the public vote, the United Kingdom received an average rank of 17.03, while with the jury vote, the United Kingdom received an average rank of 12.46.

Below is a breakdown of points awarded to the United Kingdom and awarded by United Kingdom in the first semi-final and grand final of the contest. The nation awarded its 12 points to Denmark in the semi-final and final of the contest.

Points awarded to the United Kingdom

Points awarded to the United Kingdom (Final) [14]
ScoreCountry
12 points
10 points
8 points
7 pointsFlag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
6 points
5 pointsFlag of Malta.svg  Malta
4 pointsFlag of Spain.svg  Spain
3 pointsFlag of Romania.svg  Romania
2 pointsFlag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland
1 point

Points awarded by the United Kingdom

Related Research Articles

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Even If" written by Andy Abraham, Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins. The song was performed by Andy Abraham. The British entry for the 2008 contest in Belgrade, Serbia was selected via the national final Eurovision: Your Decision, organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Six acts competed in the national final and the winner was selected through three rounds of voting.

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.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with the song "Love Will Set You Free" written by Martin Terefe and Sacha Skarbek. The song was performed by Engelbert Humperdinck, who was internally selected by the British broadcaster BBC to represent the United Kingdom at the 2012 contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. Humperdinck was announced as the British entrant on 1 March 2012, while the song "Love Will Set You Free" was presented to the public on 19 March 2012.

Denmark participated in and won the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Only Teardrops" written by Lise Cabble, Julia Fabrin Jakobsen and Thomas Stengaard. The song was performed by Emmelie de Forest. The Danish broadcaster DR organised the national final Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2013 in order to select the Danish entry for the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden. Ten songs competed in a televised show where "Only Teardrops" performed by Emmelie de Forest was the winner as decided upon through the combination of jury voting and public voting over two rounds.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Ég á líf" written by Örlygur Smári, Pétur Örn Guðmundsson. The song was performed by Eythor Ingi. The Icelandic entry for the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden was selected through the national final Söngvakeppnin 2013, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of two semi-finals and a final, held on 25 January, 26 January and 2 February 2013, respectively. Six songs competed in each semi-final with the top three as selected by a public televote alongside a jury wildcard advancing to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first involved a 50/50 combination of jury voting and public televoting, which reduced the seven competing entries to two superfinalists and the second round selected the winner exclusively through public televoting. "Ég á líf" performed by Eythor Ingi emerged as the winner after gaining 67% of the public vote.

Austria participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Shine" written by Andreas Grass, Nikola Paryla, Natália Kelly and Alexander Kahr. The song was performed by Natália Kelly. The Austrian broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) organised the national final Österreich rockt den Song Contest in order to select the Austrian entry for the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden. Five songs competed in a televised show where an international jury panel and a public vote selected "Shine" performed by Natália Kelly as the winner.

Croatia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Mižerja" written by Goran Topolovac. The song was performed by the group Klapa s Mora, which was selected internally by the Croatian broadcaster Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) on 11 February 2013 to represent Croatia at the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden. Their song "Mižerja" was presented to the public on 27 February 2013 during a live streamed press conference.

Estonia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Et uus saaks alguse" written by Mihkel Mattisen and Silvia Soro. The song was performed by Birgit. The Estonian broadcaster Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR) organised the national final Eesti Laul 2013 in order to select the Estonian entry for the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden. The national final consisted of three shows: two semi-finals and a final. Ten songs competed in each semi-final and the top five from each semi-final as determined by a jury panel and public vote qualified to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting. In the first round, a jury panel and a public vote selected the top two to qualify to the superfinal. In the superfinal, "Et uus saaks alguse" performed by Birgit was selected as the winner entirely by a public vote.

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Marry Me" written by Krista Siegfrids, Erik Nyholm, Kristofer Karlsson and Jessika Lundström. The song was performed by Krista Siegfrids. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) organised the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2013 in order to select the Finnish entry for the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden. 12 entries were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of two heats, a semi-final and a final, taking place in January and February 2013. Eight entries ultimately competed in the final on 9 February where the 50/50 combination of votes from a four-member judging panel and votes from the public selected "Marry Me" performed by Krista Siegfrids as the winner.

Georgia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Waterfall" written by Thomas G:son and Erik Bernholm. The song was performed by Nodi Tatishvili and Sophie Gelovani, who were internally selected in December 2012 by the Georgian broadcaster Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) to compete at the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden. The Georgian entry, "Waterfall", was presented to the public on 27 February 2013.

Slovenia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Straight into Love" written by Hannah Mancini, Gregor Zemljič, Erik Margan, Matija Rodić and Marko Primužak. The song was performed by Hannah, who was internally selected by Slovenian broadcaster Radiotelevizija Slovenija to represent Slovenia at the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden. Hannah was announced at the Slovenian representative on 1 February 2013, while the song, "Straight into Love", was presented to the public on 14 February 2013.

Germany participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Glorious" written by Yann Peifer, Manuel Reuter, Andres Ballinas and Tony Cornelissen. The song was performed by Cascada. The German entry for the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden was selected through the national final Unser Song für Malmö, organised by the German broadcaster ARD in collaboration with Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR). The national final took place on 14 February 2013 and featured ten competing acts with the winner by the votes of a five-member expert jury panel, a radio vote and a public vote. "Glorious" performed by Cascada was selected as the German entry for Malmö after gaining the most points following the combination of votes.

Cyprus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "An me thimasai" written by Andreas Giorgallis and Zenon Zindilis. The song was performed by Despina Olympiou, who was selected by the Cypriot broadcaster Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) in February 2013 to represent Cyprus at the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden. The Cypriot song, "An me thimasai", was presented to the public on 14 February 2013.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 with the song "Children of the Universe" written by Molly Smitten-Downes and Anders Hansson. The song was performed by Molly, who was internally selected by the British broadcaster BBC to represent the United Kingdom at the 2014 contest in Copenhagen, Denmark. Molly and "Children of the Universe" was announced as the British entry in a special presentation show titled The UK Launch broadcast on the BBC Red Button service in March 2014.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Still in Love with You" written by David Mindel and Adrian Bax White. The song was performed by the duo Electro Velvet, which was internally selected by the British broadcaster BBC to represent the United Kingdom at the 2015 contest in Vienna, Austria. Electro Velvet and "Still in Love with You" was announced as the British entry in a special presentation show titled Our Song for Eurovision 2015 broadcast on the BBC Red Button service in March 2015.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "You're Not Alone" written by Matt Schwartz, Justin J. Benson and S. Kanes. The song was performed by Joe and Jake. The British entry for the 2016 contest in Stockholm, Sweden was selected via the national final Eurovision: You Decide, organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Six acts competed in the national final and the winner was selected entirely through a public vote.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Never Give Up on You" written by Daniel Salcedo, Emmelie de Forest and Lawrie Martin. The song was performed by Lucie Jones. Songwriter Emmelie de Forest represented Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Only Teardrops" where she won the competition. The British entry for the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine was selected via the national final Eurovision: You Decide, organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Six acts competed in the national final and the winner was selected through the combination of a public vote and the votes of an eight-member professional jury.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with the song "Storm" written by Nicole Blair, Gil Lewis and Sean Hargreaves. The song was performed by SuRie. The British entry for the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal was selected via the national final Eurovision: You Decide, organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Six acts competed in the national final and the winner was selected through the combination of a public vote and the votes of an eight-member professional jury.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Bigger than Us" written by Laurell Barker, Anna-Klara Folin, John Lundvik and Jonas Thander. The song was performed by Michael Rice. Songwriter John Lundvik represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest the same year with the song "Too Late for Love". The British entry for the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv, Israel was selected via the national final Eurovision: You Decide, organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Six acts competed in the national final and the winner was selected through two rounds of voting.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "Embers" written by James Newman, Conor Blake, Danny Shah, Tom Hollings and Samuel Brennan. The song was performed by James Newman, who was internally selected by the British broadcaster BBC to represent the United Kingdom at the 2021 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands after he was due to compete in the 2020 contest with "My Last Breath" before the event's cancellation. Newman was announced as the British entrant on 19 February 2021, while the song "Embers" was presented to the public on 11 March 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "United Kingdom | Country profile | Eurovision Song Contest". Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  2. ↑ Repo, Juha (14 September 2012). "Germany and UK confirm 2013 participation". Esctoday. Retrieved 12 July 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ↑ Repo, Juha (1 March 2013). "UK: Eurovision rumour frenzy while fans wait for an announcement". Esctoday.com.
  4. ↑ "Bonnie Tyler chosen for Eurovision". BBC News. 7 March 2013.
  5. ↑ "We have some very important Eurovision news". The Kickdrum. 25 February 2013.
  6. ↑ "Bonnie Tyler kept Eurovision entry a secret from family". MSN Entertainment. 20 March 2013. Archived from the original on 23 March 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  7. ↑ Siim, Jarmo (17 January 2013). "Draw results: Who's in which Semi-Final?". Eurovision.tv.
  8. ↑ "Rehearsal schedule of the Eurovision Song Contest 2013" (PDF). ecgermany.de. Retrieved 12 July 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ Storvik-Green, Simon (15 May 2013). "Bonnie flies high on stage for the UK". Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  10. ↑ Storvik-Green, Simon (17 May 2013). "Running order for the Grand Final revealed". Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  11. ↑ "Bonnie flies high on stage for the UK". eurovision.tv. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ↑ "Uplifting performance by Bonnie Tyler for UK". eurovision.tv. 12 May 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ↑ "Grand Final of Malmö 2013". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  14. 1 2 "Results of the Grand Final of Malmö 2013". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  15. ↑ "Results of the First Semi-Final of Malmö 2013". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
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