United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005

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Eurovision Song Contest 2005
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
National selection
Selection process Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up 2005
Selection date(s)5 March 2005
Selected entrant Javine
Selected song"Touch My Fire"
Selected songwriter(s)
Finals performance
Final result22nd, 18 points
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄200420052006►

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Touch My Fire" written by Javine Hylton, John Themis and Jonathan Shalit. The song was performed by Javine. The British entry for the 2005 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine was selected via the national final Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up 2005, organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Five acts competed in the national final and the winner was selected entirely through a public vote.

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 2, the United Kingdom placed 22nd out of the 24 participating countries with 18 points.

Background

Prior to the 2005 contest, the United Kingdom has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest forty-seven 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 2004 contest, the United Kingdom finished in sixteenth place out of twenty-four competing entries with the song "Hold On to Our Love" performed by James Fox.

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 2005 on 28 July 2004. [2] BBC has traditionally organised a national final featuring a competition among several artists and songs to choose the British entry for Eurovision. For their 2005 entry, the broadcaster announced that a national final involving a public vote would be held to select United Kingdom's entry. [3]

Before Eurovision

Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up 2005

Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up 2005 was the national final developed by the BBC in order to select the British entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2005. Five acts competed in a televised show on 5 March 2005 held at the BBC Television Centre in London and hosted by Terry Wogan and Natasha Kaplinsky. [4] The winner was selected entirely through a public vote. The show was broadcast on BBC One. [5] The national final was watched by 7.5 million viewers in the United Kingdom. [6]

Competing entries

The BBC collaborated with record label Sony Music UK to select five finalists to compete in the national final. Entries were provided to the BBC by music industry experts including writers and producers, and an additional five entries were provided by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) which ran a songwriting competition amongst its members. [7] [8] The five competing songs were announced on 1 March 2005. Among the competing artists was 1996 British representative Gina G. [9]

Final

Five acts competed in the televised final on 5 March 2005. In addition to their performances, guest performers included previous Eurovision Song Contest winner Ruslana, who won the contest for Ukraine in 2004 with the song "Wild Dances", and Sonia, who represented the United Kingdom in 1993 with the song "Better the Devil You Know". [10]

A panel of experts provided feedback regarding the songs during the show. The panel consisted of Bruno Tonioli (choreographer, dancer and television personality), Jonathan Ross (television and radio presenter, actor, comedian and producer), Natalie Cassidy (actress) and Paddy O'Connell (television and radio presenter). A public vote consisting of televoting and online voting selected the winner, "Touch My Fire" performed by Javine. [11] Votes submitted via landline phones were divided into seven regions in the United Kingdom and together with the results of the online vote, each group awarded points as follows: 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 points. Votes submitted via mobile phones and SMS were also converted to points and awarded based on the percentage of votes each song achieved. For example, if a song gained 10% of the mobile and SMS votes, then that entry would be awarded 10 points. The public vote in the show registered over 1 million votes. [12]

DrawArtistSongSongwriter(s)PointsPlace
1 Javine "Touch My Fire"1161
2Tricolore"Brand New Day"
584
3 Gina G "Flashback"
  • Gina G
  • Zuriani
  • Richard Adlam
205
4 Andy Scott-Lee "Guardian Angel"613
5 Katie Price "Not Just Anybody"Misfits (Pete Glenister, Deni Lew, Nicky Graham)1012
Detailed Public Voting Results
DrawSongTelevoting RegionsOnline
vote
Mobiles
and SMS
Total
Northern
Ireland
Northern
England
ScotlandWalesSouth West
England
MidlandsSouth East
England
1"Touch My Fire"1212812121212630116
2"Brand New Day"444666641858
3"Flashback"22222222420
4"Guardian Angel"666444481961
5"Not Just Anybody"881288881229101
Spokespersons
12 points
N.SongRegions giving 12 points
6Touch My FireMidlands, Northern England, Northern Ireland, South West England, South East England, Wales
1Not Just AnybodyScotland

At Eurovision

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country, the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) and the ten highest placed finishers in the 2004 contest are required to qualify from the semi-final in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from the semi-final progress to the final. As a member of the "Big Four", the United Kingdom automatically qualified to compete in the final on 21 May 2005. In addition to their participation in the final, the United Kingdom is also required to broadcast and vote in the semi-final on 19 May 2005. During the running order draw for the semi-final and final, the United Kingdom was placed to perform in position 2 in the final, following the entry from Hungary and before the entry from Malta. The United Kingdom placed twenty-second in the final, scoring 18 points. [13]

In the United Kingdom, the semi-final was broadcast on BBC Three with commentary by Paddy O'Connell, while the final was televised on BBC One with commentary by Terry Wogan and broadcast on BBC Radio 2 with commentary by Ken Bruce. The British spokesperson, who announced the British votes during the final, was Cheryl Baker who won the competition for the United Kingdom at the 1981 contest as part of the group Bucks Fizz. [14]

Voting

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

Points awarded to the United Kingdom

Points awarded to the United Kingdom (Final) [15]
ScoreCountry
12 points
10 points
8 pointsFlag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
7 points
6 points
5 pointsFlag of Cyprus (1960-2006).svg  Cyprus
4 pointsFlag of Malta.svg  Malta
3 points
2 points
1 pointFlag of Turkey.svg  Turkey

Points awarded by the United Kingdom

Related Research Articles

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 with the song "Cry Baby" written by Martin Isherwood. The song was performed by the duo Jemini. The British entry for the 2003 contest in Riga, Latvia was selected via the national final A Song for Europe 2003, organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Eight acts competed in the national final which consisted of a semi-final and a final, during which the winner was selected entirely through a regional televote.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 with the song "Come Back" written by Martyn Baylay. The song was performed by Jessica Garlick. The British entry for the 2002 contest in Tallinn, Estonia, was selected via the national final A Song for Europe 2002, organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Eight acts competed in the national final which consisted of a semi-final and a final, during which the winner was selected entirely through a public televote.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with the song "Hold Onto Our Love" written by Gary Miller and Tim Woodcock. The song was performed by James Fox. The British entry for the 2004 contest in Istanbul, Turkey was selected via the national final Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up 2004, 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 2006 with the song "Teenage Life" written by Daz Sampson and John Matthews. The song was performed by Daz Sampson. The British entry for the 2006 contest in Athens, Greece was selected via the national final Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up 2006, organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Six acts competed in the national final and the winner was selected entirely through a public vote.

Lithuania participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Little by Little" written by Bobby Ljunggren and William "Billy" Butt. The song was performed by Laura and the Lovers. The Lithuanian broadcaster Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) organised the national final "Eurovizijos" dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka in order to select the Lithuanian entry for the 2005 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. The national final took place over eight weeks and involved 49 competing entries. The results of each show were determined entirely by a public vote. In the final, twenty entries remained and "Little by Little" performed by Laura and the Lovers was selected as the winner with 5,465 votes.

Latvia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "The War Is Not Over" written by Mārtiņš Freimanis. The song was performed by Walters and Kazha. Songwriter Mārtiņš Freimanis represented Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 as part of the group F.L.Y. with the song "Hello from Mars" where they placed twenty-fourth in the competition. The Latvian broadcaster Latvijas Televīzija (LTV) organised the national final Eirodziesma 2005 in order to select the Latvian entry for the 2005 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. Twenty songs were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of three shows: two semi-finals and a final. In the semi-finals on 29 January and 5 February 2005, five entries were selected to advance from each show: three entries selected based on a public televote and two entries selected by a jury panel. Ten songs ultimately qualified to compete in the final on 26 February 2005 where two rounds of public voting selected "The War Is Not Over" performed by Valters and Kaža as the winner.

Moldova debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Boonika bate doba" written by Mihai Gîncu and Roman Iagupov. The song was performed by the band Zdob și Zdub. The Moldovan broadcaster TeleRadio-Moldova (TRM) organised the national final O melodie pentru Europa 2005 in order to select the Moldovan entry for the 2005 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. 35 entries competed to represent Moldova in Kyiv, with 15 being shortlisted to participate in the televised national final which took place on 26 February 2005. "Boonika bate doba" performed by Zdob și Zdub emerged as the winner after gaining the most points following the combination of votes from a jury panel and a public televote.

Austria participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Y así" written by Christof Spörk and Edi Köhldorfer. The song was performed by the group Global Kryner. The Austrian broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) organised the national final Song.Null.Fünf in order to select the Austrian entry for the 2005 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. Five artists and ten songs competed in a televised show where a public vote consisting of regional televoting and mobile phone voting exclusively selected "Y así" performed by Global Kryner as the winner.

Cyprus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Ela Ela ", which was written and performed by Constantinos Christoforou. Christoforou was internally selected by the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) in November 2004 to represent the nation at the 2005 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. His song was selected through a national final, which was organised by CyBC and took place on 1 February 2005. The national final featured four songs performed by Christoforou and resulted in the selection of "Ela Ela " through a combination of public televote and jury deliberation.

Bulgaria debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Lorraine" written by Vesselin Vesselinov-Eko and Orlin Pavlov. The song was performed by the band Kaffe. The Bulgarian broadcaster Bulgarian National Television (BNT) organised the national final Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2005” in order to select the Bulgarian entry for the 2005 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. 24 entries were selected to participate in the national final which consisted of two shows: a semi-final and a final, held on 22 January 2005 and 12 February 2005, respectively. The top twelve songs of the semi-final as determined by an eleven-member jury panel qualified to the final. In the final, public televoting exclusively selected "Lorraine" performed by Kaffe as the winning entry with 76,590 votes.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with the song "Flying the Flag " written by Russ Spencer, Morten Schjolin, Andrew Hill and Paul Tarry. The song was performed by the group Scooch. The British entry for the 2007 contest in Helsinki, Finland was selected via the national final Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up 2007, organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Six acts competed in the national final and the winner was selected through two rounds of public televoting.

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 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.

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 2011 with the song "I Can" written by Duncan James, Lee Ryan, Ciaron Bell, Ben Collier, Ian Hope, Liam Keenan and StarSign. The song was performed by the group Blue, which was internally selected by the British broadcaster BBC to represent the United Kingdom at the 2011 contest in Düsseldorf, Germany. Blue was announced as the British entrant on 29 January 2011, while the song "I Can" was presented to the public on 11 March 2011.

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.

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.

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 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.

References

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