The United Kingdom is set to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland.[1]
| Eurovision Song Contest 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participating broadcaster | British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) | |||
| Country |  United Kingdom | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Internal selection | |||
| United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
| ||||
As a member of the "Big Five", the United Kingdom will automatically qualify to compete in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Background
editPrior to the 2025 contest, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing the United Kingdom sixty-six times since its first entry in 1957.[2] Thus far, it 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 "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.[3] After its latest win, it has failed to be consistently successful, only reaching the top ten four times: in 1998, 2002, 2009, and 2022; and ending last five times: in 2003 (the first time in the country's history in the contest), 2008, 2010, 2019, and 2021.[4] In 2024, it was represented by Olly Alexander with "Dizzy", which finished in 18th place.[2] The United Kingdom is the country that has hosted the contest the most times, with nine in total (in 1960, 1963, 1968, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1982, 1998, and 2023).
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, the BBC organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. The broadcaster has used various methods to select its entry: From 1957 to 2010, it organised a national final which featured a competition among several artists and songs to choose its entry for the contest. Between 2011 and 2015, the BBC opted to internally select its entry.[5] For its 2016 entry, the broadcaster announced that a national final would be organised again.[6] The same process was used in 2017 and 2018, and changes were brought in for 2019. From 2020, the BBC opted to return to an internal selection.[7]
References
edit- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2024/uk-eurovision-2025-act-song-plans-confirmed/
- ^ a b "United Kingdom". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ Eames, Tom (11 May 2023). "UK at Eurovision: Who has won the Song Contest for the UK and when have they finished last?". Smooth. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ "United Kingdom in Eurovision Voting & Points". Eurovisionworld. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ Adams, William Lee (16 May 2011). "Eurovision 2011: Have Jedward and Blue Made the World's Biggest Song Contest Cool Again?". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ "Public to help choose UK Eurovision entry". BBC News Online. BBC. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "BBC drops Eurovision selection public vote". BBC News Online. BBC. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.