United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Encyclopedia
The United Kingdom and the British Broadcasting Corporation
(BBC) confirmed their participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, despite their last place finish in 2008
. Jade Ewen
was selected on 31 January 2009, to represent the UK at Eurovision with "It's My Time", a song composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber
and lyrics written by Diane Warren
. Coming fifth out of the forty-two countries participating, the United Kingdom achieved their highest placing since 2002
, when they placed third.
(EBU) for the organisation of the event.
The United Kingdom's result history has varied. The country is one of the most successful at the contest, having won on five occasions (in 1967
, 1969
, 1976
, 1981
and 1997
), however, it has only made the Top 10 on two occasions since the turn of the millennium, as well as coming last three times during that period (in 2003
, 2008
and 2010
). The leader of the Conservative Party
, David Cameron
, had called for the UK to withdraw from the 2009 contest due to the 2008 South Ossetia war
, but to no avail.
The British public broadcaster, the BBC
broadcasts the event each year and organises the selection process for the entry. In all cases, a national final has selected the British Eurovision entry, varying between both a selection of performer and song, or just a song selection with an internal selection for the artist being held. For most years, the public had been able to vote for the winner, using in the past postcard voting, where the viewers sent postcards with their vote to the BBC, but more recently televoting
.
style national selection would be used to find the British representative for 2009
. A call for singers was made on BBC One
on 18 October 2008 before the dancing programme Strictly Come Dancing
by Andrew Lloyd Webber
in a 'Queen's Speech
' style presentation. Entrants had to be 17 years old by 1 January 2009, live in the UK or in a country inside the European Economic Area
. Entrants also had to send in a video
of themselves performing a cover of a song, or a song they had written themselves. The entry deadline closed on 21 November 2008. Swedish
singer Nina Söderquist
had been approached by the BBC to compete in the competition, having been performing in the musical comedy Spamalot
on the London West End
, but she declined the offer, having been selected to compete in the Swedish Eurovision selection Melodifestivalen
, and placed 5th in the first semi final, which was held on 7 February 2009.
Each live show was presented by Graham Norton
and, like in other similar BBC shows (such as Any Dream Will Do
), was fronted by Andrew Lloyd Webber
. Each week the viewing British public voted a contestant out through televoting
. There were three contestants remaining by the final on 31 January, with the winner competing for the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
. The song, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber
and Diane Warren
, was first publicly performed by Mark Evans during the final of Eurovision: Your Country Needs You on 31 January 2009.
in Moscow, the venue for the contest, where the duo remark how an amateur performer would have a hard time filling the 20,000 seat arena. In Moscow, Lloyd Webber met Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
, as well as meeting some Russian Eurovision fans, who suggest that the UK should avoid amateur performers and focus on a more professional approach. Lloyd Webber and Norton also visited Poland and Hungary; in the latter, Lloyd Webber is "more famous than the Beatles
". The programme also featured Graham Norton interviewing Dima Bilan
, the winner of last year's Eurovision Song Contest
.
Back in Britain, Lloyd Webber teams 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 room
s" as Norton says, we get 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, we are finally introduced to the final six qualifiers. They are five-piece "man band" the Emperors of Soul, twins Francine and Nicola Gleadall and soloists Damien Flood, Charlotte Finlay, Mark Evans and Jade Ewen.
Viewing figures for the first show were successful, with an average of 4.9 million viewers watching the show, peaking at 5.6 million, a 21% share of the television audience.
Lloyd Webber revealed that "what you see is what you get", in that there will be no camera trickery or hidden backing singers, and all artists performed live to a 17 piece band
in the studio. Lulu
and Arlene Phillips
were also featured on the show, giving their opinions on each act.
At the start of the show, all six acts sang the 1974 Eurovision
winner "Waterloo" by ABBA
. The artists also gave two further performances on stage during the voting interval, with the girls performing "One Rock & Roll Too Many" from Lloyd Webber's musical Starlight Express
, while the boys performed "No Matter What
" by Boyzone
. It was also revealed that famous songwriter Diane Warren
will write the lyrics to the winning song.
A video clip was shown of the acts singing at the O2 Arena
in London, so they could have an experience of performing within a big arena. As the voting ended, Lemar
sang "Weight of the World" from his new album The Reason. During the results, Emperors of Soul, Mark, the Twins and Jade were all saved from the "danger zone", while Charlotte and Damien gained the least votes. Lloyd Webber saved Charlotte from elimination, saying that he believed that she would learn more from the experience. Damien was eliminated from the competition.
The first live show of Your Country Needs You averaged 5 million viewers, an increase from the introduction show. The viewing figures, seen as another success, made the show BBC One
's third most watched programme of the day.
, formerly of Blue, who gave their opinions of the acts during the show.
The remaining acts opened the show by singing Brotherhood of Man
's winning Eurovision song from 1976
"Save Your Kisses for Me
". Two more performances were made by the acts, each of which were written by Diane Warren
. The boys performed "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
", originally by Starship
, while the girls performed "Rhythm of the Night
" by DeBarge
.
Diane Warren, who will write the lyrics to this year's British entry, joined Andrew during the voting. A video clip was also shown, showing the acts meeting with warren during the previous week in preparation for their performances. As the voting ended, British girl group The Saturdays
performed "Up
" from their new album. Band member Una Healy
also talked about her own experiences of Eurovision, when she was a backing singer for Brian Kennedy
, who represented Ireland
at the 2006 contest
. Previews of the songs from Albania
, Greece and Turkey were also shown, while Lloyd Webber and Norton gave their opinion on them.
As the results were given in the studio, the Twins, Jade and Mark were saved from the "danger zone", while the Emperors of Soul and Charlotte, for the second time, received the least votes. Lloyd Webber saved the Emperors of Soul, saying that he thought that Charlotte would not be able to handle the grandness of the Eurovision stage in Moscow, but also saying that he thought she had a big career ahead of her.
and Emma Bunton
, giving their opinions. Each act sang two songs during the live show—one a slower ballad, the other a more up-tempo number.
The show was opened, as always by a group performance: Lulu performed their winning Eurovision entry from 1969
, "Boom Bang-a-Bang
" while two more group performances were made during the televoting period. The boys performed "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
", originally by Elton John
, while the girls performed "I'll Stand by You
" by The Pretenders
.
As the voting ended, a video clip was played showing the public's reaction to the show, Andrew's involvement and who they want to win and represent the UK at Eurovision. Also shown is Graham meeting with the remaining acts' families and friends. Alesha, who had been present during the show, performed "Breathe Slow
" as the votes were counted. Nicola and Francine, and Mark were all saved from the "danger zone", while Jade and Emperors of Soul received the fewest votes. Andrew saved Jade from elimination, and so Emperors of Soul were forced to leave the competition.
, was present and performed his winning song "Believe" during the show. Each artist performed three songs during the show: a new song; a song previously performed by the artist in one of the heats; and their performance of the UK Eurovision entry, "It's My Time".
Ewen's promotional tour started with an appearance at the Maltese national selection
on 7 February 2009, which was followed by a performance at the Greek national selection
on 18 February 2009, and one at Bosnia and Herzegovina's song presentation show
on 1 March 2009. On 7 March, she attended the Russian selection show
, where it was rumoured that she may sing in Russian, but this failed to materialise and she subsequently sang in English. Following Russia, Ewen performed at the Ukrainian national final
on 8 March.
The second UKEurovision Preview Party was held at the Scala Club
in London on 17 April, where seven competing acts in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, coming from Poland, Ukraine
, Iceland
, Cyprus
, Romania
, Bulgaria
and Ireland
, performed along with three former Eurovision participants: Friðrik Ómar
, one part of the 2008 Icelandic entry Euroband
, 1998 UK runner-up Imaani
and the 2002 UK entry Jessica Garlick
who came third. The next day, 18 April, Ewen was one of 23 competing acts in the 2009 Contest to perform at a Eurovision concert in Amsterdam
. She also appeared on RTL 4
's "Life and Cooking" while in the Netherlands.
Ewen concluded her pre-contest promotion in the UK, where she appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
on 1 May, as well as Saturday Kitchen
with James Martin
on 2 May. On 3 May she appeared on Taniec z Gwiazdami
, the Polish
version of Strictly Come Dancing
, and then on 4 May, she was a guest on BBC One
's The One Show
, appearing alongside Arlene Phillips
.
In the week before the Contest, Ewen's Russian promotion included a free copy of her entry, It's My Time, being given away with copies of the Russian OK!
Magazine. The magazine also included an interview with Jade, where she announced that she would be delighted to receive 12 points from Russia.
Terry Wogan
announced he would not be returning as commentator, a role he has performed continuously since 1980. He was succeeded in the role by Graham Norton
, host of the Eurovision Dance Contest 2007
and 2008
. Paddy O'Connell
and Sarah Cawood
commentated during the two semi finals. The results of the UK televoting were announced by former Blue
singer, Duncan James
. At the end of voting, the UK received 173 points, placing it fifth, however the UK would have finished 3rd with 223 points if only the juries votes had counted. The show received an average of 7.8 million viewers, which is a 35.3% share of the UK TV audience.
Where there were two countries on the same score, the act with the higher public phone vote is judged to have been the winner. Then the votes were converted to the traditional 12, 10, 8, 7 down to 1 scoring.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
(BBC) confirmed their participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, despite their last place finish in 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
. Jade Ewen
Jade Ewen
Jade Almarie Louise Ewen is an English singer, songwriter, actress and member of the Sugababes. Ewen began her singing career in a girl group named Trinity Stone signed to Sony BMG in 2005, but they disbanded in 2007 with no album released...
was selected on 31 January 2009, to represent the UK at Eurovision with "It's My Time", a song composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
and lyrics written by Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
. Coming fifth out of the forty-two countries participating, the United Kingdom achieved their highest placing since 2002
Eurovision Song Contest 2002
The Eurovision Song Contest 2002 was the 47th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place on 25 May 2002 at the Saku Suurhall Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
, when they placed third.
Background
The United Kingdom sent its fifty-second entry to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009. It automatically qualified to the final as one of the "Big Four" countries that pays the most money to the European Broadcasting UnionEuropean Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
(EBU) for the organisation of the event.
The United Kingdom's result history has varied. The country is one of the most successful at the contest, having won on five occasions (in 1967
Eurovision Song Contest 1967
The Eurovision Song Contest 1967 was the twelfth Eurovision Song Contest. The presenter became confused whilst the voting was taking place, and declared the United Kingdom's entry to be the winner before the last country, Ireland, had announced its votes...
, 1969
Eurovision Song Contest 1969
The Eurovision Song Contest 1969 was the 14th in the series. It was the first time that the contest resulted in a tie for first place, with four countries each gaining 18 votes. Since there was at the time no rule to cover such an eventuality, all four countries were declared joint winners...
, 1976
Eurovision Song Contest 1976
The Eurovision Song Contest 1976, the 21st in the series, was held in The Hague, Netherlands, on 3 April 1976. With Corry Brokken as the presenter – the first time a previous winner of the contest had played hostess – the contest was won by Brotherhood of Man, representing the United...
, 1981
Eurovision Song Contest 1981
The Eurovision Song Contest 1981 was the 26th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 4 April 1981 at the Simmonscourt Pavilion of the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin. The presenter was Doireann Ní Bhriain...
and 1997
Eurovision Song Contest 1997
The Eurovision Song Contest 1997, was the 42nd Eurovision Song Contest and it was held at the Point Theatre Dublin, Ireland, on 3 May 1997. Boyzone member Ronan Keating and Carrie Crowley were the presenters of the show....
), however, it has only made the Top 10 on two occasions since the turn of the millennium, as well as coming last three times during that period (in 2003
Eurovision Song Contest 2003
The Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was the forty-eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Skonto Hall in Riga, Latvia on 24 May 2003. The hosts were Marie N and Renārs Kaupers. Sertab Erener, the Turkish entrant, won the contest with "Everyway That I Can", scoring 167 points. The winning...
, 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
and 2010
Eurovision Song Contest 2010
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest, broadcast from the Telenor Arena in Bærum, Greater Oslo, Norway. It was the third time Norway had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1986 and 1996. The 2010 winner was Germany with Lena singing "Satellite",...
). The leader of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, had called for the UK to withdraw from the 2009 contest due to the 2008 South Ossetia war
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
, but to no avail.
The British public broadcaster, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
broadcasts the event each year and organises the selection process for the entry. In all cases, a national final has selected the British Eurovision entry, varying between both a selection of performer and song, or just a song selection with an internal selection for the artist being held. For most years, the public had been able to vote for the winner, using in the past postcard voting, where the viewers sent postcards with their vote to the BBC, but more recently televoting
Televoting
Televoting, telephone voting or phone voting is a method of decision making and opinion polling conducted by telephone. Televoting can also extend to voting by SMS text message via a mobile cell phone.- Broadcast contest televoting :...
.
Eurovision: Your Country Needs You
The BBC announced that a new, X FactorThe X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
style national selection would be used to find the British representative for 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
. A call for singers was made on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on 18 October 2008 before the dancing programme Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
in a 'Queen's Speech
Speech from the Throne
A speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming session...
' style presentation. Entrants had to be 17 years old by 1 January 2009, live in the UK or in a country inside the European Economic Area
European Economic Area
The European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal...
. Entrants also had to send in a video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
of themselves performing a cover of a song, or a song they had written themselves. The entry deadline closed on 21 November 2008. Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
singer Nina Söderquist
Nina Söderquist
- Career :Nina started her career on Wallmans Salonger and as a choir girl behind many of Sweden's most popular singers. On February 2, 2008 Söderquist won the Swedish talent show West End Star on TV3. She won the prize of getting the leading role as "Lady of the Lake" in the London West End...
had been approached by the BBC to compete in the competition, having been performing in the musical comedy Spamalot
Spamalot
Monty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy "lovingly ripped off from" the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like the film, it is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian Legend, but it differs from the film in many ways, especially in its parodies of Broadway theatre...
on the London West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
, but she declined the offer, having been selected to compete in the Swedish Eurovision selection Melodifestivalen
Melodifestivalen 2009
Melodifestivalen 2009 was a Swedish song contest held between February and March 2009. It was the selection for the 49th song to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest, and was the 48th edition of Melodifestivalen...
, and placed 5th in the first semi final, which was held on 7 February 2009.
Each live show was presented by Graham Norton
Graham Norton
Graham William Walker, known by his stage name Graham Norton , is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist...
and, like in other similar BBC shows (such as Any Dream Will Do
Any Dream Will Do (TV series)
Any Dream Will Do, often known as 'Joseph', was a 2007 talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom. It searched for a new, unknown lead to play Joseph in a West End revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.The show...
), was fronted by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
. Each week the viewing British public voted a contestant out through televoting
Televoting
Televoting, telephone voting or phone voting is a method of decision making and opinion polling conducted by telephone. Televoting can also extend to voting by SMS text message via a mobile cell phone.- Broadcast contest televoting :...
. There were three contestants remaining by the final on 31 January, with the winner competing for the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
. The song, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
and Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
, was first publicly performed by Mark Evans during the final of Eurovision: Your Country Needs You on 31 January 2009.
Acts
| Performer | Location |
|---|---|
| Emperors of Soul | London |
| Charlotte Finlay | Essex Essex Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west... |
| Damien Flood | London |
| Francine and Nicola Gleadall | Sheffield Sheffield Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely... |
| Jade Ewen Jade Ewen Jade Almarie Louise Ewen is an English singer, songwriter, actress and member of the Sugababes. Ewen began her singing career in a girl group named Trinity Stone signed to Sony BMG in 2005, but they disbanded in 2007 with no album released... |
London |
| Mark Evans | North Wales North Wales North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England... |
Results summary
| Heat 1 | Heat 2 | Heat 3 | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jade Ewen Jade Ewen Jade Almarie Louise Ewen is an English singer, songwriter, actress and member of the Sugababes. Ewen began her singing career in a girl group named Trinity Stone signed to Sony BMG in 2005, but they disbanded in 2007 with no album released... |
1st |
1st |
Danger Zone(3rd) |
Winner |
| Nicola and Francine | 3rd |
3rd |
2nd |
Runner-up |
| Mark Evans | 2nd |
2nd |
1st |
3rd place |
| Emperors of Soul | 4th |
Danger Zone(4th) |
Lost ALW's save(4th) |
Eliminated (Heat 3) |
| Charlotte Finlay | Danger Zone(6th) |
Lost ALW's save(5th) |
Eliminated (Heat 2) |
|
| Damien Flood | Lost ALW's save(5th) |
Eliminated (Heat 1) |
||
Introduction show
On 3 January 2009, an introduction show to Your Country Needs You was aired. The show involved Andrew Lloyd Webber's quest to find the six acts that would compete in the live shows, as well as 'fact-finding' for Eurovision, involving visiting the Olimpiysky arenaOlympic Stadium (Moscow arena)
Olympic Stadium, known locally as the Olimpiyskiy or Olimpiski, is a large indoor arena, located in Moscow, Russia. It was built for the 1980 Summer Olympics and hosted the basketball and boxing events. A part of the Olimpiyskiy Sports Complex, it makes up one architectural ensemble with another...
in Moscow, the venue for the contest, where the duo remark how an amateur performer would have a hard time filling the 20,000 seat arena. In Moscow, Lloyd Webber met Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
, as well as meeting some Russian Eurovision fans, who suggest that the UK should avoid amateur performers and focus on a more professional approach. Lloyd Webber and Norton also visited Poland and Hungary; in the latter, Lloyd Webber is "more famous than the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
". The programme also featured Graham Norton interviewing Dima Bilan
Dima Bilan
' is a Russian actor and pop singer . Bilan represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Never Let You Go", finishing second, and he won the contest in 2008 in Belgrade, with the song "Believe". He has had several Russian no. 1 hits....
, the winner of last year's Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
.
Back in Britain, Lloyd Webber teams up with record company executive Colin Barlow
Colin Barlow
Colin Barlow is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger for Manchester City, Oldham Athletic and Doncaster Rovers.Barlow joined Manchester City as a schoolboy, turning professional in 1956...
, who has worked with the likes of Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
and Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
, 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 room
Living room
A living room, also known as sitting room, lounge room or lounge , is a room for entertaining adult guests, reading, or other activities...
s" as Norton says, we get 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, we are finally introduced to the final six qualifiers. They are five-piece "man band" the Emperors of Soul, twins Francine and Nicola Gleadall and soloists Damien Flood, Charlotte Finlay, Mark Evans and Jade Ewen.
Viewing figures for the first show were successful, with an average of 4.9 million viewers watching the show, peaking at 5.6 million, a 21% share of the television audience.
Heat 1
The first live show of Your Country Needs You was held on 10 January.Lloyd Webber revealed that "what you see is what you get", in that there will be no camera trickery or hidden backing singers, and all artists performed live to a 17 piece band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
in the studio. Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
and Arlene Phillips
Arlene Phillips
Arlene Phillips OBE is an English choreographer, theatre director, talent scout, TV presenter, TV judge and former dancer, who has worked in many fields of entertainment...
were also featured on the show, giving their opinions on each act.
At the start of the show, all six acts sang the 1974 Eurovision
Eurovision Song Contest 1974
The Eurovision Song Contest 1974 was the 19th Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in the seaside resort of Brighton on the south coast of the United Kingdom...
winner "Waterloo" by ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
. The artists also gave two further performances on stage during the voting interval, with the girls performing "One Rock & Roll Too Many" from Lloyd Webber's musical Starlight Express
Starlight Express
Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...
, while the boys performed "No Matter What
No Matter What (Boyzone song)
"No Matter What" is a song from the 1996 musical Whistle Down the Wind, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman and popularized by the group Boyzone. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart, and was the only Boyzone hit to become popular in the U.S. Jewels & Stone did a remix for the...
" by Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
. It was also revealed that famous songwriter Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
will write the lyrics to the winning song.
A video clip was shown of the acts singing at the O2 Arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London, so they could have an experience of performing within a big arena. As the voting ended, Lemar
Lemar
Lemar Obika , professionally known simply as Lemar, is an English recording artist. Obika has had a run of chart success in the UK, Europe and Australia...
sang "Weight of the World" from his new album The Reason. During the results, Emperors of Soul, Mark, the Twins and Jade were all saved from the "danger zone", while Charlotte and Damien gained the least votes. Lloyd Webber saved Charlotte from elimination, saying that he believed that she would learn more from the experience. Damien was eliminated from the competition.
The first live show of Your Country Needs You averaged 5 million viewers, an increase from the introduction show. The viewing figures, seen as another success, made the show BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's third most watched programme of the day.
| Draw | Artist | Song (original artists) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emperors of Soul | "Love Train Love Train "Love Train" is a hit single by the O'Jays, written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Released in 1972, it reached number one on both the R&B Singles and the Hot 100, in February and March 1973 respectively, and was certified gold by the RIAA. It was The O'Jays' first and only number-one record on... " (The O'Jays The O'Jays The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005... ) |
Safe |
| 2 | Mark Evans | "Your Game Your Game "Your Game" is the second single from Will Young's second studio album Friday's Child. It was co-written by Young, Taio Cruz and Blair MacKichan. It went to number three in the UK Singles Chart. The song also appears on the international version of Young's third album Keep On... " (Will Young Will Young William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise... ) |
Safe |
| 3 | Charlotte Finlay | "Because of You Because of You (Kelly Clarkson song) "Because of You" is a ballad written by pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson with David Hodges and Ben Moody, and produced by Hodges and Moody, both formerly of Evanescence. It is the fourth single from Clarkson's second album, Breakaway... " (Kelly Clarkson Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,... ) |
"Danger zone" |
| 4 | Damien Flood | "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You How Am I Supposed to Live Without You "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" is a song originally recorded by Laura Branigan in 1983. The song was recorded later the same decade by its co-writer, Michael Bolton.-Background:... " (Michael Bolton Michael Bolton Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack... ) |
Eliminated |
| 5 | Francine and Nicola Gleadall | "You've Got A Friend You've Got a Friend "You've Got a Friend" is a song from 1971, originally written and performed by Carole King. It was included in her album Tapestry of 1971, but was made famous by James Taylor's cover version the same year... " (Carole King Carole King Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S... ) |
Safe |
| 6 | Jade Ewen Jade Ewen Jade Almarie Louise Ewen is an English singer, songwriter, actress and member of the Sugababes. Ewen began her singing career in a girl group named Trinity Stone signed to Sony BMG in 2005, but they disbanded in 2007 with no album released... |
"Déjà Vu" (Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child... ) |
Safe |
Heat 2
The second heat of Your Country Needs You was held on 17 January. Lloyd Webber was joined by Lulu and Duncan JamesDuncan James
Duncan Matthew James Inglis is an English singer, actor and television presenter. He is best known as a member of the boyband Blue.-Early life:...
, formerly of Blue, who gave their opinions of the acts during the show.
The remaining acts opened the show by singing Brotherhood of Man
Brotherhood of Man
Brotherhood of Man are a British pop group who achieved success in the 1970s, most notably by winning the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest with "Save Your Kisses for Me"....
's winning Eurovision song from 1976
Eurovision Song Contest 1976
The Eurovision Song Contest 1976, the 21st in the series, was held in The Hague, Netherlands, on 3 April 1976. With Corry Brokken as the presenter – the first time a previous winner of the contest had played hostess – the contest was won by Brotherhood of Man, representing the United...
"Save Your Kisses for Me
Save Your Kisses For Me
"Save Your Kisses for Me" was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1976, performed for the United Kingdom by Brotherhood of Man in The Hague, Netherlands. The lyrics and music were written by Tony Hiller, Lee Sheriden, and Martin Lee, the latter two being members of the band...
". Two more performances were made by the acts, each of which were written by Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
. The boys performed "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" is a #1 hit song co-written by Albert Hammond and Diane Warren, recorded by Starship. Featured as the theme to the romantic comedy film Mannequin, it hit #1 in the Billboard Hot 100 on April 4, 1987 and reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart for four weeks the following...
", originally by Starship
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
, while the girls performed "Rhythm of the Night
Rhythm of the Night (song)
"Rhythm of the Night" is a 1985 hit single by the American R&B band DeBarge. The song is said to have been what jump started the career of songwriter Diane Warren and was the biggest hit recorded by the Motown family singing group.-History:...
" by DeBarge
DeBarge
DeBarge was a sibling music group of American origin whose repertoire included R&B, soul, funk, and later gospel. Active as a professional recording group from 1979 and 1989, the group was one of the few recording acts to bring success to the Motown label during the 1980s.-Background:Hailing from...
.
Diane Warren, who will write the lyrics to this year's British entry, joined Andrew during the voting. A video clip was also shown, showing the acts meeting with warren during the previous week in preparation for their performances. As the voting ended, British girl group The Saturdays
The Saturdays
The Saturdays are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London, United Kingdom. The group consists of five members Una Healy, Mollie King, Frankie Sandford, Vanessa White and Rochelle Wiseman. In 2007 the band were formed through Fascination Records which gave them an instant record deal with...
performed "Up
Up (The Saturdays song)
"Up" is a song performed by British-Irish recording girl group The Saturdays from their debut studio album, Chasing Lights . It was co-written by the track's producers, Josef Larossi and Andreas Romdhane of Quiz & Larossi, in collaboration with Ina Wroldsen...
" from their new album. Band member Una Healy
Una Healy
Una Theresa Imogene Healy is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician, best known for being one fifth of girl group The Saturdays...
also talked about her own experiences of Eurovision, when she was a backing singer for Brian Kennedy
Brian Kennedy (singer)
Brian Edward Patrick Kennedy is an Irish singer-songwriter and author, known for his ballads, and has represented Ireland at Eurovision 2006. He is the younger brother of musician Bap Kennedy.-Personal life:...
, who represented Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
at the 2006 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
. Previews of the songs from Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Greece and Turkey were also shown, while Lloyd Webber and Norton gave their opinion on them.
As the results were given in the studio, the Twins, Jade and Mark were saved from the "danger zone", while the Emperors of Soul and Charlotte, for the second time, received the least votes. Lloyd Webber saved the Emperors of Soul, saying that he thought that Charlotte would not be able to handle the grandness of the Eurovision stage in Moscow, but also saying that he thought she had a big career ahead of her.
| Draw | Artist | Song (original artists) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francine and Nicola Gleadall | "The Promise The Promise (Girls Aloud song) "The Promise" is a pop song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth studio album Out of Control . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania... " (Girls Aloud Girls Aloud Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor... ) |
Safe |
| 2 | Emperors of Soul | "Kiss Kiss (song) In 1988 Art of Noise released a cover of the song, featuring Tom Jones on vocals. The song became the band's biggest hit to that point, reaching number eighteen on the U.S. dance charts and number five on the UK Singles Chart, higher than the original in that country... " (Prince Prince (musician) Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of... ) |
"Danger zone" |
| 3 | Jade Ewen Jade Ewen Jade Almarie Louise Ewen is an English singer, songwriter, actress and member of the Sugababes. Ewen began her singing career in a girl group named Trinity Stone signed to Sony BMG in 2005, but they disbanded in 2007 with no album released... |
"The Voice Within The Voice Within "The Voice Within" is a song written by Christina Aguilera and Glen Ballard, with production by Ballard. It was released as the fifth and final single from Aguilera's second album, Stripped on December 23, 2003. The single peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Aguilera's seventh Top 40... " (Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994... ) |
Safe |
| 4 | Charlotte Finlay | "Rain On Your Parade Rain on Your Parade "Rain on Your Parade" is a song by Welsh recording artist Duffy from her debut studio album, Rockferry. Written by Duffy and Steve Booker, the song was released as the first single from the album's deluxe edition, and fifth overall, on 9 February 2009, by A&M Records... " (Duffy Duffy (singer) Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold... ) |
Eliminated |
| 5 | Mark Evans | "Me and Mrs. Jones Me and Mrs. Jones "Me and Mrs. Jones" is a soul song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. It describes an extramarital affair between a man and his lover, Mrs. Jones. It has been recorded by Billy Paul and Michael Bublé, amongst others.-Billy Paul version:"Me and Mrs... " (Billy Paul Billy Paul Billy Paul is a Grammy Award winning American soul singer, most known for his 1972 number-one single, "Me and Mrs. Jones" as well as the 1973 album and single "War of the Gods" which blends his more conventional pop, soul and funk styles with electronic and psychedelic influences... ) |
Safe |
Heat 3
The third heat and the semi-final, of Your Country Needs You was held on 24 January. Andrew and Lulu were joined by Alesha DixonAlesha Dixon
Alesha Anjanette Dixon is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model and television personality. She first found fame in the all-female R&B trio Mis-Teeq, however, the trio separated in 2005 and Dixon continued pursuing her music career as a solo artist, signing to Polydor Records...
and Emma Bunton
Emma Bunton
Emma Lee Bunton is an English pop singer/songwriter and TV and radio presenter. She was a member of the 1990s girl group, the Spice Girls, in which she was known as Baby Spice as she was the youngest member. In 2010, she joined the judging panel on ITV's Dancing on Ice...
, giving their opinions. Each act sang two songs during the live show—one a slower ballad, the other a more up-tempo number.
The show was opened, as always by a group performance: Lulu performed their winning Eurovision entry from 1969
Eurovision Song Contest 1969
The Eurovision Song Contest 1969 was the 14th in the series. It was the first time that the contest resulted in a tie for first place, with four countries each gaining 18 votes. Since there was at the time no rule to cover such an eventuality, all four countries were declared joint winners...
, "Boom Bang-a-Bang
Boom Bang-a-Bang
"Boom Bang-a-Bang" was the United Kingdom entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1969It was sung by Lulu, and was co-written by Alan Moorhouse and Peter Warne aka Michael Julien, the latter of who also wrote "Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me" for Shirley Bassey....
" while two more group performances were made during the televoting period. The boys performed "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is the first single from British musician Elton John's 1974 album Caribou; it was released that year during the latter half of May in the United Kingdom, and on 10 June in the United States.-Lyrics and music:...
", originally by Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, while the girls performed "I'll Stand by You
I'll Stand by You
"I'll Stand by You" is a 1994 song recorded by The Pretenders from their sixth studio album, Last of the Independents. Written by Chrissie Hynde in collaboration with the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg , it was the Pretenders' most recent significant hit single, and their last...
" by The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
.
As the voting ended, a video clip was played showing the public's reaction to the show, Andrew's involvement and who they want to win and represent the UK at Eurovision. Also shown is Graham meeting with the remaining acts' families and friends. Alesha, who had been present during the show, performed "Breathe Slow
Breathe Slow
"Breathe Slow" is the second single from Alesha Dixon's second album, The Alesha Show, released by Asylum Records, a part of Atlantic Records, on February 9, 2009. The song is now Dixon's most successful single to date in the United Kingdom, peaking at number three...
" as the votes were counted. Nicola and Francine, and Mark were all saved from the "danger zone", while Jade and Emperors of Soul received the fewest votes. Andrew saved Jade from elimination, and so Emperors of Soul were forced to leave the competition.
| Draw | Artist | First song (original artist) | Draw | Second song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mark Evans | "Rock Your Body Rock Your Body "Rock Your Body" is the third single from Justin Timberlake's solo debut album Justified. The song features Vanessa Marquez. She was at that time to Star Trak Entertainment.... " (Justin Timberlake Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez... ) |
5 | "I Don't Want to Talk About It I Don't Want to Talk About It "I Don't Want to Talk About It" is the name of a song written by Danny Whitten. Whitten's band, Crazy Horse released it as a track on their 1971 eponymous album.... " (Rod Stewart Rod Stewart Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry.... ) |
Safe |
| 2 | Jade Ewen Jade Ewen Jade Almarie Louise Ewen is an English singer, songwriter, actress and member of the Sugababes. Ewen began her singing career in a girl group named Trinity Stone signed to Sony BMG in 2005, but they disbanded in 2007 with no album released... |
"All by Myself All by Myself "All by Myself" is a power ballad written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975.The verse is based on the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18... " (Eric Carmen Eric Carmen Eric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It",... ) |
6 | "Think" (Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All... ) |
"Danger zone" |
| 3 | Emperors of Soul | "Patience Patience (Take That song) "Patience" is a song by British boy band Take That. It was released on 13 November 2006 as the first single from their comeback album Beautiful World... " (Take That Take That Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter... ) |
7 | "Uptown Girl Uptown Girl "Uptown Girl" is a song written and performed by musician Billy Joel, first released in 1983 on his album An Innocent Man. The lyrics describe a working-class "downtown man" attempting to woo a wealthy "uptown girl." The single peaked at #3 on the Billboard charts in the US, and #1 in the UK,... " (Billy Joel Billy Joel William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to... ) |
Eliminated |
| 4 | Francine and Nicola Gleadall | "About You Now About You Now "About You Now" is a 2007 single by English girl group Sugababes, written by Cathy Dennis and producer Dr. Luke for the group's fifth studio album, Change... " (Sugababes Sugababes The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London... ) |
8 | "All I Have to Do Is Dream All I Have to Do Is Dream "All I Have to Do Is Dream" is a popular song made famous by the Everly Brothers, written by the husband and wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, and published in 1958. The song is ranked No... " (The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing... ) |
Safe |
Final
The final of Your Country Needs You was held on 31 January, and decided who would represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision in Moscow. Three acts, Mark, Jade, and Francine and Nicola competed for the title. Last year's Eurovision winner, Dima BilanDima Bilan
' is a Russian actor and pop singer . Bilan represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Never Let You Go", finishing second, and he won the contest in 2008 in Belgrade, with the song "Believe". He has had several Russian no. 1 hits....
, was present and performed his winning song "Believe" during the show. Each artist performed three songs during the show: a new song; a song previously performed by the artist in one of the heats; and their performance of the UK Eurovision entry, "It's My Time".
| Draw | Artist | First song (original artist) | Draw | Eurovision song | Draw | Second song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jade Ewen Jade Ewen Jade Almarie Louise Ewen is an English singer, songwriter, actress and member of the Sugababes. Ewen began her singing career in a girl group named Trinity Stone signed to Sony BMG in 2005, but they disbanded in 2007 with no album released... |
"Lady Marmalade Lady Marmalade "Lady Marmalade" was also covered by Italian pop star Sabrina. It was released in 1987 as the album's second single by Baby Records. In some countries, including France and the Netherlands, the song was known as "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? " and was released in 1988.-Track listings:7" maxi#... " (Labelle Labelle Labelle is an American all female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the Philadelphia/Trenton areas, the Ordettes and the Del-Capris, forming as a new version of the former group, later changing... ) |
6 | "It's My Time" | 8 | "Déjà Vu" (Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child... ) |
Winner |
| 2 | Mark Evans | "Try a Little Tenderness Try a Little Tenderness "Try a Little Tenderness" is a love song written by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly and Harry M. Woods, and recorded initially on December 8, 1932 by the Ray Noble Orchestra followed by both Ruth Etting and Bing Crosby in 1933... " (The Commitments The Commitments The Commitments is a novel by Irish writer Roddy Doyle, and is the first episode in The Barrytown Trilogy. It is a tale about a group of unemployed young people in the north side of Dublin, Ireland, who start a soul band.-Plot summary:... ) |
4 | "It's My Time" | 9 | "Me and Mrs. Jones Me and Mrs. Jones "Me and Mrs. Jones" is a soul song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. It describes an extramarital affair between a man and his lover, Mrs. Jones. It has been recorded by Billy Paul and Michael Bublé, amongst others.-Billy Paul version:"Me and Mrs... " (Billy Paul Billy Paul Billy Paul is a Grammy Award winning American soul singer, most known for his 1972 number-one single, "Me and Mrs. Jones" as well as the 1973 album and single "War of the Gods" which blends his more conventional pop, soul and funk styles with electronic and psychedelic influences... ) |
3rd place |
| 3 | Francine and Nicola Gleadall | "Sweet About Me Sweet About Me "Sweet About Me" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi from her debut album, Lessons to Be Learned . Co-written with and produced by Xenomania, it was released in April 2008 as the album's lead single. The song was used in commercials for Sure and Dove Bodywash in Europe, as... " (Gabriella Cilmi Gabriella Cilmi Gabriella Lucia Cilmi is an Australian singer-songwriter. In 2008, Cilmi was awarded six ARIA awards including Single of the Year and Best Female Artist.... ) |
5 | "It's My Time" | 7 | "The Promise The Promise (Girls Aloud song) "The Promise" is a pop song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth studio album Out of Control . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania... " (Girls Aloud Girls Aloud Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor... ) |
Runner-up |
Promotion
For the first time the United Kingdom entry participated in a promotional tour to promote "It's My Time" in countries participating in the Contest.Ewen's promotional tour started with an appearance at the Maltese national selection
Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The Maltese broadcaster, Public Broadcasting Services held a national final, GO Malta EuroSong 2009, to select the Maltese entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, set to be held in Moscow, Russia...
on 7 February 2009, which was followed by a performance at the Greek national selection
Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Greece participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "This Is Our Night" sung by Sakis Rouvas. The Greek national television broadcaster Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi announced that it had internally selected Rouvas to represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest on July 15,...
on 18 February 2009, and one at Bosnia and Herzegovina's song presentation show
Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Bosnia and Herzegovina will be present at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The Bosnian and Herzegovinian broadcaster, Bosanskohercegovačka radiotelevizija , will held an internal selection to select the 2009 Bosnian and Herzegovinian representative...
on 1 March 2009. On 7 March, she attended the Russian selection show
Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Russia was the host of the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, held in the Russian capital Moscow, after Russia's win in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008...
, where it was rumoured that she may sing in Russian, but this failed to materialise and she subsequently sang in English. Following Russia, Ewen performed at the Ukrainian national final
Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Ukraine competed at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, with the seventh Ukrainian entrant selected by a national final held by Ukrainian broadcaster Natsionalna Telekompaniya Ukrainy ....
on 8 March.
The second UKEurovision Preview Party was held at the Scala Club
Scala (club)
Scala is a nightclub in London, England, near King's Cross railway station.-History:The Scala was originally built as a cinema to the designs of H Courtney Constantine, but construction was interrupted by the First World War and it spent some time being used to manufacture aircraft parts, and as a...
in London on 17 April, where seven competing acts in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, coming from Poland, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, performed along with three former Eurovision participants: Friðrik Ómar
Friðrik Ómar
Friðrik Ómar Hjorleifsson is an Icelandic singer probably best known for representing Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.- Career :...
, one part of the 2008 Icelandic entry Euroband
Eurobandið
Eurobandið is the name of Icelandic technopop and dance duo Friðrik Ómar and Regína Ósk, who together represented Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia. They performed the song "This Is My Life" in the second semi-final, on 22 May 2008 which won them a place in the final...
, 1998 UK runner-up Imaani
Imaani
Imaani Saleem is an English singer.-Career:In 1998 she entered the A Song For Europe competition to find the UK's song for the Eurovision Song Contest. Her track "Where Are You" was a runaway winner with the British public and was selected to represent the UK...
and the 2002 UK entry Jessica Garlick
Jessica Garlick
Jessica Julie Anne Garlick is a Welsh pop singer.Garlick made her first steps into showbusiness when she was 16. At that age she won the Welsh final of the TV talent show Star For A Night. The same year she also featured in Michael Barrymore's My Kind of Music...
who came third. The next day, 18 April, Ewen was one of 23 competing acts in the 2009 Contest to perform at a Eurovision concert in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. She also appeared on RTL 4
RTL 4
RTL 4 is a commercial television station in the Netherlands. It is the most-watched commercial station in the country, popular especially with those aged between 20 and 49. The station has three sister tv channels: RTL 5, RTL 7 and RTL 8...
's "Life and Cooking" while in the Netherlands.
Ewen concluded her pre-contest promotion in the UK, where she appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
on 1 May, as well as Saturday Kitchen
Saturday Kitchen
Saturday Kitchen Live is a 90 minute cookery programme, which is broadcast live on BBC One on Saturday mornings. It is currently presented by James Martin; previous presenters have included Antony Worrall Thompson and Gregg Wallace. The programme is currently produced by Cactus TV...
with James Martin
James Martin (chef)
James Martin , is an English cook who first appeared on television in 1996.-Television career:...
on 2 May. On 3 May she appeared on Taniec z Gwiazdami
Taniec z Gwiazdami
Taniec z gwiazdami is a Polish light entertainment reality television series broadcast by TVN. It is the Polish version of the BBC's popular Dancing with the Stars / Strictly Come Dancing franchise which has been sold to more than 30 countries worldwide.The 1st season of Taniec z gwiazdami aired...
, the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
version of Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
, and then on 4 May, she was a guest on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's The One Show
The One Show
The One Show is a topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One and BBC One HD, hosted by Alex Jones and Matt Baker. Chris Evans joins Jones to present the programme on Friday...
, appearing alongside Arlene Phillips
Arlene Phillips
Arlene Phillips OBE is an English choreographer, theatre director, talent scout, TV presenter, TV judge and former dancer, who has worked in many fields of entertainment...
.
In the week before the Contest, Ewen's Russian promotion included a free copy of her entry, It's My Time, being given away with copies of the Russian OK!
OK!
OK! is a British weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news. Originally launched as a monthly, its first issue was published in April 1993. In September 2004, OK! publishers Northern and Shell launched in Australia as a monthly title – the magazine went weekly in October 2006...
Magazine. The magazine also included an interview with Jade, where she announced that she would be delighted to receive 12 points from Russia.
At Eurovision
The United Kingdom and other "Big Four" countries automatically qualified for the final. On 16 March 2009, it was decided that the United Kingdom would perform in the final in the 23rd position. At the contest, Jade was accompanied on stage by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who played the piano during the performance. Jade wore a dress that was designed by the designer Amanda Wakeley. Arlene Philips was hired to choreograph the final performance.Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
announced he would not be returning as commentator, a role he has performed continuously since 1980. He was succeeded in the role by Graham Norton
Graham Norton
Graham William Walker, known by his stage name Graham Norton , is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist...
, host of the Eurovision Dance Contest 2007
Eurovision Dance Contest 2007
The Eurovision Dance Contest 2007 was the 1st Eurovision Dance Contest a dance entertainment co-production between the EBU and the BBC. The first ever pan-European dance competition was held on 1 September 2007 in London, United Kingdom with the participation of 16 countries...
and 2008
Eurovision Dance Contest 2008
The Eurovision Dance Contest 2008 was the second Eurovision Dance Contest and was held in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, hosted by BBC Scotland on 6 September.The winner of contest was Poland who achieved a score of 154 points...
. Paddy O'Connell
Paddy O'Connell
Guy Patrick Bennett O'Connell , known as Paddy O'Connell, is an English television and radio presenter, working mainly for the BBC....
and Sarah Cawood
Sarah Cawood
Sarah Cawood is an English television presenter.-Career:Cawood grew up in the Cambridgeshire village of Maxey and was educated at Stamford High School, Lincolnshire near Peterborough, United Kingdom. She also attended the Royal Ballet School and Arts Educational Schools London.Between 1995 and...
commentated during the two semi finals. The results of the UK televoting were announced by former Blue
Blue (boy band)
Blue are an English pop vocal group, whose members are Simon Webbe, Lee Ryan, Duncan James and Antony Costa. Blue originally formed in 2001 before splitting in 2005. In 2009, it was confirmed that the band would reform. In April 2009, the group reunited and a Best of Blue Tour was announced...
singer, Duncan James
Duncan James
Duncan Matthew James Inglis is an English singer, actor and television presenter. He is best known as a member of the boyband Blue.-Early life:...
. At the end of voting, the UK received 173 points, placing it fifth, however the UK would have finished 3rd with 223 points if only the juries votes had counted. The show received an average of 7.8 million viewers, which is a 35.3% share of the UK TV audience.
| 12 points | 10 points | 8 points | 7 points | 6 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 points | 4 points | 3 points | 2 points | 1 point |
Results of the Individual Jury and Televote
The United Kingdom's televoting and jury results for the final were as followshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/eurovision/news/05_may/uk_jury_result.shtml:| Draw | Country | Televote Points | Jury Points | Total | Final Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 7 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 8 | |
| 8 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 5 | |
| 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 3 | |
| 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 6 | |
| 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 17 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 7 | |
| 18 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 12 | |
| 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 20 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 10 | |
| 21 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 | |
| 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 23 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Where there were two countries on the same score, the act with the higher public phone vote is judged to have been the winner. Then the votes were converted to the traditional 12, 10, 8, 7 down to 1 scoring.
See also
- United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
- Eurovision Song Contest 2009Eurovision Song Contest 2009The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
- Cân i Gymru 2009Cân i Gymru 2009Cân i Gymru 2009 was held in Venue Cymru, Llandudno. It was presented by Sarra Elgan and Rhydian Phillips. On the jury there were 6 judges, one was Rhydian....