If there was no 'big 5', since the inception of the semi finals & also no 'if you were top X the year before, you're through', which of the Big 5 entries would've qualified and which wouldn't?

 

United Kingdom is an easy place to start the focus.

 

I literally can't think of any of ours that would've qualified other than:

 

2009 - Jade Ewen - It's My Time

2011 - Blue - I Can

2017 - Lucie Jones - Never Give Up On You

I think we’d have long since given up before that but I think Children Of The Universe would have made it through also.

 

Italy would obviously have the best qualification record, with only La Mia Citta possibly missing. Germany would be similarly dismal to us, only getting through in their big hit years.

 

The problems we have are also prevalent in France and Germany when either of them aren’t on a good run, Germany especially but France had it too for a few years after the failure of Sognu. It’s clear that some of these entries wouldn’t have been picked or sent if there was a risk for the broadcaster that their entry would miss out on the final. Spain too to an extent but more of their bad results can be chalked up to only them and Portugal really appreciating Latin-style music.

Germany came fourth last year, they have won once this decade as well (being only of the big 5 to do so), so they are more like hit or miss where UK is just "miss" basically.

If we had to qualify for the final, maybe more effort would be put into producing a decent song. The BBC would not want to risk devoting four hours on a Saturday night to a contest with no British interest. They would have to accept that it might happen occasionally, but wouldn't want it to be the norm.

If we had to qualify for the final, maybe more effort would be put into producing a decent song. The BBC would not want to risk devoting four hours on a Saturday night to a contest with no British interest. They would have to accept that it might happen occasionally, but wouldn't want it to be the norm.

 

It would also shut up all the moaners who hate eurovision and resent us contributing towards one of the cheapest bits of 4 hours of high ratings of the BBC year. For those who whinge we never win: Netherlands have waited 44 years; Portugal had to wait 60 years or thereabouts to win. For those who insist it's because we are hated: it's not, it's our shit entries chosen by the BBC which is self-fulfilling as no-one wants to be associated with a shit brand. Sweden nearly won. Jon co-wrote ours, but it was clearly a cast-off and he kept the best stuff for himself. We need the best stuff, the best singer, not sloppy seconds sung by TV competition losers.