The UK seem to do well when we get involved in the pomp and ceremony of what people consider 'British'. Andrew Lloyd Webber on the piano playing a classy ballad with Jade delivering a strong vocal, Sam Ryder channelling the greats of the 1970s. Maybe that's the lane we are best at, although it would be nice to do well with something more progressive too, but BBC just don't do that well it seems.

Certainly Italy do well by being unashamedly and unflinchingly Italian. It would be interesting to explore British culture more - you could use Celtic instruments or the Welsh choir tradition for example, but weave it into something that feels current.

This came up on my TikTok earlier. I would go with something like this. The BBC like middle of the road and Cammy Barnes is that but has a great voice and him playing the bagpipes adds something different.

Edited May 18May 18 by darrens94

There are talents out there...

<3

I wonder if going back to a national competition would work - but the acts/songs need to be worthy of ESC. For years we just had loads of crap so of course the winner of that crap did nothing in the contest.

At the time I also think the UK had a gender bias issue with public voting contests - with female artists and groups often losing out to male singers with weaker songs/performances (I always tagged on things like X Factor and Popstar to Operastar to that - the fact that Claire Richards didn’t make the final of the latter spoke volumes to me at the time)

Edited May 24May 24 by Herbs