MPs launch inquiry into UK's poor Eurovision record
UK MPs are investigating why Britain performs so badly at Eurovision despite its world-class music industry, and how entrants are selected.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Parliament has stepped into the long-running national debate about the UK's poor Eurovision results. A cross-party committee of MPs has launched an inquiry into how Britain chooses its Eurovision entry, with the BBC expected to be called to give evidence.
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee wants to understand why a country that produces some of the world's biggest music acts so often fails at the contest. The chair, Dame Caroline Dinenage, said it was time to get to the bottom of "who chooses our entrant, on what basis and whether our dismal record of achievement in recent years, Sam Ryder to one side, is the result of bad song choice, weak performance or something else."
The inquiry follows another last-place finish in 2024, when Look Mum, No Computer scored just one point. That came after James Newman's nul points in 2021 and Mae Muller's second-from-last finish in 2023. The only recent bright spot was Sam Ryder, who came second in 2022. The UK has not won the contest since Katrina and the Waves in 1997.
MPs are particularly puzzled by the gap between the UK's commercial music success and its Eurovision failures. The committee will examine whether the problem lies in the song, the performer, the staging, or the way the BBC and record labels select acts.
Some commentators say the UK has simply failed to keep up with the contest's evolution. Paul Jordan, a Eurovision commentator, said Britain has "forgotten how to do Eurovision" and that other countries are "more daring, more ambitious." He argued that the contest needs three things: a good song, a strong singer and memorable staging, and the UK has often missed at least one of those.
Others point to politics or public perception. But Jordan rejected the idea that Europe dislikes the UK, noting that countries with difficult political histories have won. The inquiry will also consider whether the BBC is getting value for money, since entries are funded by public money.
The committee is expected to hear evidence from BBC executives and music industry figures in the coming months. The inquiry is part of a "state-of-play" process that allows the public to suggest topics for scrutiny.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MPs are to scrutinise the UK's Eurovision selection process, which involves the BBC, with BBC figures expected to give evidence. | · | ||||
| James Newman received no points for the UK in Eurovision 2021. | · | · | · | ||
| Mae Muller came second from bottom for the UK in Eurovision 2023. | · | · | · | ||
| The BBC selects the UK's Eurovision entrant. | · | · | · | ||
| The UK last won Eurovision in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves. | · | · | · | ||
| Countries with difficult political histories have previously won Eurovision. | · | · | · | · | |
| Sam Ryder achieved a number one album after Eurovision and now performs in London's West End. | · | · | · | · | |
| Since 1997, the UK has finished last at Eurovision more often than it has finished in the top ten. | · | · | · | · | |
| The BBC may require sponsorship or private donations to fund Eurovision staging. | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News framed the inquiry as a response to years of frustration, and used its entertainment correspondent to explain the selection process. It also highlighted the rarity of recent success and the difficulty of persuading big stars like Adele to take part.
- “we want to get to the bottom of who chooses our entrant, on what basis and whether our dismal record of achievement in recent years, Sam Ryder to one side, is the result of bad song choice, weak performance or something else.”
- “asking someone like Adele to perform in Eurovision or something like that, I'm sure they'd love it, but those artists are not going to say yes to that kind of thing.”
BBC ONE West covered the story with a regional angle, noting the inquiry is part of a 'state-of-play' process where public suggestions are considered. It also reported the same quote from the committee chair and highlighted the conundrum of a world-leading music industry producing poor Eurovision acts.
- “we want to get to the bottom of who chooses our entrant, on what basis, and whether our dismal record of achievement in recent years, Sam Ryder to one side, is the result of bad song choice, weak performance or something else.”
- “Conundrum Lizo, thank you very much indeed.”
ITV1 presented the story with a mix of nostalgia and public opinion, featuring clips of past winners and asking people on the street why the UK does so badly. It also stressed the public money angle and the need for accountability.
- “I think the BBC should be held to account on whether we're getting value for money but on top of that you know we have world-class music industry here in the UK.”
- “Nobody really likes us in Europe so that's probably why.”
Sky News took an opinion-led approach, interviewing Eurovision commentator Paul Jordan. The discussion covered whether MPs should be spending time on this, the key ingredients for Eurovision success, and the role of money and staging.
- “I have mixed feelings on it, really, because for years I've argued that we are missing an opportunity with Eurovision.”
- “I think when it comes to Eurovision, you need three things. You need the song, you need the singer and you need the staging or the performance.”
5 News focused on the history of UK Eurovision failures, listing past entries that scored low or nul points. It framed the inquiry as a bid to solve a long-standing national embarrassment, and included a superfan's critique that Britain has not moved with the times.
- “I think Britain has forgotten how to do Eurovision. We've not moved with the times. The contest has changed over the years and we've not kept pace.”
- “We have world-class songwriters, world-class performers, world-class technical musicians. Why is it that we consistently underperform at Eurovision?”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.