Euro pop star Andy fails in contest
Published:
VETERAN Eurovision Song Contest commentator Sir Terry Wogan has cast doubt on whether he would be involved in covering the event again.
He said it was “no longer a music contest” and that prospects for Western European participants were “poor”.
He spoke out near the end of his commentary after Britain’s entry Andy Abraham had a disappointing night in the 53rd contest.
The former binman finished joint last of the 25 finalists.
Heart throb Dima Bilan of Russia romped to victory with a massive 272 points with a big ballad, produced by US r&b star Timbaland, called Believe.
Bilan was returning for a second time after he narrowly lost out to shock Finnish rockers Lordi in 2006.
The contest was held in the Serbian capital Belgrade and was due to be watched by more than 100 million television viewers across Europe.
Sir Terry said 43-year-old Abraham, who found fame on TV talent show the X Factor, deserved more votes from other countries than he received.
He said: “It’s a disappointment, considering that Andy Abraham gave, I think, the performance of his life with a song that certainly deserved more marks than it got.”
Referring to certain other songs in the competition, he added: “You have to say that this is no longer a music contest.”
And he said: “I have to decide whether I want to do this again. Western European participants have to decide whether they want to to take part from here on in, because their prospects are poor.”
He did not want to take anything away from Russia, though, which had won comfortably.
Abraham co-wrote a soulful song called Even If but bookmakers had feared for its fate, giving it long odds of 66-1 before the start.
Sir Terry said, though: “What a blinding performance he gave for the UK.”
However he received only 14 points.
