Here is the full list of points for the entries this year. Many congratulations to Italy, who won the public vote, Switzerland, who won the Jury vote and France who came 2nd in both!
- Italy: Måneskin “Zitti e buoni” 524
- France: Barbara Pravi “Voilà” 499
- Switzerland: Gjon’s Tears “Tout l’Univers” 432
- Iceland: Daði og Gagnamagnið “10 Years” 378
- Ukraine: Go_A “Shum” 364
- Finland: Blind Channel “Dark Side” 301
- Malta: Destiny “Je me casse” 255
- Lithuania: The Roop “Discoteque” 220
- Russia: Manizha “Russian Woman” 204
- Greece: Stefania “Last Dance” 170
- Bulgaria: Victoria “Growing Up Is Getting Old” 170
- Portugal: The Black Mamba “Love Is on My Side” 153
- Moldova: Natalia Gordienko “Sugar” 115
- Sweden: Tusse “Voices” 109
- Serbia: Hurricane “Loco Loco” 102
- Cyprus: Elena Tsagrinou “El diablo” 94
- Israel: Eden Alene “Set Me Free” 93
- Norway: Tix “Fallen Angel” 75
- Belgium: Hooverphonic “The Wrong Place” 74
- Azerbaijan: Efendi “Mata Hari” 65
- Albania: Anxhela Peristeri “Karma” 57
- San Marino: Senhit feat. Flo Rida “Adrenalina” 50
- Netherlands: Jeangu Macrooy “Birth of a New Age” 11
- Spain: Blas Cantó “Voy a quedarme” 6
- Germany: Jendrik “I Don’t Feel Hate” 3
- United Kingdom: James Newman “Embers” 0
As has often been the case, Moldova do far better than anyone expects them to. For me the only unexpected Top 10 nation this year would be Russia and I am surprised to Finland at 6th, bearing in mind that the rock lovers' votes would have been split. You have to wonder whether they would not have won without Italy's performance being so good.
For so long the favourite, Malta's performer looked pretty annoyed throughout most of the voting as it became clear that she wasn't going to win after all, or even make the Top 3. Iceland's 4th place may well be down to a great deal of affection for the group that has developed since they were unable not only to win (as might well have happened last year) but also not perform live this year. They deserved a Top 10 place anyway.
I was pleased to see Ukraine do so well, not just because of my own connection with the country but it was different and quite a remarkable performance that stood out with genuine talent, whether that particular talent is up your street or not.
The UK's dismal result may be dramatically bad enough to persuade someone somewhere that it should not be some BBC faceless committee that selects our songs and some real thought needs to go into how we approach this whole thing.
Entering someone who came 8th in an X Factor show some years back worked quite well for Lucie Jones who produced our last reasonable result, although even that wasn't particularly memorable at 15th. You have to wonder what would have happened if we'd entered someone who came 1st or 2nd. Joe McElderry, Olly Murs! Blue were our last reasonable effort, 11th in 2011. Our best recent place was Jade Ewen at 5th in 2009 and I remember that Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber was heavily involved in writing the number and helping Jade with her performance. She already had experience on the big stage too, although was not as well known as we might have liked and might have been necessary to get a higher international recognition and vote. A lot of effort went into that year.
This morning (Sunday 23 May) I happened by chance to watch a programme in which a group of people were singing at a small church gathering in Woodford Wells, Essex. There were a number of songs that this group performed which would have blown the voting wide open had they been at Eurovision this year. I reckon they could well have won the thing as the songs were that good and the performance by the lead girl and bloke genuinely inspiring. Now I don't know whether Christian stuff is permitted in Eurovision and perhaps it is not permitted to support any particular religion other than the Devil or something Balkan and weird. Naturally it won't get the Muslim vote but I would say get hold of Simon Cowell, put these guys together and put them on the stage in Rome next year. Give the profits to the Church and everyone should be happy. We might even win. But for God's sake no more people we have never heard of or who write songs for other people but have no record of success in the charts, no more old people who are past their Engelbert sell-by dates, no more manufactured groups for the occasion.
And if those Church folk aren't available, call up Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, or someone who has actually had a pile of hits and is known abroad. No gimmicks, just talent and confident performance on the night. Give the public a chance to select one or two tracks out of a bunch of possibles. Not in a rushed week like we've had in recent years when only a few people listening to Radio 2 might have heard the choices more than once but over a decent period so they get a really good airing. James Newman sounded out of breath and seldom finished words properly. Normally that wouldn't matter in a pop song but with his voice and that song it did.
The BBC are in for a lot of criticism at the moment so now is a good time to make someone there take notice. We have had enough. It does affect us. Coming last in Eurovision, with zero points from anyone, is embarrassing. Some of us predicted this. Despite commentators saying how we really have a chance this year and trying to be positive and telling us all how James is a nice guy, most of us who have followed Eurovision for years knew damn well from the moment we heard the song that it was not going to do well.
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