The UK’s Null-Points Eurovision Nightmare

Look Mum, No Computer performing their entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026

I’m an unashamed fan of the Eurovision Song Contest. Having watched it over many years, I have loved the way it brings countries together annually to celebrate music and creativity, and have actually marvelled at the evolving change over the years in style, fashion and actual songs. 

The 2026 competition was a far cry from even 40 years ago, particularly in staging, outfits and musical emphasis, to the extent that our entry was described as "bonkers' on social media. But, regardless of the inevitable changes, the Eurovision Song Contest guarantees an entertaining night.

Sadly, it has increasingly turned sour for the UK entries. To see the extent to which our fortunes have changed dismally, we only have to contrast our performance during the first 12 years of participation with the most recent 12 years of the competition. This comparison shows a massive shift in recognition of our entries, where we moved from being a dominant powerhouse within the event to a country that frequently struggles to find its voice and audience.

Taking a closer look, the UK joined the Eurovision Song Contest in its second year, 1957, and a snapshot of the first 12 years’ performance revealed them to be a kind of golden age for us when we could do nothing wrong. During this time the UK established a blueprint for how it was done, judging by the way its style and songs were constantly imitated by other countries. Our performers were rarely just an option on the leaderboard, because they consistently determined the results near the very top. In fact. out of these 12 early appearances, the UK finished in the Top 2 a staggering 8 times, which included two first places.

Fast forward to the most recent 12 years (from 2014-2026) and the contrast could not be more stark and disappointing. These years, in particular, have acted as a harsh reality check. Due to a mix of various factors - social, political, cultural - and a perceived lack of transparency and competitive willpower from the UK selection process, the results have plummeted. We have  finished last, or second-to-last, 7 times out of these 12 years! 

How the mighty has fallen, one could say. Yet Sam Ryder's spectacular 2022 performance , when he came second, served as a brilliant reminder of what is possible when real competence matches ambition.

We cannot expect to win with every entry, but we shouldn’t be hitting the bottom with every entry either given our diverse society, enormous talent, creativity and cultural mix. And that last aspect could be a huge part of the problem.

If you look at every representative of the United Kingdom to the contest, you would never believe this was a diverse country. Every main performer has been White, the main commentator is White, with not even the pretext of adding additional voices, the writers who cover the competition also conform to this rigid, monocultural and exclusive representation of modern Britain. 

Above all, the songs lack authenticity of our cultural mix and artistic makeup, and the creativity around them is almost dire. One could say that our annual representation at this event each year borders on a racist format which pointedly excludes the music and participation of other ethnicities and sections of society. Worst still, we seem to keep doing the same thing over and over again each year, yet expecting different results, while ignoring the vast amount of talent that is not being tapped at all. 

Yet it can be done with unexpected results.

One of the most beautiful songs I heard last year was a duet with Ed Sheeran and Indian singing maestro Arijit Singh called ‘Sapphire’. That was an amazing lesson in what can be achieved when we lose the narrow perspective and the blinkered approach. The track is part of the album Play, which was a major cross-cultural collaboration, blending Western pop with traditional Indian musical elements, and became a smash hit across continents. The audiences loved it. 

Where is the similar collaboration between our communities on the Eurovision entries? Where is the song with the hint of reggae, Chinese, or South Asian vibes, and the faces that are diverse?

The BBC, which is in charge of organising our entries, and is paying for the privilege as a sponsor with taxpayers’ money from every section of the community, needs to stop using our money to enhance and promote only one part of our society. That is simply biased and discriminatory, whether intentional or not.

I won’t hold my breath for next year’s entry. On present blinkered form, we’ll just keep producing the monocultural offerings, to continue getting what we’ve always got, and ensuring our place at the bottom of the pack.