United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song contest - wikipedia United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song contest United Kingdom Member station BBC National selection events National final 1957 1959 -- 2010 2016 -- present Internal selection 2011 -- 2015 Participation summary Appearances 60 First appearance 1957 Best result 1st : 1967, 1969, 1976, 1981, 1997 Worst result Last : 2003, 2008, 2010 Nul points : 2003 External links BBC page United Kingdom 's page at Eurovision.tv For the most recent participation see United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 The United Kingdom has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 60 times and is one of the most successful countries to compete in the contest. They first participated in the second contest in 1957. The UK has entered every year since 1959, and has won the contest a total of five times. Along with Sweden, the UK is one of only two countries with Eurovision victories in four different decades. The United Kingdom is one of the `` Big 5 '', along with France, Germany, Italy and Spain who are automatically allowed to participate in the final as they are the five biggest financial contributors to the European Broadcasting Union ( EBU ). Up to and including 1998, the UK had only twice finished outside the top 10, in 1978 ( 11th ) and 1987 ( 13th ), with their five winners being Sandie Shaw with the song `` Puppet on a String '' in 1967, Lulu with `` Boom Bang - a-Bang '' in 1969 ( tied ), Brotherhood of Man with `` Save Your Kisses for Me '' in 1976, Bucks Fizz with `` Making Your Mind Up '' in 1981 and Katrina and the Waves with `` Love, Shine a Light '' in 1997. In addition, the UK has finished as runner - up on a record 15 occasions ; including Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson ( 1959 ), Matt Monro ( 1964 ), Kathy Kirby ( 1965 ), Cliff Richard ( 1968 ), Mary Hopkin ( 1970 ), The New Seekers ( 1972 ), Scott Fitzgerald ( 1988 ), Michael Ball ( 1992 ), Sonia ( 1993 ) and Imaani ( 1998 ). Since 1999, the year in which the rule was abandoned that songs must be performed in one of the official languages of the country participating, the UK has had less success, only finishing within the top ten twice. Jessica Garlick in 2002 finished joint third and Jade Ewen in 2009 finished fifth, Ewen in particular was praised after her performance of `` It 's My Time '' for ending the run of poor results the country had suffered for much of the decade. The British public broadcaster, the BBC, broadcasts the event each year and organises the selection process for the entry. In all cases ( prior to 2011 ), a televised national final has selected the British Eurovision entry, varying between both a selection of performer and song, or just a song selection with an internal selection for the artist being held. For most years, the public had been able to vote for the winner, using in the past postcard voting, where the viewers sent postcards with their vote to the BBC, but more recently televoting. In 2009 and 2010, a new national selection format was held to find the singer who would go on to sing the internally selected song at the contest. From 2011 to 2015, for the first time in UK 's Eurovision history, the entry was selected internally by the BBC. This resulted in the national selection process being suspended ; however, this returned in 2016. The United Kingdom has finished last in three contests. Jemini 's infamous 2003 `` nul points '' result was the first time that the country had come last in the contest, something that was then repeated in 2008 with Andy Abraham, who received 14 points and in 2010 with Josh Dubovie, who received 10 points. In 2016, the UK failed to reach the top 10 for the seventh consecutive time, with the duo Joe and Jake finishing 24th. In 2017, the UK improved on their result by coming 15th with Lucie Jones, their best result in the contest since Blue in 2011. Contents 1 History 1.1 1950s to 1970s 1.2 1980s and 1990s 1.3 21st century 2 United Kingdom and the `` Big Four / Five '' 3 Contestants 4 Congratulations : 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest 5 Voting history 6 Hostings 6.1 Eurovision Song Contest 's Greatest Hits 7 AP Awards 8 Commentators and spokespersons 9 Separate entrants 10 Photogallery 11 See also 12 References 13 External links History 1950s to 1970s It was alleged that the United Kingdom were expected to take part in the first contest in 1956, and that they missed the submission deadline and therefore could not take part. This was later revealed by the EBU in January 2017 to be a mythical fact created by fans of the contest. The EBU further went on to explain that the Festival of British Popular Song, a contest created by the BBC for the United Kingdom, was the inspiration that brought in format changes to the contest elements from the Eurovision Song Contest 1957 onwards. Patricia Bredin was the first performer to represent the UK at Eurovision, finishing seventh in 1957. The UK was the first choice to stage the third contest in 1958, however following a failure to get an agreement from various artistic unions, the BBC withdrew their bid in the summer of 1957 and the UK did not enter for the second and last time to date. At their second attempt in the contest in 1959, the UK achieved the first of their record fifteen runner - up positions, when Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson sang `` Sing, Little Birdie ''. The UK would achieve four more second - place finishes with Bryan Johnson in 1960, The Allisons in 1961, Matt Monro in 1964 and Kathy Kirby in 1965, before eventually winning for the first time in 1967. Sandie Shaw was already a successful performer, having twice topped the UK singles chart and she comfortably won in Vienna with `` Puppet on a String '', which became her third UK number one and topped the charts all around Europe. In 1968, another successful performer was selected to represent the UK with the song `` Congratulations ''. In London, Cliff Richard gave the UK their sixth second - place finish, losing to Spain 's Massiel. `` Congratulations '' remains one of only two non-winning UK Eurovision songs to top the UK charts. The UK 's second victory was provided by the Scottish singer Lulu, who won with the song `` Boom Bang - a-Bang '' in 1969, in a four - way tie with France, Spain and the Netherlands. Another established performer, she had reached the US # 1 spot with `` To Sir with Love '' in 1967. Having finished second on three further occasions in the 1970s, with Mary Hopkin in 1970, The New Seekers in 1972 and The Shadows in 1975. The UK achieved their third victory in 1976 with Brotherhood of Man and `` Save Your Kisses for Me '', who won with 164 points, which would remain the highest points total for ten years. In 1977, the UK finished second for the tenth time represented by Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran. 1980s and 1990s The UK 's fourth victory came in 1981, with Bucks Fizz and `` Making Your Mind Up ''. The group was created especially for the UK selection contest `` A Song for Europe ''. At Eurovision in Dublin, they defeated Germany 's Lena Valaitis by four points. The group went on to continued success, with 13 UK top 40 hits over the next five years. This would be the last UK win for 16 years, although the country continued to be competitive at the contest with four more second - place results during this time. In 1988, Scott Fitzgerald lost to Celine Dion, who was representing Switzerland, by just one point. In 1989, Live Report lost out to Yugoslavia by seven points. Michael Ball in 1992, also finished second, behind Linda Martin of Ireland. The 1993 entry, Sonia, had already had 10 UK top 30 hits, including a 1989 number one with `` You 'll Never Stop Me Loving You '', when she was selected to represent the UK in Millstreet. With one country left to vote, ( Malta ) Ireland 's Niamh Kavanagh led Sonia by 11 points. By the time it got to the announcement of the 12 points, neither the UK or Ireland had been mentioned. If the UK had received the 12, they would have won by one point. In the end Ireland received the top marks and won by 23 points. Despite only finishing eighth in the 1996 contest, Gina G went on to huge success with her entry `` Ooh Ah Just a Little Bit '', which became only the second non-winning UK entry to top the UK Singles chart. It also reached the US top 20 and received a Grammy nomination. The UK 's fifth victory finally came in 1997, when Katrina and the Waves, famous for their 1980s hit `` Walking on Sunshine '', comfortably won the contest with the song `` Love, Shine a Light ''. They scored 227 points, which would remain the highest points total of the pre semi-final era. At the 1998 contest in Birmingham, Imaani achieved the UK 's 15th second - place finish and 20th top two result, with the song `` Where Are You ? '', losing to Israel 's Dana International. The UK, as of 2017, has not finished in the top two since. 21st century The UK has fared less well in the contest in the 21st century. Since girl - group Precious finished 12th in 1999, the UK has failed to reach the top ten in all but two of the last 19 contests ( 1999 -- 2017 ) -- the exceptions being Jessica Garlick, who finished joint third in 2002 with the song `` Come Back '' ( the UK 's only top three result of the century ), and Jade Ewen, who finished fifth in 2009 with the song `` It 's My Time '', written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren. In 2003, the UK finished last for the first time with the duo Jemini, who received the infamous `` nul points ''. This remains the only time the UK has failed to score a single point. The country has finished last on two further occasions, with Andy Abraham, who received 14 points in 2008 and Josh Dubovie, who received 10 points in 2010. In 2011, the BBC chose the boy band Blue to represent the UK, they finished 11th with 100 points. In 2012, the UK were facing calls to quit the contest when the UK entry, Engelbert Humperdinck, finished 25th ( out of 26 ) with only 12 points. However, the UK confirmed their participation in the 2013 contest, with the Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, most famous for her 1983 US and UK number one hit `` Total Eclipse of the Heart '', who would perform the song `` Believe in Me ''. In Malmo, she finished 19th with 23 points. She went on to win two internationally voted Eurovision Song Contest radio awards for Best Female Singer and Best Song. In 2014, the BBC internally selected unknown singer Molly Smitten - Downes, through BBC Introducing, which supports new and unsigned acts. She represented the UK in Copenhagen under her artist name Molly. In the final, she performed the song `` Children of the Universe '', which she co-wrote with Anders Hansson and finished in 17th place with 40 points, having been regarded as one of the favourites to win the contest. In October 2014, Guy Freeman stated that the BBC are still engaging with record companies and the BBC Introducing platform in order to find an entry for the 2015 contest via the internal selection process, but announced that in addition, for the first time since 2008, they are giving the general public the option to submit an entry for consideration. Ultimately, the entry for 2015 came through open submission, with the song `` Still in Love with You '' performed by the duo Electro Velvet. The song finished in 24th place, with only five points, the UK 's worst performance in terms of points tally since the infamous nul points of 2003. The performance was widely deplored by viewers and openly mocked on social media, with the British media putting increasing pressure on the BBC to change its selection policy for future contests. On 30 September 2015, the BBC confirmed the national selection show would return in 2016. Six acts competed in the national final on 26 February and the winner was selected entirely through a public vote, consisting of televoting and online voting. `` You 're Not Alone '' performed by Joe and Jake won the national final broadcast live on BBC Four. At the final they came 24th with 62 points in total. Of these only 8 were from the public vote, the second lowest public score, following 0 to the Czech Republic. In spite of the latest disappointing result, the BBC announced that the national final format would be retained for 2017. Six acts again participated in the final, which was held on 27 January 2017. It was broadcast on BBC Two as opposed to BBC Four the previous year, and the winner was determined by a combination of scores from a professional jury and televoting ( including votes cast online ). Former X Factor contestant Lucie Jones won the show and earned the right to represent the UK at the 2017 contest in Kiev, with the song `` Never Give Up on You '', becoming the 60th UK Eurovision entry. The song won praise by many fans across Europe for its impressive staging, but it was still unable to reverse the UK 's poor form in recent years - finishing 15th in the final with a combined score of 111 points, placing 10th in the jury vote with 99 points but only 20th in the televote with 12 points. United Kingdom and the `` Big Four / five '' In 1999, a rule change allowed the United Kingdom, along with France, Germany and Spain, to automatically qualify for the Eurovision Song Contest final ( irrespective of their recent scores and without entering a semi-final ), due to being the biggest financial contributors to the EBU. Due to their untouchable status in the contest, these countries became known as the `` Big Four '' ( which became the `` Big Five '' in 2011 following the return of Italy to the contest ). In 2008, it was rumoured that the `` Big Four '' would lose their automatic qualification, and would have to compete in the semi-finals for the first time. However, it was announced by the EBU that this would not be the case and the four countries would still automatically qualify for the final of the 2009 contest without having to enter a semi-final, and this has remained as of 2017. In 2008, the BBC defended using money from TV licence fee payers for the contest when Liberal Democrat MP Richard Younger - Ross had tabled a Commons motion which called on the corporation to withdraw its £ 173,000 funding for the annual contest. That same year, former Eurovision commentator Sir Terry Wogan claimed that the show is `` no longer a music contest '' after the result was announced. Since the introduction of the Big Four / Five, the United Kingdom and Germany have both finished last in the contest three times. The United Kingdom also has the fewest top ten results of the Big Five in the 21st century, but has achieved more top five results than Spain, having reached the top five in 2002 and 2009, while Spain has not reached the top five since the 1995 contest. Contestants See also : UK Eurovision Song Contest entries discography Table key Winner Second place Third place Last place Year Language Performer ( s ) Song Final Points Semi Points 1957 English Patricia Bredin `` All '' 7 6 No semi-finals 1958 Did not participate 1959 English Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson `` Sing, Little Birdie '' 16 1960 English Bryan Johnson `` Looking High, High, High '' 25 1961 English The Allisons `` Are You Sure ? '' 24 1962 English Ronnie Carroll `` Ring - A-Ding Girl '' 10 1963 English Ronnie Carroll `` Say Wonderful Things '' 28 1964 English Matt Monro `` I Love the Little Things '' 17 1965 English Kathy Kirby `` I Belong '' 26 1966 English Kenneth McKellar `` A Man Without Love '' 9 8 1967 English Sandie Shaw `` Puppet on a String '' 47 1968 English Cliff Richard `` Congratulations '' 28 1969 English Lulu `` Boom Bang - a-Bang '' 18 1970 English Mary Hopkin `` Knock, Knock Who 's There ? '' 26 1971 English Clodagh Rodgers `` Jack in the Box '' 98 1972 English The New Seekers `` Beg, Steal or Borrow '' 114 1973 English Cliff Richard `` Power to All Our Friends '' 123 English Olivia Newton - John `` Long Live Love '' 14 English The Shadows `` Let Me Be the One '' 138 1976 English Brotherhood of Man `` Save Your Kisses for Me '' 164 1977 English Lynsey de Paul & Mike Moran `` Rock Bottom '' 121 1978 English Co-Co `` The Bad Old Days '' 11 61 1979 English Black Lace `` Mary Ann '' 7 73 1980 English Prima Donna `` Love Enough for Two '' 106 1981 English Bucks Fizz `` Making Your Mind Up '' 136 1982 English Bardo `` One Step Further '' 7 76 English Sweet Dreams `` I 'm Never Giving Up '' 6 79 1984 English Belle and the Devotions `` Love Games '' 7 63 1985 English Vikki Watson `` Love Is '' 100 1986 English Ryder `` Runner in the Night '' 7 72 English Rikki `` Only the Light '' 13 47 1988 English Scott Fitzgerald `` Go '' 136 1989 English Live Report `` Why Do I Always Get it Wrong ? '' 130 1990 English Emma `` Give a Little Love Back to the World '' 6 87 1991 English Samantha Janus `` A Message to Your Heart '' 10 47 1992 English Michael Ball `` One Step Out of Time '' 139 1993 English Sonia `` Better the Devil You Know '' 164 1994 English Frances Ruffelle `` Lonely Symphony ( We Will Be Free ) '' 10 63 1995 English Love City Groove `` Love City Groove '' 10 76 English Gina G `` Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit '' 8 77 153 1997 English Katrina and the Waves `` Love Shine a Light '' 227 No semi-finals 1998 English Imaani `` Where Are You ? '' 166 1999 English Precious `` Say It Again '' 12 38 2000 English Nicki French `` Do n't Play That Song Again '' 16 28 2001 English Lindsay `` No Dream Impossible '' 15 28 2002 English Jessica Garlick `` Come Back '' 111 2003 English Jemini `` Cry Baby '' 26 0 English James Fox `` Hold On to Our Love '' 16 29 Member of the `` Big 4 '' 2005 English Javine Hylton `` Touch My Fire '' 22 18 2006 English Daz Sampson `` Teenage Life '' 19 25 2007 English Scooch `` Flying the Flag ( for You ) '' 22 19 2008 English Andy Abraham `` Even If '' 25 14 2009 English Jade Ewen `` It 's My Time '' 5 173 English Josh Dubovie `` That Sounds Good to Me '' 25 10 2011 English Blue `` I Can '' 11 100 Member of the `` Big 5 '' 2012 English Engelbert Humperdinck `` Love Will Set You Free '' 25 12 2013 English Bonnie Tyler `` Believe in Me '' 19 23 2014 English Molly `` Children of the Universe '' 17 40 2015 English Electro Velvet `` Still in Love with You '' 24 5 2016 English Joe and Jake `` You 're Not Alone '' 24 62 2017 English Lucie Jones `` Never Give Up on You '' 15 111 2018 NOTES Spain originally gave its 12 points to Israel and 10 to Norway. After the broadcast it was announced that Spanish broadcaster wrongly tallied the votes and Germany should have got the top mark - 12 points - instead of being snubbed, as it happened. The mistake was corrected and so Germany was placed 7th over Norway. Israel and Norway both received 2 points less than originally and Croatia, Malta, Portugal, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium, Estonia and Turkey all received one point less than indicated during the broadcast. Congratulations : 50 years of the Eurovision Song contest Further information : Congratulations : 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest Even though the United Kingdom was entered twice into Congratulations : 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest with Cliff Richard 's 1968 runner up entry `` Congratulations '' and Brotherhood of Man 's 1976 winning song `` Save Your Kisses for Me '', the BBC decided not to participate in airing the event or taking part in the voting for the greatest Eurovision Song of the past fifty years, but instead aired an hour - long special program entitled Boom Bang - a-Bang : 50 Years of Eurovision hosted by Terry Wogan looking back at the best and the worst ; songs, fashions, contests, hosts and hostesses that have occurred at the Eurovision over the past fifty years. Table key Winner Second place Third place Last place Year Artist Language Title Final Points Semi Points Place ( 1968 & 1976 ) Points ( 1968 & 1976 ) 1968 Cliff Richard English `` Congratulations '' Failed to qualify 8 105 28 1976 Brotherhood of Man English `` Save Your Kisses for Me '' 5 230 5 154 164 Voting history As of 2017, the United Kingdom 's voting history is as follows : Most points given in the grand finals only Rank Country Points Ireland 240 Sweden 207 Germany 168 Switzerland 156 5 Denmark 124 France 124 Most points given in the semis and finals Rank Country Points Ireland 298 Sweden 247 Germany 168 Switzerland 161 5 Denmark 154 Most points received Rank Country Points Ireland 239 Switzerland 206 France 192 Austria 189 5 Germany 186 Hostings Norton and Mede hosted the ' Greatest Hits ' concert in 2015. The United Kingdom has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest a record eight times. The United Kingdom stepped in and hosted the contest for The Netherlands in 1960, France in 1963, Monaco in 1972 and Luxembourg in 1974 due to winning countries financial and capacity issues. The BBC offered to joint host the 1996 contest in Belfast, Northern Ireland with Irish broadcaster RTÉ if Ireland were to win for a fourth year in a row.. In 2015, London hosted Eurovision Song Contest 's Greatest Hits, an event to commemorate the 60th anniversary, which was recorded for television on 31 March 2015 and was shown in 26 countries, starting with the UK and Ireland on 3 April 2015. Year Location Venue Presenters 1960 London Royal Festival Hall Katie Boyle 1963 BBC Television Centre 1968 Royal Albert Hall 1972 Edinburgh Usher Hall Moira Shearer Brighton Brighton Dome Katie Boyle 1977 London Wembley Conference Centre Angela Rippon 1982 Harrogate Harrogate International Centre Jan Leeming 1998 Birmingham National Indoor Arena Ulrika Jonsson and Terry Wogan Eurovision Song Contest 's Greatest Hits Year Location Venue Presenters 2015 London Eventim Apollo Petra Mede and Graham Norton AP Awards Year Category Song Performer ( s ) Final result Points Host City Composer Award `` Hold Onto Our Love '' James Fox 16th 29 Istanbul Commentators and spokespersons Over the years BBC commentary has been provided by several experienced radio and television presenters, including Tom Fleming, David Vine, David Jacobs, Dave Lee Travis, Pete Murray, John Dunn and Michael Aspel. However Terry Wogan provided BBC TV commentary every year from 1980 to 2008. It was confirmed on 12 August 2008 that Terry Wogan would no longer present the Eurovision Song Contest for the UK. The BBC Radio 2 DJ, who had fronted the BBC 's coverage for 37 years, said it was `` time for someone else to take over ''. He was replaced in 2009 by Graham Norton for the final. Norton has continued in the role ever since. The final of the contest has been broadcast by BBC One ( previously BBC Television Service and BBC TV ) since the first contest in 1956, the first live colour transmission of the contest in the United Kingdom was the Eurovision Song Contest 1970, the first high definition broadcast of the contest began in 2007 when the contest was simulcast on BBC HD. The final is also broadcast on radio, initially on BBC Light Programme until the 1967 contest. From 1968 it was broadcast on BBC Radio 1, moving to BBC Radio 2 from the 1974 contest where it has remained ever since ( except for 1983 -- 1985 ). Between 1963 and 1976 and from 1980 until 1985 the contest was also broadcast on BFBS Radio. From 2004 to 2015 both semi-finals were broadcast on BBC Three. Since BBC Three became an online only channel in February 2016, semi-final coverage is now broadcast on BBC Four. In the 1998 Contest, hosted in Birmingham, Terry Wogan acted as both commentator and on - stage presenter ( together with Ulrika Jonsson ). In the 1980 Contest, each song was introduced by a presenter from the national country, the United Kingdom entry being introduced by Noel Edmonds. For most contests, a spokesperson has delivered the results of the national jury, or in recent years the results of the televoting, awarding points to the entries on behalf of his or her country. The exceptions were the contests held in 1971 -- 1973 when votes were cast by two jury members present at the contest venue, appearing at the end of the contest to confirm their scores. No British - born broadcaster has either presented or commentated on the live television final for over thirty years, the last being Jan Leeming in 1982. Year ( s ) Final television commentator Radio commentator Spokesperson Semi-final television commentator Semi-final second television commentator Online / BFBS commentator 1956 Wilfrid Thomas Unknown UK did not participate No semi-finals No semi-finals N / A 1957 Berkeley Smith Tom Sloan David Jacobs 1958 Peter Haigh UK did not participate 1959 Tom Sloan Pete Murray Pete Murray 1960 David Jacobs Nick Burrell - Davis 1961 Tom Sloan Michael Aspel 1962 David Jacobs Peter Haigh Alex Macintosh 1963 Michael Aspel Nicholas Parsons 1964 Tom Sloan Desmond Carrington Ian Fenner 1965 David Gell Alastair Burnet 1966 John Dunn Michael Aspel 1967 Rolf Harris Richard Baker Thurston Holland 1968 N / A Pete Murray 1969 Michael Aspel Colin - Ward Lewis John Russell 1970 David Gell Tony Brandon 1971 Dave Lee Travis Terry Wogan N / A 1972 Tom Fleming Pete Murray Terry James 1973 Terry Wogan Richard Astbury * David Vine Terry Wogan Colin - Ward Lewis Pete Murray Ray Moore 1976 Michael Aspel 1977 Pete Murray Colin Berry N / A 1978 Terry Wogan Ray Moore 1979 John Dunn 1980 Terry Wogan Steve Jones Ray Moore Andrew Pastona 1981 Ray Moore Colin Berry N / A 1982 Not broadcast on BBC Radio Richard Nankivell 1984 1985 1986 Ray Moore N / A 1988 Ken Bruce 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 Ken Bruce 1999 Colin Berry 2000 2001 2002 2003 Lorraine Kelly Paddy O'Connell No dual commentator 2005 Cheryl Baker 2006 Fearne Cotton 2007 Sarah Cawood 2008 Carrie Grant Caroline Flack 2009 Graham Norton Duncan James Sarah Cawood Scott Mills 2011 Alex Jones Scott Mills Sara Cox 2012 Scott Mills 2013 Ana Matronic 2014 Laura Whitmore Ana Matronic 2015 Nigella Lawson Mel Giedroyc 2016 Richard Osman N / A 2017 Katrina Leskanich It has to be assumed that Terry Wogan 's commentary was taken by BFBS in 1975 since Terry says in his BBC Radio 2 commentary `` Richard Astbury sends his apologies to BFBS listeners - technical difficulties ''. Additionally, from 2004 -- 2010, Paddy O'Connell commentated on the semi-final shows. In 2007, 2009 and 2010 he was also joined by Sarah Cawood. In 2008 he was joined by Caroline Flack. In recent years, the dual - commentator format during the semi-finals has allowed for the broadcaster to incorporate additional segments, interviews and live viewer interaction, during the programmes live airing. In 2011, O'Connell was replaced by Scott Mills who provided the commentary from London, while Sara Cox provided interaction from the venue. Cox and Mills both provided commentary again in 2012 from the venue. In 2013, Cox was replaced by Ana Matronic and Matronic was replaced in 2014 by Laura Whitmore. Mel Giedroyc replaced Whitmore as co-commentator in 2015. In 2014, Matronic provided commentary for the second semi-final of the 2014 Contest on BBC Radio 2 Eurovision, a temporary station which was broadcast on DAB radio over four days, as well as the BBC Radio 2 website. She continued this role in 2015. Separate entrants Main articles : Scotland in the Eurovision Song Contest, List of countries in the Eurovision Song Contest § Wales, and List of countries in the Eurovision Song Contest § Gibraltar For several years the Scottish National Party ( SNP ) has campaigned for a place in Eurovision for Scotland but had been rejected numerous times because Scotland is represented as a part of the British entry and is represented by the BBC. On 11 February 2008 the EBU stated that a Scottish broadcaster could apply for EBU membership, but under the current rules could not enter the Eurovision Song Contest as the BBC currently has exclusive rights to represent the entire United Kingdom. It was announced in late May 2008 that the UK would be participating in the 2009 Contest and, therefore, Scotland was not represented in 2009 as a separate entrant. Scotland could be represented by STV, ITV Border or BBC Scotland. MEP Alyn Smith has said in the European Parliament : `` Other small countries have done it ( entered the competition ) and I will be happy to help any of the broadcasting companies through the progress. '' In 2011 the European Broadcasting Union stated that there was nothing to prevent Scotland from submitting its own entry, although STV stated that there were no current plans for a separate entry. If Scotland were to participate it is unknown whether or not England, Wales and Northern Ireland would show any interest in entering the Eurovision Song Contest independently as well, although S4C ( the Welsh language media channel ) has expressed an interest and, in addition, already holds a yearly national song contest called `` Cân i Gymru '' ( Song for Wales ). S4C also considered a bid for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2008 but decided not to go ahead. In 2009 MEP for Wales Jillian Evans stated her interest in securing Wales a place in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, Wales could be represented by either BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Wales & West or S4C. There is a small campaign in Northern Ireland for a separate entrant and it could be represented by UTV or BBC Northern Ireland. There are no plans currently for England to enter separately. However, to date, these proposed changes have not occurred, and the United Kingdom still participates in the Eurovision Song Contest as a single entrant. It was unknown what would happen if Scotland were to become an independent country. However, on 25 November 2013, the Scottish Government released a referendum blueprint which detailed plans for the transfer of BBC Scotland into the Scottish Broadcasting Service ( SBS ) and joining the EBU, as well as partaking in competitions, including Scottish entries in the Eurovision Song Contest. However, the referendum result on 18 September 2014 was to remain part of the United Kingdom, and the aforementioned BBC retains exclusive rights to represent the United Kingdom, including Scotland. Since 2006, the Gibraltarian national broadcaster Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation ( GBC ) has been attempting to gain EBU membership and thus participate independently in the Eurovision Song Contest. However GBC can not obtain EBU membership due to the British Overseas Territory not being independent from the United Kingdom. Gibraltar has broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 and the final of the 2006 edition. Photogallery Ronnie Carroll in Luxembourg ( 1962 ) Kathy Kirby in Naples ( 1965 ) Brotherhood of Man in The Hague ( 1976 ) Scooch in Helsinki ( 2007 ) Andy Abraham in Belgrade ( 2008 ) Jade Ewen in Moscow ( 2009 ) Josh Dubovie in Oslo ( 2010 ) Blue in Düsseldorf ( 2011 ) Bonnie Tyler in Malmö ( 2013 ) Molly in Copenhagen ( 2014 ) Electro Velvet in Vienna ( 2015 ) Joe and Jake in Stockholm ( 2016 ) Lucie Jones in Kiev ( 2017 ) See also UK national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest United Kingdom in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest -- Junior version of the Eurovision Song Contest. United Kingdom in the Eurovision Dance Contest -- Dance version of the Eurovision Song Contest. United Kingdom in the Eurovision Young Dancers -- A competition organised by the EBU for younger dancers aged between 16 and 21. United Kingdom in the Eurovision Young Musicians -- A competition organised by the EBU for musicians aged 18 years and younger. 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ISBN 978 - 1 - 84442 - 586 - 0. Jump up ^ Bakker, Sietse ( 2010 - 12 - 31 ). `` 43 nations on 2011 participants list ''. Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 31 December 2010. Jump up ^ Murray, Gavin ( 28 May 2008 ). `` Big 4 : May lose automatic place in Eurovision final ''. ESCToday. Retrieved 28 May 2008. Jump up ^ Viniker, Barry ( 2008 - 09 - 14 ). `` Eurovision ' Big Four ' final spots confirmed ''. ESCToday. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 14. Jump up ^ Kilkelly, Daniel ( 2008 - 05 - 26 ). `` BBC defends Eurovision funding ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008 - 05 - 26. Jump up ^ https://eurovision.tv/country/united-kingdom/results Jump up ^ http://esctoday.com/149439/united-kingdom-bbc-intends-participate-eurovision-2018/ Jump up ^ Roxburgh, Gordon ( 3 February 2015 ). `` Official : London to host Eurovision 's 60th anniversary event ''. eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 3 February 2015. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Fletcher, Alex ( 2008 - 08 - 12 ). `` Terry Wogan quits Eurovision role ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008 - 08 - 12. Jump up ^ `` BBC Four takes over Eurovision coverage ''. a516digital.com. 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016. Jump up ^ `` X-Factor style hunt for next year 's UK Eurovision entry ''. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 28. Jump up ^ Darby, Harry ( 2009 - 05 - 01 ). `` United Kingdom : BBC interactive coverage plans ''. ESC Today. Retrieved 2009 - 10 - 05. Jump up ^ Noone, Alex ( 2012 - 03 - 07 ). `` United Kingdom : Ana Matronic to commentate ''. ESC Today. Jump up ^ `` Laura adds more Irish sparkle to BBC 's eurovision song show ''. Herald.ie. 5 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014. Jump up ^ BBC Three Entertainment ( 27 April 2015 ). `` Mel Giedroyc to join Scott Mills as co-host of BBC Three 's Eurovision Song Contest Semi Finals coverage ''. bbc.co.uk. BBC Media Centre. Retrieved 27 April 2015. Jump up ^ `` BBC Radio 2 Eurovision Returns ! ''. BBC Eurovision. Retrieved 27 April 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Scotland heading for 2009 bid ? ''. eurovision.tv. Retrieved 2008 - 02 - 12. Jump up ^ Kuipers, Michael ( 28 May 2008 ). `` United Kingdom will not withdraw ''. esctoday.com. ESCToday. Retrieved 26 May 2008. Jump up ^ `` Scotland given the go - ahead to enter Eurovision ! ''. oikotimes.com. Retrieved 2008 - 02 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Scotland may submit its own Eurovision entry ''. TheHerald.co.uk. Retrieved 2008 - 02 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Scotland Given Go - Ahead To Launch Own Eurovision Entry ''. DailyRecord.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2008 - 02 - 14. Retrieved 2008 - 02 - 11. ^ Jump up to : Davies, Russell ( 11 February 2008 ). `` Scotland : first Eurovision Song Contest entry ? ''. esctoday.com. ESCToday. Retrieved 11 February 2008. Jump up ^ `` Cân i Gymru ''. S4C.co.uk. Jump up ^ Lewis, Cole ( 17 July 2008 ). `` JESC : UK Less Likely To Participate ''. esctoday.com. ESCToday. Retrieved 26 May 2008. Jump up ^ Northern Ireland for Eurovision Jump up ^ `` Scotland 's Referendum 2014 : What will happen to the BBC following independence ? ''. Scottish Government. Retrieved 29 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` Scotland 's Referendum 2014 : Would the Scottish Broadcasting Service ( SBS ) join the European Broadcasting Union ( EBU ) ? ''. Scottish Government. Retrieved 29 November 2013. Jump up ^ Holehouse, Matthew ( 19 September 2014 ). `` Scottish independence referendum results as it happened ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 June 2016. Jump up ^ Granger, Anthony ( 25 March 2015 ). `` Gibraltar : No Plans To Broadcast Eurovision ''. eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 12 September 2016. External links Eurovision Song Contest at BBC Online United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest Participation 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Artists 1950s 1956 Patricia Bredin 1958 Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson 1960s Bryan Johnson The Allisons Ronnie Carroll Ronnie Carroll Matt Monro Kathy Kirby Kenneth McKellar Sandie Shaw Cliff Richard Lulu 1970s Mary Hopkin Clodagh Rodgers The New Seekers Cliff Richard Olivia Newton - John The Shadows Brotherhood of Man Lynsey de Paul & Mike Moran Co-Co Black Lace 1980s Prima Donna Bucks Fizz Bardo Sweet Dreams Belle and the Devotions Vikki Watson Ryder Rikki Scott Fitzgerald Live Report 1990s Emma Samantha Janus Michael Ball Sonia Frances Ruffelle Love City Groove Gina G Katrina and the Waves Imaani Precious 2000s Nicki French Lindsay Jessica Garlick Jemini James Fox Javine Hylton Daz Sampson Scooch Andy Abraham Jade Ewen 2010s Josh Dubovie Blue Engelbert Humperdinck Bonnie Tyler Molly Electro Velvet Joe and Jake Lucie Jones Songs 1950s 1956 `` All '' 1958 `` Sing, Little Birdie '' 1960s `` Looking High, High, High '' `` Are You Sure ? '' `` Ring - A-Ding Girl '' `` Say Wonderful Things '' `` I Love the Little Things '' `` I Belong '' `` A Man Without Love '' `` Puppet on a String '' `` Congratulations '' `` Boom Bang - a-Bang '' 1970s `` Knock, Knock Who 's There ? '' `` Jack in the Box '' `` Beg, Steal or Borrow '' `` Power to All Our Friends '' `` Long Live Love '' `` Let Me Be the One '' `` Save Your Kisses for Me '' `` Rock Bottom '' `` The Bad Old Days '' `` Mary Ann '' 1980s `` Love Enough for Two '' `` Making Your Mind Up '' `` One Step Further '' `` I 'm Never Giving Up '' `` Love Games '' `` Love Is '' `` Runner in the Night '' `` Only the Light '' `` Go '' `` Why Do I Always Get it Wrong ? '' 1990s `` Give a Little Love Back to the World '' `` A Message to Your Heart '' `` One Step Out of Time '' `` Better the Devil You Know '' `` Lonely Symphony ( We Will Be Free ) '' `` Love City Groove '' `` Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit '' `` Love Shine a Light '' `` Where Are You ? '' `` Say It Again '' 2000s `` Do n't Play That Song Again '' `` No Dream Impossible '' `` Come Back '' `` Cry Baby '' `` Hold On to Our Love '' `` Touch My Fire '' `` Teenage Life '' `` Flying the Flag ( for You ) '' `` Even If '' `` It 's My Time '' 2010s `` That Sounds Good To Me '' `` I Can '' `` Love Will Set You Free '' `` Believe in Me '' `` Children of the Universe '' `` Still in Love with You '' `` You 're Not Alone '' `` Never Give Up on You '' Note : Entries scored out are when United Kingdom did not compete UK national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest Contestants Winners Patricia Bredin Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson Bryan Johnson The Allisons Ronnie Carroll Matt Monro Kathy Kirby Kenneth KcKellar Sandie Shaw Cliff Richard Lulu Mary Hopkin Clodagh Rodgers The New Seekers Olivia Newton - John The Shadows Brotherhood of Man Lynsey de Paul & Mike Moran Co-Co Black Lace Prima Donna Bucks Fizz Bardo Sweet Dreams Belle and the Devotions Vikki Watson Ryder Rikki Scott Fitzgerald Live Report Emma Samantha Janus Michael Ball Sonia Frances Ruffelle Love City Groove Gina G Katrina and the Waves Imaani Precious Nicki French Lindsay Jessica Garlick Jemini James Fox Javine Hylton Daz Sampson Scooch Andy Abraham Jade Ewen Josh Dubovie Joe and Jake Lucie Jones Songs `` All '' `` Sing, Little Birdie '' `` Looking High, High, High '' `` Are You Sure ? '' `` Ring - a-Ding Girl '' `` Say Wonderful Things '' `` I Love the Little Things '' `` I Belong '' `` A Man Without Love '' `` Puppet on a String '' `` Congratulations `` Boom Bang - a-Bang '' `` Knock, Knock Who 's There ? '' `` Jack in the Box `` Beg, Steal or Borrow '' `` Power to All Our Friends '' `` Long Live Love `` Let Me Be the One '' `` Save Your Kisses for Me '' `` Rock Bottom '' `` The Bad Old Days '' `` Mary Ann '' `` Love Enough for Two '' `` Making Your Mind Up '' `` One Step Further '' `` I 'm Never Giving Up '' `` Love Games `` Love Is `` Runner in the Night '' `` Only the Light '' `` Go '' `` Why Do I Always Get it Wrong ? '' `` Give a Little Love Back to the World '' `` A Message to Your Heart '' `` One Step Out of Time '' `` Better the Devil You Know '' `` Lonely Symphony '' `` Love City Groove '' `` Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit '' `` Love Shine a Light '' `` Where Are You ? '' `` Say It Again '' `` Do n't Play That Song Again '' `` No Dream Impossible '' `` Come Back '' `` Cry Baby '' `` Hold Onto Our Love '' `` Touch My Fire '' `` Teenage Life '' `` Flying the Flag ( For You ) '' `` Even If '' `` It 's My Time '' `` That Sounds Good to Me '' `` You 're Not Alone '' `` Never Give Up on You '' United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest Eurovision Song Contest History Host cities Languages Presenters Rules Voting Winners Winners discography Contests 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Countries Active Albania Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Latvia Lithuania Macedonia Malta Moldova Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania San Marino Serbia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom Inactive Andorra Bosnia and Herzegovina Luxembourg Monaco Morocco Russia Slovakia Turkey Former Lebanon Serbia and Montenegro Yugoslavia Foreign relations Armenia -- Azerbaijan Russia -- Ukraine National selections Current Albania Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bulgaria Denmark Estonia Finland Germany Hungary Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Latvia Lithuania Macedonia Malta Moldova Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom Former Bosnia & Herzegovina Croatia Estonia Finland Greece Ellinikós Telikós Eurosong - A MAD Show Ireland Latvia Eirodziesma Dziesma Montenegro Serbia Serbia and Montenegro Switzerland Yugoslavia Other awards Marcel Bezençon Awards OGAE OGAE Video Contest OGAE Second Chance Contest Television and concerts Eurovision Song Contest Previews Songs of Europe Kvalifikacija za Millstreet Congratulations : 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest Best of Eurovision Eurovision Song Contest 's Greatest Hits Category Portal Eurovision Song Contest 's Greatest Hits Represented years Chronological order 1968 1969 1973 1976 1980 1982 1984 1985 1992 1998 2000 2001 2002 2006 2008 2012 2013 2014 Represented countries Alphabetical order Austria Denmark Finland France Germany Ireland Israel Luxembourg Norway Russia Spain Sweden United Kingdom Represented artists Alphabetical order Anne - Marie David Bobbysocks ! Brotherhood of Man Conchita Wurst Dana International Dima Bilan Emmelie de Forest Herreys Johnny Logan Lordi Loreen Natasha St - Pier Nicole Olsen Brothers Rosa López Represented songs Alphabetical order `` Believe / Never Let You Go '' ( medley ) `` Diggi - Loo Diggi - Ley '' `` Diva '' `` Ein bißchen Frieden '' `` Euphoria '' `` Fly on the Wings of Love '' `` Hard Rock Hallelujah '' `` Je n'ai que mon âme '' `` La, la, la / Vivo cantando / Eres tú / Europe 's Living a Celebration '' ( medley ) `` La det swinge '' `` Only Teardrops '' `` Rise Like a Phoenix '' `` Save Your Kisses for Me '' `` Tu te reconnaîtras '' `` What 's Another Year / Why Me ? / Hold Me Now '' ( medley ) ( Note : `` Withdrawn '' refers to entries that withdrew after applying to enter ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest&oldid=800165876 '' Categories : Countries in the Eurovision Song Contest United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from January 2016 Webarchive template wayback links All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from April 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Azərbaycanca Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Français Gaeilge Galego Հայերեն Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Кыргызча Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Slovenščina Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 11 September 2017, at 21 : 31. 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Question: when did england last host the eurovision song contest
Answer: 1998