Well after much speculation, rumour-mongering and quite frankly, myth-peddling, it turns out that everyone was wrong! Thankfully no Geri, Rylan, Petula or Cilla. This year the BBC has chosen a new act to represent the UK in Copenhagen. Amen to that.
What might have worked on paper with Blue, Engelbert and Bonnie did not translate into votes. Of course debates rage on about the quality of songs, the strength of performance or even the age of the singers. Whether or not fans like it, Eurovision, for the BBC, was first and foremost, a TV show. Having those "big" names meant that there was more interest. Simple but genius. Or was it?
The interest in the UK entry this year was phenomenal. The BBC played a blinder and did so well in keeping up the suspense. A friend told me that I was being criticised on one of the fan sites for not revealing the name of the UK act. I never knew who the act was, nor did I claim to know, I just enjoyed the fireworks!
So the UK act, Molly Smitten-Downes, will perform "Children of the Universe" at Eurovision in May. Molly was discovered by BBC Introducing, a way for new artists to break through. I applaud this decision by the BBC; Eurovision is a fantastic platform for launching new talent and boy do we have a lot of it in the UK.
"Children of the Universe" is an anthemic offering, and a rather unusual one at that. For me, the thing which stands out the most, is Molly's voice and stage presence. In her interview she was really positive and has a really healthy attitude, in my opinion, to an event which is surely a dream opportunity for a new star.
Already the entry is riding high in the betting odds and some are predicting that it will give the UK its best placing for years. I really hope that's true. Win, lose or draw though, we have a singer who will do us all proud.
Good luck Molly!
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