What is it about the Eurovision song contest that makes people lose all sense of taste? We, as a nation, go from lovers of things like Ray Davies and The Beatles, to voting for things like Scooch. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Click here to watch our latest entrant to the world’s oddest music competition. It’s not just our tastebuds that need sorting folks. Once again, it seems that our phone lines are going all wrong.
Yep, the BBC’s troubles with phone-in technology continued hot on the heels of the Blue Peter shambles with a bizarre mix-up during the live Eurovision song contest heats.
Even the famous off handed calm of perennial host, Terry Wogan, was unable to disguise a spectacular botch as two rival contestants were simultaneously declared to be Britain’s representatives in the event in May. Wogan and his dispicable co-presenter Fearne Cotton were supposed to jointly reveal the winner, but blurted out the names of different acts. Wogan said viewers had chosen soloist Cyndi, while Cotton declared the winner as rock group Scooch. Chaos reigned until Scooch were declared to be the genuine finalists.
"This is live television and unfortunately sometimes these things do
happen," said a BBC spokesman, perhaps unnecessarily after last week’s
revelations about bizarrely fixed phone competitions on Blue Peter and
other programmes.
"We would like to sincerely apologise to viewers for the confusion when
announcing the winner of last night’s programme."
Scooch’s song Flying The Flag (For You) has been described as classic Eurovision fare, complete with an airline-based dance
routine. Basically, it looks and sounds a bit like Steps.
Scooch have reassembled for the contest after gaining a Top 10 hit with
More Than I Need To Know, then splitting up.
The BBC’s director general, Mark Thompson, said yesterday: "I think
they were trying so hard to get the phones right that something else
must have gone wrong. I’ll find out tomorrow morning exactly what but
whoever’s fault it was I’m sure it wasn’t Terry Wogan’s." That’s a relief eh? [Mof Gimmers]
