Fun masks a serious side to this year’s Eurovision

Will this finally be the year to end 26 years of hurt? For many out there, this weekend is more important than the FA Cup, World Cup or any other footballing trophy – yes, it is the Eurovision Song Contest.

Not since 1997 when Katrina And The Waves’ Love Shine a Light have we managed to win the competition.

In fact since then our record has been dismal – we’ve come last five times since, and been in the bottom handful of countries numerous other times.

There have been many arguments put forward for our dismal performances – from geopolitics (Brexit can’t have helped other European nations’ dispositions towards us) to the UK’s refusal to take it seriously and entering objectively awful songs.

By virtue of last year’s winning country – Ukraine – being a literal warzone, it has fallen to the UK as runners-up to host this year’s glittering bash, and boy don’t we know it?

With the contest taking place tonight in Liverpool, it’s wall-to-wall coverage on the BBC – even lunchtime TV staple Bargain Hunt had a Eurovision edition yesterday.

And the Royal Navy and Marines have been getting in on the action, joining in the celebrations in Liverpool, with the appropriately named HMS Mersey going back to its ‘spiritual home.’

But it’s not all fun and games as there is some serious ‘soft power’ at work here – the navy is using this as an opportunity to show its support for and solidarity with Ukraine in the face of the continuing illegal invasion by Russia.

In 2022’s entry Sam

Ryder we had a genuine contender – a charismatic chap who played the game and had a memorable song, Space Man.

This year we have Mae Muller with I Wrote A Song. However she does – and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for her – the UK will be able to show it is serious in backing Ukraine.