As more and more countries are toying with the idea of withdrawing from Eurovision now Israel has been given the all clear to compete - seventy percent of Britons apparently now say the UK should boycott Eurovision over Israel’s participation - I think it’s time to scrap the whole cringe-making charade.
And over the past few days I have heard so much drivel from so-called experts, including a young Australian who has a Masters Degree in Eurovision, about it having become political, it always has been. Well, just ask Sir Cliff, as I did once when he was in Mallorca. Take Spain. The 1968 win (Massiel), was Spain’s first victory with ‘La, La, La’.
It happened amidst political tension, and there were claims the regime influenced the result, even allegedly preventing Cliff Richard from winning for the UK. Furthermore, the association with the Franco era led to long-lasting debates, especially in Catalonia, particularly after first-choice entry, singer Joan Manuel Serrat, was forced to withdraw from representing Spain at Eurovision in 1968 for refusing to sing in Spanish - he wanted to sing in Catalan, being from Barcelona.
Austria went on to boycott the 1969 contest in protest of the Spanish dictatorship, showing the political divisions the event has long highlighted. So, that was then and this is now and not much has changed, so just please put us out of our misery.