Legendary UK commentator and 1998 co-host Sir Terry Wogan hinted a couple of weeks ago in a Radio Times interview that he would no longer commentate at the contest, and now that appears to be true - most certainly the end of an era.  The first concrete effect of the European Broadcasting Union's head in the sand approach to the scandalous voting that is destroying the contest. It's a great shame if it's true, but well done Sir for taking a stand.   Latest reports suggest that fellow Irishman Graham Norton will take over the role, but this has not yet been confirmed.          

It's contest night and all our worst fears are confirmed as the Russia operation to win Eurovision bears fruit.  Both the semi-final and the final draw were fixed to ensure the perfect draw for Russia and the amazing disappearance of the Greek vote tonight just confirmed our worst fears as any threat to the Russian operation was systematically removed. Putin, EBU chief Svante Stockselius and the rest of the organizers  have a vested interest in Russian success. 

Russia have sent some fantastic songs to the contest since their 1994 debut but this wasn't one of them, and this  "victory" is a total scandal, that might just kill off the contest forever. We won't shut up on this one.

Finalists are: Israel, Azerbaijan, Poland, Norway, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Armenia, Finland, Romania, Russia and Greece.  Biggest losers Ireland (although there is a rumour that they were disqualified due to seven people being on stage).  More soon.

The build-up to this years contest has already been enhanced with it's fair amount of media coverage, courtesy of Ireland's bolshy turkey Dustin and France's groovy entry sung in English. Today we got an unexpected extra shot of publicity with the revelation in a Spanish TV documentary that Spain's General Franco "bought" the 1968 contest by bribing other countries to ensure victory for Spain.  This whole idea seems somewhat silly on closer examination, for which please see the blog.

The draw for each semi-final took place today in Belgrade. Details on the 2008 page.  As last year, the first countries drawn out got to choose their place in the draw.  The final draw also took place, in as much as the direct qualifiers place in the draw was decided.  One direct finalist got to choose their spot, and to no-one's surprise that was host nation Serbia.

With San Marino unveiling it's entry and the Swedish final on Saturday the forty-three songs competing for the 2008 Grand Prix are now known. The next couple of days will see the international heads of delegation meeting in Belgrade and the draws for the semi-finals and final. More details are here.

2008 Host broadcaster has revealed that the presenters of the 53rd Eurovision Song Contest will be Jovana Jankovic and Zeljko Joksimovic.  The latter was runner up in the 2004 contest for Serbia & Montenegro, and is also the composer of the Serbian entry this year, an arrangement that has caused some dismay.

Despite the BBC's best efforts, 2005 X-Factor runner-up Andy Abraham has been selected to sing for the United Kingdom in the 2008 contest.  The six songs were presented in pairs and it was left to a panel to select three for the super final.  The panel consisted of casting show staple Carrie Grant and John Barrowman, still fondly remembered (not) for his support for Scooch last year.  To the chagrin of some fans in the studio Barrowman proceeded to dismiss LoveShy's song as "pop but not a Eurovision song" and then Rob McVeigh as "ballads don't work at Eurovision"  -  and this is a self-proclaimed expert(!).  Andy Abraham was also dismissed for similar reasons, but we must be grateful that Sir Terry Wogan was able to bring one act back, and he plumped for Andy. Then thankfully it was down to the British public and Andy completed the perfect comeback by pipping Michelle Gayle for the win.       

The BBC have at long last revealed the line-up for the UK selection for 2008.  It's been renamed "Eurovision:  Your Decision" and will be held on Saturday March 1st.  The performance order has not been confirmed but the artists are as below.  The six songs have been put into pairs. The judging panel (of three including Terry Wogan!) will choose the best of each pair, and these, plus a "lucky loser" wildcard will go to a public vote.

 More news when available.

The finalists in the Irish selection for 2008 were revealed today and all the rumours about a puppet in the final were true!.  Dustin the turkey, former sidekick of Zig and Zag, and with a string of hit records in the Emerald Isle is hot favourite to secure the Irish ticket to Belgrade with "Irlande Douze Points"!

After much fevered speculation the semi-finals for 2008 have been drawn (although the order of performance of each semi will be determined later):

Semi 1  (20 May, Germany and Spain will broadcast and vote)

Montenegro, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Poland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Estonia,  Netherlands, Romania, Moldova, San Marino, Slovenia, Norway, Belgium, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia.

Semi 2  (22 May, France, the UK and Serbia will broadcast and vote)

Croatia, Denmark, Bulgaria, Portugal, Ukraine, Switzerland, FYR Macedonia, Iceland, Cyprus, Latvia, Belarus, Hungary, Albania, Sweden, Turkey, Lithuania, Georgia,  Czech Rep, Malta.

The European Broadcasting Union will make the draw for the 2008 semi-finals next week. It was previously reported that an effort would be made to keep apart countries where one has religiously voted for the other in recent years, in an attempt to limit the effects of the neighbour/ex-pat voting that has so blighted the contest. However it seems that they have lost their nerve and caved in to vested interests, as all they have done is draw countries into six "pots" where half of each pot will go in one semi and half in the other.  It does split the ex-Yugoslav republics and a lot of the ex-Soviet ones, but there is still a fair chance that Armenia and Turkey will be drawn with most of their ex-pat countries and even Greece and Cyprus drawn together.  For what it's worth the pots are as follows:

1. Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia.
2. Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden.
3. Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Netherlands, Turkey.
4. Andorra, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania.
5. Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Israel, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine.
6. Azerbaijan, Czech Rep, Hungary, Malta, Poland, San Marino, Switzerland.

Respected Eurovision fansites are reporting that 2008 will see the Eurovision debut of not just the umpteenth ex-Soviet republic in Azerbaijan, but also the second smallest country (population wise) ever to dip its toe in the Eurovision pool, San Marino.  Reports suggest that the national TV station has applied to compete.  Here at Nul Points, sceptics as we are, we'll wait a while until we add it to the 2008 page. 

update  22/12 ........ list of countries confirmed, and San Marino are indeed in!.

The Austrian broadcaster ORF today withdrew from next years Eurovision in Belgrade.  They cited disillusionment with the direction of the contest in recent years.  Austria withdrew for similar reasons from the 2006 contest.  Details on the contenders for 2008 are here.

The EBU have confirmed that there will be two semi-finals on the Tuesday and Thursday of contest week, and that in each case only those countries participating will be able to vote (with one proviso).  Reports also suggest that the semis will be "seeded" to try and remove as much diaspora/neighbour voting as possible by arranging the composition of each one based on recent voting patterns.  The proviso concerns the automatic finalists, ie Serbia, France, Germany, Spain and the UK, who will reportedly be split and each allocated to a semi-final to broadcast and vote on.

Azeri television have confirmed this week that their nation will debut at Eurovision in the 2008 contest in Belgrade. More details when available.

Eurovision has been with us for fifty-two years and so it is sadly inevitable that we hear of the passing of former contest singers.  They are usually of a good age and have seen their potential realized whether big or small. It is shocking when we have to report the passing of a talented 26 year old who had a full career before him. Earlier today Tose Proeski died in a horrific car crash in Croatia. He represented Macedonia in the 2004 Eurovision where he finished a very respectable 14th and was extremely popular throughout former Yugoslavia.  Rest In Peace.

The United Kingdom yesterday lost it's greatest Eurovision conductor (remember those?) when Ronnie Hazlehurst passed away aged 79 a few days after suffering a stroke.  Ronnie was host-orchestra conductor in 1974, 1977 and 1982 and will always be remembered for taking up an umbrella to conduct the UK's entry "Rock Bottom" in the 1977 contest. Watch the video here.  You were a credit to Eurovision Mr Hazlehurst, Rest In Peace.

Quite out of the blue, the committees at the European Broadcasting Union suddenly sound like they've been listening to the chorus of derision after the 2007 contest. It was previously mooted that two semi-finals (for all but the host and the big four countries) would come into play for 2009 but today it was confirmed that this arrangement will apply from the next contest.  The countries who finished from second to tenth in 2007 are now therefore not guaranteed a place in the contest final.  How the two semis are composed is yet to be revealed (a geographical split or a random draw has been discussed) as is which countries will vote on each semi.