Politics
How many times has the UK won Eurovision and who were the winning acts?
THE Eurovision Song Contest has been on our screens since 1957 and is still going strong.
The UK, who will be represented by James Newman at Eurovision 2021, is one of the biggest backers of the event and thankfully, we have been rewarded with five wins during its history. Here’s everything you need to know about our past victors…
When did the UK last win the Eurovision Song Contest?
The UK last triumphed at Eurovision in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves.
Their song was called Love Shine a Light and it received a whopping 227 points.
The band was formed of Katrina Leskanich, Kimberley Rew, Vince de la Cruz and Alex Cooper.
The band’s previously big hit was in 1985 with Walking on Sunshine.
Who else has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the UK?
Sandie Shaw
The UK’s first ever winner was Sandie Shaw with the track Puppet on a String in 1967, which was hosted that year in Vienna.
Sandie, 71, was one of the most successful pop artists in the 1960s, with her Eurovision win the icing on the cake in that decade.
Sandie retired from performing in 2013.
Sandie Shaw was the UK’s first ever Eurovision winner[/caption]
Lulu
Two years after Sandie’s win, Lulu triumphed in 1969 in Madrid.
Lulu, now 69, sang Boom Bang-a-Bang but her win wasn’t without controversy.
Spain, The Netherlands and Spain tied with The UK on 18 points and there were no rules in place to decide an overall winner.
All four countries were declared winners but Finland, Norway, Sweden and Portugal did not participate in the 1970 Contest as a protest against the result the following year.
The rules were then changed to make sure the situation never happened again.
Brotherhood of Man
In 1976 Brotherhood of Man triumphed with the song Save Your Kisses For Me.
The contest took place in The Hague, in the Netherlands, the same country the 2021 edition was held in.
The song then became a worldwide hit and has remained one of the biggest selling Eurovision winner tracks ever.
In 1976 Brotherhood of Man triumphed with the song Save Your Kisses For Me[/caption]
Bucks Fizz
The UK were crowned victors again in the 1980s when Bucks Fizz received the most points in 1981.
The four-piece, made up of Cheryl Baker, Bobby G, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston, performed Making Your Mind Up, complete with colourful outfits and tearaway skirts.
The song was one of three of the band’s UK number one singles.
In 1985 Jay Aston quit the group to be replaced by Shelley Preston.
More from Eurovision
How can I watch Eurovision 2021?
Eurovision was cancelled for 2020 for the first time in its 64-year history due to the coronavirus pandemic.
You can watch all the action as it unfolds TONIGHT (Saturday, May 22, 2021), with Graham Norton providing the commentary.
It will be broadcast live on BBC One from 8pm.
Fans will be able to catch up on iPlayer.
