What can the UK do to win Eurovision 2025 after nil points? Superfans have the answer-Josie Copson-Entertainment – Metro

Olly Alexander reprented the UK at The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 (Picture: Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Images)

The Eurovision Song Contest is over for another year after a disappointing result for the UK, and thoughts are already turning to how to do better in 2025.

Olly Alexander put everything into his song Dizzy by performing challenging choreography while dressed in boxing gear and belting out high notes to elevate the pop tune.

Despite the effort level, the Years and Years singer was given the dreaded nil points from the public vote – the only artist to receive this marking in a disappointing turn of events. The score left the 33-year-old in 18th place out of 25 finalists after a respectable 48 points from the Jury, in the contest that Nemo eventually won for Switzerland.

Nothing can be done about the result from Malmö, Sweden, but next year could be different, say Eurovision superfans… but only if lessons are learnt.

Former music PR Samuel McManus, who has made his own Eurovision trophy to award in family sweepstakes, thinks that while Olly gave a ‘good performance’ and the staging was ‘the best the UK has ever delivered’, the whole thing was quite forgettable.

‘The performance was too busy for people to connect with the audience. It felt more like a music video than a live performance,’ he said.

The staging was praised (Picture: Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Images)

Rachel McGrath, whose love of Eurovision from an early age led her to spend a week in Liverpool last year attending all the Eurovision events, added: ‘It didn’t really capitalise on the atmosphere in the arena.

‘It didn’t have a wow moment, which you need at Eurovision, especially if you’re buried in the middle of the running order. An act needs something memorable and impactful to grab votes,’ she explained.

Brand and Culture expert Nick Ede, who is a self-described Eurovision obsessive, was more critical. He felt Olly’s performance ‘wasn’t aesthetically pleasing’ and ‘quite brutal’: ‘It just didn’t work for the audience to relate to or get behind.’

Eurovision acts need to be memorable (Picture: Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Images)

The UK needs to remember how the voting system works and ensure they select an act that stands out, according to Alex Busa, who was on the national selection jury for Azerbaijan for nine years and the PR team for 2011 winners Ell & Nikki.

‘His song needed to grow on you before you got to like it, and that’s a red flag,’ he noted.

‘The current Eurovision voting system means only the top 10 songs get points, so even if Olly wasn’t last in the public vote rankings across Europe, he still received zero points.’ Therefore a song can’t be subtle, or a slow burn, it has to grab viewers’ attention.

Samuel acknowledges Olly’s obvious talent but says his voice isn’t suited to the competition.

‘No disrespect to Olly because I think he’s a wonderful artist and performer but I don’t think his live vocals are strong enough for a competition like Eurovision,’ he remarked.

Vocals is where the focus should be going forward, Samuel believes, after Nemo’s victory and Loreen, who won for Sweden in 2023.

Nemo impressed Eurovision fans with their vocals (Picture: TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images)

‘They both had impressive staging but it was the vocal that set them apart,’ he summarised. Both Samuel and Alex think Rina Sawayama, who was previously rumoured, would be an excellent choice. The 33-year-old singer has become known for her versatility since she began releasing solo music in 2013.

‘She would be able to give us the vocal, the dramatics and a brilliant song that would take us to the top,’ shared Samuel. He also believes the UK should consider a musical theatre star after Lucie Jones came 15th in 2017, which, bar Sam Ryder, has been the UK’s best result since Blue in 2011.

‘We came the closest we have to winning in a long time with Sam, which is proof that we don’t need to be entering a well-known act to have a chance,’ pointed out Rachel. ‘We need to do some old-school music scouting to find someone who doesn’t have an established career.’

Rina has previously been rumoured for Eurovision (Picture: Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP)

Well-known names should ideally be avoided according to Nick too, as it ‘doesn’t seem to work and can be quite humiliating for the talent if they don’t do well’. However, if the UK doesn’t take his advice, he suggests Jessie J, Beverly Knight or Leona Lewis (‘Their powerhouse vocals would be perfect’), while Alex thinks Florence and the Machine, who already have a European fanbase, would do well.

To find the 2025 representative, Nick suggests rebooting an old format. In previous years, the BBC aired a TV show, most recently called Eurovision: You Decide, where hopefuls would compete for the change to represent, and the public would vote. Jade Ewen (5th, 2009), Blue (11th, 2011), and most recently Michael Rice (26th, 2009) were all selected this way.

‘We need to go back to basics and bring back the competition so the public have a say,’ he said. ‘The public would select a glamorous performer who can sing a celebratory pop song. That would give us a chance to enter the top five countries.’

Nick wants to see a reboot of the Eurovision selection show (Picture: BBC)

Caroline Westbrook, who hasn’t missed watching a contest since 1979, says the UK desperately need to change its tactics.

‘We’ve sent three dance bops in the past four years and while they might be fun at Eurovision parties, they’ve all been disasters as far as the scoreboard is concerned. It is clearly not working for us whereas the likes of Sam, Blue, Jade and Lucie have all got us decent, or at the very least, respectable results,’ she stated.

‘We need to send a ballad or something anthemic again next year.’

Alternatively, the UK could leap out of its comfort zone, with a metal band, or an alternative act. This could be the desirable route after Bambie Thug became the first Irish act in the Eurovision finals since 2018. In their performance, the independent artist dressed like a witch with horns on their head, screamed to the heavens and was twirled by a dancer wearing devil-inspired prosthetics.

Bambie did something different for their performance (Picture: REUTERS)

However, the work begins long before they step on stage to win over Eurovision fans. Those passionate about the contest can spot who is in it for the ‘right reasons’, something Sam was celebrated for.

‘He exuded so much passion for the competition and really put in the work travelling around Europe and promoting his song, even busking on the streets of European cities,’ Samuel recalled. ‘Sam was Eurovision.’

‘Olly made it clear in interviews that he wanted to take part in Eurovision to get more people to hear his song and to do well in the charts and that’s not what Eurovision is about,’ he continued.

Sam worked hard to win round Europe (Picture: Daniele Venturelli/Daniele Venturelli / WireImage )

‘Yes, it’s a song contest but PR campaigns still matter,’ Rachel stated.

Alex suggests an overhaul of the song-choosing process too: ‘Next year the UK should organise a songwriting camp like Switzerland and some other countries normally do because Eurovision isn’t the place where you’d just send an album track and hope it goes well.

‘For the past few years, the winning songs were all specifically written for a Eurovision performance.’

One thing’s for sure, the UK has some work to do!

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Entertainment – MetroRead More