So we are indeed off to Denmark – and I would guess probably Copenhagen. I’m well chuffed with the result. Whilst I think that the staging of the entry from Azerbaijan is very effective, it didn’t quite feel like a Eurovision winner – but second place is well deserved. I’m really glad that Norway and The Netherlands also placed well. I’ll be watching it back again tonight to see what I missed. Did you see the rather odd segment from the green room when Eric Saade seemed to swear? And then what about how long the broadcast overran by! The EBU will not be happy that…
It’s a shame that Bonnie Tyler didn’t do better, but in a really competitive competition we can’t just send a good song – we have to send a great song. That said – 19th place for Bonnie is what it is – not a cause of national embarrassment like it has been over the years, but not setting the world on fire either. Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the night came from Ireland. Who would have thought that they would finish in last place? Well, someone has to, and it doesn’t mean that they are terrible songs – and this one definitely isn’t a bad song.
There’s loads more for me to reflect on – but I won’t! Grab me for a chat on campus if you’re eager for more post-match analysis, or drop me an e-mail. As Graham Norton mentioned during the broadcast last night – the atmosphere was really special, and I said the same after the second semi-final. It seems that the smaller venue and fantastic organisation and staging of the Contest by Swedish broadcaster SVT all conspired to produce not only a cracking piece of telly but also a bunch of great songs. So, in homage to the mighty ABBA, let’s thank Sweden for the music. Until we meet again on this blog in Denmark next year, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my Eurovision journey once again – and I hope that you enjoyed yours as much as I did.
That’ll be Malmö then… 😀