So when we booked the overnight ferry from Hull to Rotterdam at the start of our journey down to Meribel in the French Alps via the Geneva Car Show, we were kind of looking forward to a decent voyage. We had no idea however, that we had booked on a pre-planned P and O themed night cruise, this particular one being Eurovision!
Anyway, this got me thinking about the whole Eurovision phenomenon. The 2019 event will be held in Tel Aviv in May and it will be the 64thcontest … yes you read correctly, the 64th!!!
As a UK citizen I have come to accept that the chances of us winning again are pretty slim unless perhaps Ed Sheeran or Adele represent us, as has been suggested by some, as the only possible way of us getting placed at all. But it is Eurovision and not UK vision so we just have to get over ourselves. For viewers in the UK we had been accustomed for many years of hearing the dry wit commentary from the late Sir Terry Wogan. That in itself was worth tuning in for, never mind the music. I have to say that the current host Graham Norton is doing not too bad a job either and showing a similar irreverence. The LGBTQ community have really latched on to Eurovision, making it their own and making it part of their calendar as is the many Pride events held throughout Europe. The 2018 Eurovision attracted 186 million viewers making it still the world’s biggest live music event. Think of it what you will, but Eurovision can still be an entertaining show if only to look at the costumes and stage acts and listen to the various presenters from the different countries make an attempt to be funny (but often fail) or to take bets which country will help out which neighbour with maximum marks even when the actual song was an earworm for all the wrong reasons! But that’s all part of the Eurovision experience and why people love it.