United Kingdom: BBC Officially confirm - Wogan leaves Eurovision

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Out of all the news I have had to gather and research for this blog for the last 2 years, I have never had to write so much about Wogan like I have for the last few months.

The BBC website reveals today that Terry Wogan will no longer be the face of Eurovision in the United Kingdom. The 70-year old Irishman has been involved with Eurovision for 35 years, both as a commentator and as a host for the UK national finals. He was also the host of the Eurovision Song Contest in Birmingham in 1998 together with Ulrika Jonsson. Fellow Irishman from Co. Cork Graham Norton will replace him. Norton will host the new format UK selection show series “Eurovision: Your country needs you” in January as well as commentate the final from Moscow in May.


Wogan tells the BBC he feels “sad to leave it all behind after 35 wonderful years of commentating Eurovision for radio and television”. "From my first, in a small musichall in Dublin, to my last, in the huge arena in Belgrade, it has been nothing but laughter and fun” He remembers “the silly songs, the spectacle, the grandiose foolishness of it all”.He concludes with his hope that Graham Norton together with "the musical brilliance of Lloyd Webber, Royaume Uni will gather its proper share of 'Douze Points' and bring the Grand Prix home to where it belongs." Graham Norton has described his new job as “amazing and a huge honour”.


Most of us here thought the issue of Wogan leaving was buried when Norton said to ITN only 5 days ago on the 30th November that he denied that plans are afoot for him to replace Terry Wogan as the host for the Eurovision Song Contest next year.The Cork comic dismissed such talk as "just rumours" and insisted that no one had spoken to him about it. A lot must have happened in 5 days.

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Comments

  1. AnonymousSaturday, December 06, 2008 7:17:00 p.m.

    I notice that the encroachment of English, in the European Song Contest increases year by year.

    I would comment, as a native English speaker, that this both undemocratic and unethical. Perhaps the time has come to break the habit of "English imperialism" in the European Song Contest, and use a song, sung in Esperanto instead!

    This is a serious suggestion, as you can see from the Esperanto music which is already available at http://www.vinilkosmo.com/?prs=listen

    The language itself can be heard at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8837438938991452670 or at http://www.lernu.net

    ReplyDelete

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