The UK's most successful Eurovision Song Contest entries
Ahead of the Eurovision Grand Final in Basel on Saturday, May 17, we thought we would have a quick look into the past and remember the most successful UK entries.
From Lulu to Bucks Fizz, here are all the UK's most successful Eurovision Song Contest entries.
Most successful UK Eurovision entries
Mary Hopkin - 'Knock Knock Who's There', 1970
In 1970, Mary Hopkin took to the stage in the Netherlands with her upbeat number and impressive vocals.
The Welsh-born artist had a big following with even Sir Paul McCartney supporting them, the star didn't win but did claim the second spot after being beaten by Irish Singer Dana.
Bucks Fizz - 'Making Your Mind Up', 1981
The iconic, costume-changing and skirt-ripping Bucks Fizz won the competition back in 1981 with their catchy tune 'Making Your Mind Up'.
Now, 40 years later, the band (minus one member) still enjoys playing the hit song and has found major success with their 'fizzy' attitude.
Sam Ryder, 'Space Man', 2022
After years of defeat and many years of nil poi, the UK got a taste of success with Sam Ryder's viral hit Space Man.
The song came second, losing out to Ukraine but Ryder won over the hearts of the nation.
Lulu, 'Boom Bang-A-Bang' 1969
The Scottish singer performed in 1969 in Spain's capital, Madrid and won the contest with the hit song.
Wearing a now retro pink dress, the singer performed at Eurovision following her massive success with the iconic song 'Shout'.
Kathy Kirby: 'I Belong', 1965
Performed by blonde bombshell, the self-empowerment song gave her cult fame and even named her a 'gay icon'.
The song was the UK's first entry of the sixties, and with its bold and modern-day feel, it was a worthy second-place winner.
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Katrina and the Waves, 'Love Shine a Light', 1997
Known for their 80's hit 'Walking on Sunshine' Katrina and the Waves went with a simple yet strong anthem that got them the crown in Ireland.
The band beat out any competitors with their closest rival Ireland 70 points away from the British winners.
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BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Parenthood - Everything you need to know about the new wildlife series
Sir David Attenborough returns to narrate Parenthood - A groundbreaking wildlife series on nature's ultimate challenge. From the world-class natural history storytelling company Silverback Films comes Parenthood, a breathtaking new series exploring the universal struggle to raise the next generation. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough and lyrics co-written and performed by Sam Ryder, this six-part series captures the extraordinary lengths animals go to ensure the survival of their young. Filmed over three years across six continents and 23 countries, Parenthood showcases astonishing, never-before-seen animal behaviours in stunning 6K ultra high definition. From the remote jungles of Bhutan to the grasslands of Botswana, each episode reveals the unique - and often surprisingly familiar - challenges faced by animal parents around the world. The stakes couldn't be higher - success for all parents ensures the future of life on our planet. Packed with never seen before behaviours filmed in 6k ultra high definition with music scored by Tom Howe (Ted Lasso, Mulan), Parenthood is the definitive wildlife series on life's greatest challenge. Watch Parenthood from Sunday 3 August on BBC One. All episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer AJ2 The series in numbers Total number of countries filmed in: 23 Total number of filming days: 1,427 Total number of shoots: 58 Rarest animals filmed: Iberian Lynx, Spain Interview with Series Producer and Director Jeff Wilson What sets this series apart from other natural history programmes? Parenthood tells the previously untold stories behind the struggles and triumphs that animal parents have to endure in order to sustain life on Earth. There have been countless programmes on the animal babies, and whilst full of adorable animals, they have missed the fact that the majority of the narrative in raising young lies with the parents - the choices they make around the environment they bring their young into, the home they create, the relentless need to provide food, the constant protection from threats, the life experiences that their offspring need to be exposed to before they can become truly independent - all of these are mini-dramas in their own right. Why is it important to showcase these behaviours? Many of these very intimate behaviours are very difficult to film. When you see the behaviours come to life on screen, I think it gives you a new appreciation of the investment and commitment of many parents, and my hope is, it gives our audience common ground with some of these extraordinary animals. Do you think there's lessons we can learn from the animal world? Absolutely - the level of commitment required to raise young, that no individual's needs are the same, that the benefit of a good home, food and teaching are all part of raising successful offspring. In a world that is changing all around us in ways that none of us can predict, we can learn how to deal with uncertainty - because in the natural world, nothing is certain, and animal parents are still incredibly successful. How do you maintain a balance between concern for the natural world and wide-eyed wonder? As documentary film makers, we are emotionally involved in our subjects - who wouldn't be given the extraordinary amounts of time we spend documenting their world? The dramas we observe happen whether we are there or not, and they are not ours to affect or influence. The animals are far more interesting, beautiful and wonder filled than anything our imaginations could come up with. I hope that we bring that wonder to our audiences too! Do you have any favourite moments in the series or unique wildlife encounters in the series? For sheer parental commitment, and for the fact that the full story has never been filmed for a documentary before, my personal favourite must be the story of the African social spider - a mother spider who not only raises 50 offspring alongside her sisters but eventually sacrifices her own body to feed her growing young in an act called matriphagy. Less gruesome, yet equally fascinating, is the eight-year commitment to child rearing that a mother orangutan undergoes, along the way showing her young the huge range of foods on offer, as well as how to make his own bed. New technologies allowed us to follow the nightly battle mother hippos endure to keep their young alive as they search for fresh grass in the Tanzanian bush, only to be stalked by prides of lions. What do you personally hope viewers will take away from this series? Aside from the marvel at seeing new behaviours and engaging dramas, as a parent myself, I hope our audience recognise the universal story of parenthood, and that wild animals and humans, have more in common than you might think. By recognising our similarities, we can find an empathy and perhaps even a solution to creating a better world for all of our young. Episode One – The Greatest Adventure Parenthood is a journey like no other - full of risk and reward. Every habitat has a unique set of challenges and every parent has a unique strategy to overcome them. The stakes, however, couldn't be higher. Success, for all parents, ensures the future of life on our planet. Finding a suitable home is the first challenge. In the Kalahari, lion mothers survive by raising one another's cubs in times of need - only these mothers have the added risk of having to teach their cubs to also become giant hunters. Elsewhere, in Texas, a pair of burrowing owls provide an underground nest for their chicks, giving their chicks protection whilst they work around the clock to supply food. Food is vital to all parents' success - but a mother hippo in Tanzania has to leave the safety of her pool every night to find grass for her and her calf, running a gauntlet of hungry lions hidden in the dark with her newborn calf. Some parents take providing to extremes. In a sequence never seen in a documentary before, an African social spider regurgitates a 'milk' made from dissolved body parts to feed her young. Once her spiderlings need something more substantial, however, she offers herself - and her spiderlings eat her alive. It is the ultimate parental sacrifice. Animal parents are having to adapt to a world that is changing rapidly, and the recovery of the Iberian Lynx in southern Spain is a remarkable success story - showing how humans can help animal parents thrive in the face of enormous challenges. Filming locations and species: Lions: Kalahari Desert, Botswana Burrowing owls: Phoenix, Arizona, USA Hippos: Ruaha National Park, Tanzania The African social spider: Tsumeb, Namibia Iberian Lynx: Andalusia, Southern Spain Boxer Crabs: Indonesia and specialist filming tank Filming feats: The African social spider: The first time the full story of Matriphagy in African Social Spiders (where offspring consume their mother - these female spiders are known to vibrate their nests to trigger this process) has been captured in high resolution for a documentary. Burrowing owls: The intimate vocalisations between chicks and their parents inside the den was uniquely recorded by our cameras and supplied to scientists for further research. Hippos: We designed new ways of using Infra-Red technology inside gyro stabilised housing to allow to drive alongside the mother hippos as they journeyed with their calves through the dark. This technological breakthrough gave us unique behavioural footage. Episode Two - Oceans Parenting in the oceans is extremely rare. Most marine animals avoid it altogether, leaving their young to survive on their own. However, those animals that do take on the challenge have some of the most remarkable parenting strategies on Earth. In coral reefs, where space is limited, creatures must be creative to find homes for their young. In Indonesia, a dedicated banggai cardinalfish father overcomes this problem by raising his young inside his mouth, while remarkable dolphin mothers in the Red Sea use the reef to teach their calves games, and then, as they grow, to use the reef to self-medicate. In colder oceans, seaweed serves as the perfect nurseries. The masterful camouflage of the weedy sea dragon in Australia helps a father keep his eggs safe, while the extraordinary skeleton shrimp has to piggyback her young amongst the currents whilst searching for food. A resourceful otter mother in Scotland must find enough fish amongst the seaweed to keep her three kits safe but to do so she leaves them alone for hours at a time, with near- disastrous consequences. Some marine parents use intelligence to adapt. Killer whale mothers in Australia teach their pod to hunt blue whales, a cultural lesson passed down through the generations and key to their future success. Nearby an octopus mother transforms a discarded plastic pipe into a home for her eggs, which she guards relentlessly until they are independent. In South Africa, Cape gannet parents fly hundreds of miles to find food for their growing chick. Yet despite this remarkable parental dedication, their fledglings face great challenges. Their first flight involves dodging hungry fur seals, which now prey on gannet chicks due to depleted fish stocks. Across our planet, humans must play a vital role if ocean parents are to continue to thrive. Filming locations and species: Banggai cardinalfish: Bone Baru, Banggai Indonesia and specialist filming tank Dolphins: The Red Sea, Egypt Common Seadragon or Weedy Seadragon: Melbourne, Australia Skeleton shrimp: Melbourne, Australia and specialist filming tank Killer whales: Bremer, West Australia Octopus: Melbourne, Australia Cape Gannets: Cape Town, South Africa Fur Seals: Cape Town, South Africa Filming feats: Killer whales: The 'practice hunting' behaviour appears to show members of an orca family submerging the head of one individual to prevent it from breathing - the technique used by killer whales to hunt large whales. This practice hunting behaviour has never been filmed before. Episode Three – Grasslands In the open grasslands of our planet, parents must constantly balance risk and reward when raising the next generation. While abundant grass promises plentiful food and places for a family to call home, the exposed landscape brings competition and predators. In England, an ingenious potter wasp takes full advantage of the grassland's bounty; expertly building a clay cradle and stuffing it full of caterpillars for offspring she will never meet. In Kenya's Masai Mara, a cheetah mother uses the open stage to show her cubs the hunting skills they will need as adults. Essential when she needs help tackling a wildebeest calf. But for others, the balance is harder to achieve. In the open plains of the Lower Zambezi, a thirty-strong wild dog pack has all the odds in their favour. But the parents must instil discipline in their inexperienced pups or risk them ruining the hunt. In India, langur mothers must learn to first be good babysitters before taking on the parental role - and for some it doesn't come easy! A changing planet is continually shifting the balance between risk and reward, forcing parents across grasslands to make new and difficult choices. In the Kalahari, sociable weaver birds make the largest nests in the world, shielding their colony from the sun's heat. But an unbearable heatwave causes social order to break down as disgruntled neighbours begin to evict chicks. In Patagonia, a guanaco mother must join thousands of others in trying to reach winter feeding grounds, only to be faced by mile upon mile of fencing. The challenges for animal parents are becoming more intense, but simple solutions from humans can ultimately determine the future and stability of life on our grasslands. Filming locations and species: Potter wasp: Devon, UK Cheetah: Masai Mara, Kenya African wild dogs: Lower Zambezi, Zambia Langur monkey: Jodphur, India Sociable weaver: Benfontein, South Africa San Joaquin Kit foxes: Panoche Valley, California Demoiselle Cranes: Tingtibi, Bhutan Guanaco: Patagonia Santa Cruz, Argentina Filming feats: San Joaquin Kit foxes: The first time San Joaquin Kit foxes have been filmed being predated by Coyotes before - this was done using specialised military Infra-Red technology that allowed the crew to see the drama unfold in the pitch black. Demoiselle Cranes: The first filming of Demoiselle Cranes defending their chicks from livestock encroachment - a consequence of human-wildlife conflict and resource sharing. Sociable weavers: The first time Sociable weavers have been filmed exhibiting infanticide. Episode Four – Freshwater All life needs water to live. Yet water itself is not constantly available, and animal parents must relentlessly adapt to this challenge. Dedication, perseverance and sheer bravery are key to success in the Freshwater world. In the Brazilian Amazon, thousands of turtle parents must predict the timings of the seasonal rains before laying their eggs. If they get it wrong, their hatchlings will drown underground, but if they get it right, it is the beginning of one of Earth's greatest spectacles as thousands of baby turtles follow their mothers calls into the water. In Namibia, waterholes provide a reliable resource for a desert-dwelling Namaqua sandgrouse father. But he must pick his moment wisely when collecting water for his chicks. One second out, and he will end up in the claws of a raptor. Some animal parents try to use the power of water to their advantage. In a Caribbean river, a tri tri goby harnesses the currents to oxygenate his eggs. But before they can even be laid, a once-in-a-lifetime storm sweeps him and everything he's built downstream. He must climb one thousand feet of waterfalls to get another chance at parenthood. In the swamplands of Florida, a clever swamp canary parent uses the power of snacks to entice its young hatchlings from the jaws of danger, with only moments to spare. For some, the search for water can feel never ending. In drought-ridden Kenya, an elephant matriarch and her family must share the remaining water with humans until finally the rains come. When they do, the power of water threatens to turn deadly. As the climate shifts, freshwater is becoming harder to predict. Humans and wildlife are adapting to changing freshwater patterns, but we can choose to give the next generation a future with more reliable freshwater. Filming locations and species: Turtles: Guapore, Brazil Namaqua sandgrouse: Damaraland, Namibia Tri Tri Goby fish: Trafalgar, Dominica Swamp canary: Lake Marion, South Carolina Pheasant-Tailed Jacana: Khon Kaen, Thailand Elephants: Samburu, Kenya Filming feats: Tri Tri Goby fish: First time a Tri Tri Goby fish has been filmed transferring rocks to build a nest tunnel for his young. Swamp canary: This species has never been filmed for broadcast and the first-time chicks fledging into water and being coaxed up the tree trunk by it's parent has been filmed for a documentary. Pheasant-Tailed Jacana: This species has not been filmed before, and its egg rolling and the consequences of caterpillar infestation on its breeding sites has not been documented before. Episode Five – Jungles Raising young in the complex world of jungles takes ingenuity. Parents must become masters of their environment, learning to exploit all opportunities if they are to secure the future of the next generation. In remote Bhutan a pair of rufous necked hornbills have a lifelong partnership built on trust and dedication - the mother is imprisoned for a hundred days inside a tree, relying on her male to support his family. Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, a plucky pug-nosed frog shares his home with a huge venomous tarantula. This unlikely duo makes a great team - the tarantula acts as a live in bodyguard, and the diminutive frog stays home to keep their shared home clean. In Jamaica, an ingenious crab mother works tirelessly to raise her brood of minuscule crablets. With scientific precision, she uses what is available in the forest to create the perfect conditions for her nursery pool. Elsewhere some jungle parents need space to roam - and some are forced to adapt when their habitat changes around them. 'Crinkle', a cassowary father in Australia, navigates his chicks through new dangers in the oldest rainforest in the world. In the Amazon, forest fires force a tapir mother to seek a new territory where she can find vital life-giving minerals, and in China white-headed langurs cling on at the edge of existence. Their limestone pinnacles are surrounded by farmland, and they need to fight for what's left to ensure a safe place for their young. Remarkably, in all of our jungles, new science shows ancient 'mother trees' providing not only for their own offspring, but also for countless other rainforest families, from the tops of the canopy right down into the leaf litter. Their influence may be the key to all of our survival. Filming locations and species: Rufous necked hornbill: Zhemgang region, Bhutan Pug-nosed frog: Kitulgala, Sri Lanka Fringed ornamental Tiger Spider: Kitulgala Sri Lanka Bromeliad Crab: Montego Bay, Jamaica Cassowary: Daintree, Queensland, Australia Tapir: Cristalino, Brazil White-headed langur: Guangxi Province, China Orangutan: Gunung Palung National Park, Indonesia Filming feats: Rufous necked hornbill: The first time a Rufous necked hornbill chick rearing in a nest has been filmed for a documentary. Tapir: This is the first time the nighttime behaviours around clay licks have been filmed using thermal imaging. New Technology For the Hippos in episode one, the team incorporated a military grade Infra-Red camera into gyro-stabilised housing to allow to drive alongside the mother hippos as they took their calves on a nightly journey though the dark, dense bush to find fresh grass. Trailing them were lion prides who preyed on the fact the mothers and their young were away from water. This was a big breakthrough as the team would never have captured this without the ability to see in the dark and move the camera at the same time. Specialised underwater gimbals and tow cameras were used to bring cameras alongside hunting orcas underwater - this technology allowed the crew to travel at the same speed as the Orca hunting pack and provided new insights into their behaviour. Specialised IR cameras were used in Arizona to capture new behaviours with the endangered San Joaquin Kit Fox as well as in the remote Brazilian Amazon to capture feeding behaviours of Tapir's at secret clay licks in the forest. A specialised camera buggy was used to enter into a secret barn in Spain where multiple generations of endangered Iberian Lynx were known to breed and raise their young. This non-intrusive way of filming gave the team unique insights into their family behaviours that would otherwise have been impossible. Series Credits Parenthood (5x60) for BBC One and iPlayer was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual and it is being produced by multiple BAFTA and Emmy Award winning Silverback Films. The Series Producer and Director is Jeff Wilson, the Executive Producer is Keith Scholey and the Line Producer is Tara Knowles. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Sreya Biswas, Head of Natural History. Music Information The score is composed by Tom Howe (Ted Lasso, Mulan) with 'Go Steady' song co-written with Sam Ryder and Max Wolfgang and performed by Sam Ryder. Follow for more
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Eurovision stars Remember Monday secretly hit studio with ‘freaking awesome' chart-topping British band
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THEY won over millions when they showcased their incredible vocal talents on the Eurovision stage in May. But girl group Remember Monday also impressed fellow musicians with their hit What The Hell Just Happened? Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 3 Remember Monday girls Holly-Anne Hull, Lauren Byrne and Charlotte Steele Credit: Supplied 3 The lads from McFly were so taken with the girl group's performance, the two bands have been in the studio together Credit: Getty 3 Remember Monday won over millions of fans with their incredible vocals Credit: Getty In fact, the lads from McFly were so taken with their performance, the two bands have been in the studio together. The Remember Monday girls — Holly-Anne Hull, Lauren Byrne and Charlotte Steele — are back today with their sunny new single, Happier, and have also been writing with McFly following an introduction at last month's Capital Summertime Ball. In an exclusive interview, Holly-Anne told us: 'We met McFly and we have always been fans. "Obviously, they can really write a good song. We've been in the studio with them. They're freaking awesome. 'It's been really productive. We've finished one song. We were actually just discussing going to work on some more. 'But hopefully these songs will be out sooner than we think because I think we do want a body of work.' The girls decided to kick things into gear in the studio after being inspired by their idol Sabrina Carpenter, whose new record is out next month — 12 months after her last one. 'Stars of the show' Lauren said: 'As soon as Sabrina announced she had a new album coming out, we were like, 'What?!'. We were spurred into action.' The group, who will perform at Latitude Festival in Suffolk today ahead of a nationwide tour in the autumn, have also recently been working with two stroppy divas — a pair of Shetland ponies. The cute animals make cameos in the Happier music video, which will come out on YouTube on Sunday — but they were a nightmare on set. Remember Monday star shares big update on 'stolen' wedding ring after Eurovision Charlotte said: 'The music video came really easily to us and we've always wanted to do, like, a really girly kind of Desperate Housewives meets Barbie world story, and we think it's really, really living up to that. 'We had Mr Pickles and Miss Money Penny, who are two miniature Shetland ponies. They are so cute. Extremely clever stars of the show. But they ran away during the video. They were having a diva moment.' Following their Eurovision performance, the girls told me they are planning a holiday in Italy — where the jury gave the UK a maximum 12 points — and are hoping either a music newbie or Little Mix star Jade might represent us next year. Charlotte said: 'I think it would be really cool to have an unknown because it's such an amazing platform. 'We were unknown and look what it's done for us. We can't say a bad word about it.' Lauren added: 'But Jade would be cool, too. That's what we keep saying to everyone.'
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
Eurovision stars Remember Monday secretly hit studio with ‘freaking awesome' chart-topping British band
THEY won over millions when they showcased their incredible vocal talents on the Eurovision stage in May. But girl group Remember Monday also impressed fellow musicians with their hit What The Hell Just Happened? 3 In fact, the lads from McFly were so taken with their performance, the two bands have been in the studio together. The Remember Monday girls — Holly-Anne Hull, Lauren Byrne and Charlotte Steele — are back today with their sunny new single, Happier, and have also been writing with McFly following an introduction at last month's Capital Summertime Ball. In an exclusive interview, Holly-Anne told us: 'We met McFly and we have always been fans. "Obviously, they can really write a good song. We've been in the studio with them. They're freaking awesome. 'It's been really productive. We've finished one song. We were actually just discussing going to work on some more. 'But hopefully these songs will be out sooner than we think because I think we do want a body of work.' The girls decided to kick things into gear in the studio after being inspired by their idol Sabrina Carpenter, whose new record is out next month — 12 months after her last one. 'Stars of the show' Lauren said: 'As soon as Sabrina announced she had a new album coming out, we were like, 'What?!'. We were spurred into action.' The group, who will perform at Latitude Festival in Suffolk today ahead of a nationwide tour in the autumn, have also recently been working with two stroppy divas — a pair of Shetland ponies. The cute animals make cameos in the Happier music video, which will come out on YouTube on Sunday — but they were a nightmare on set. Remember Monday star shares big update on 'stolen' wedding ring after Eurovision Charlotte said: 'The music video came really easily to us and we've always wanted to do, like, a really girly kind of Desperate Housewives meets Barbie world story, and we think it's really, really living up to that. 'We had Mr Pickles and Miss Money Penny, who are two miniature Shetland ponies. They are so cute. Extremely clever stars of the show. But they ran away during the video. They were having a diva moment.' Following their Eurovision performance, the girls told me they are planning a holiday in Italy — where the jury gave the UK a maximum 12 points — and are hoping either a music newbie or Little Mix star Jade might represent us next year. Charlotte said: 'I think it would be really cool to have an unknown because it's such an amazing platform. 'We were unknown and look what it's done for us. We can't say a bad word about it.' Lauren added: 'But Jade would be cool, too. That's what we keep saying to everyone.'
