Forgotten Eurovision entry from beloved Brit boy band dubbed 'reckless insanity'

Daily Mirror

17-05-2025

Over 10 years ago, a British boy band, selling over 15 million records worldwide, came back together in hopes of taking the Eurovision Song Contest by storm, but it didn't quite go to plan...
The final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will burst onto our screens tonight, ready to dazzle us with outrageous costumes, catchy yet cheesy songs, and a voting system that often leaves the UK near the bottom of the leaderboard. But one year, there was a beloved boy band eager to make their mark in Eurovision and bring home the glory for the nation. Yet, the decision was branded 'reckless insanity'.
Back in 2011, Duncan James, Simon Webbe, Lee Ryan and Antony Costa of the popular boy band Blue had high hopes of securing some seriously big points when they represented the UK at Eurovision. The noughties band, who took the nation by storm with their huge hits, 'All Rise', 'One Love', 'Too Close' and 'Guilty', felt confident that their success would follow suit at Eurovision and the UK wouldn't be faced with the humiliating 'nil points'.
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Confirming their Eurovision news, Duncan revealed at the time: "We're celebrating our 10 years together in 2011, so when the BBC approached us it seemed a great way to mark the occasion and also to be part of something which is still a British institution." Simon added: "I've always wanted to represent my country, so this is a truly exciting experience for Blue."
They entered the contest with their track 'I can', and Simon expressed his optimism at the time, stressing that he didn't expect political undercurrents to undermine Blue's mission to recapture the Eurovision title. "I'm not getting nil points," he declared confidently.
"We'd like to say that the Eurovision is not about the political side, it's about music and what music does is bring a wide audience of people together from different genres of music. People just want to have fun on the night and we're hoping politics won't get in the way."
However, their choice to represent the UK was quickly criticised, partly due to the novelty acts often featured at the annual competition. In contrast, the band, who were formed in 2000, had sold more than 13 million records, won two Brit Awards and had secured three UK number one singles by the time they entered Eurovision. Blue had parted ways in 2005, pursuing solo careers, only to reform in 2011 for their Eurovision debut.
But their former manager, Daniel Glatman, who helped form the group in 2000, described their decision as "reckless insanity". Daniel said: "They will have to win. Anything less and their reputation would be in tatters.
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"It is the equivalent of Lewis Hamilton entering a go-kart race - he will be the strong favourite but there is also the possibility he could lose. So why risk it?"
Meanwhile, Eurovision executive producer Phil Parsons at the time described Blue as "real pop stars who have superb vocal ability, have great on-stage presence and can really deliver on the night in Dusseldorf." He added: "We have a highly credible act who have had a string of smash hits in this country and they've also been hugely successful around Europe too. There's a lot of genuine affection for them here and abroad."
Blue performed their song 'I Can' at Eurovision in 2011, which was held in Germany, Düsseldorf. Lee had described the song as "very powerful and very strong", ideal for making a splash at Eurovision.
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On the night, their song, written by members Lee and Duncan, was received with enthusiastic applause despite what BBC host Graham Norton tactfully described as a "tentative start." When voting began, Blue scored highly and briefly topped the leaderboard. But they were swiftly overtaken by other countries.
They ended up in 11th place after clinching 100 points. Instead, the winners were the small nation of Azerbaijan with the romantic duet 'Running Scared', performed by Ell and Nikki. But it wasn't all bad news for Blue, as their score was 10 times more than Josh Dubovie's, who represented the UK the year before.
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In that same year, Blue had also been up against Irish contenders Jedward, armed with what Lee characterised as a number infused with a 'Britney-esque' vibe and an American pop sensibility. "I like Jedward, they're funny," Antony shared before the competition. "As long as we can go there and give 110%, I'll be happy with that." The twins finished in 8th place with their rendition of 'Lipstick'.
After the scores came in, Blue's former manager, Daniel, brutally said the group would now be remembered as the band that "flopped at Eurovision". "As I said before, if Blue didn't win Eurovision then their reputation would be in tatters," he said. "But I did genuinely hope that they would receive more votes than they did.
"It was a sad night for the band because they have gone from being a 'massive boy band who sold 14 million records' to the 'band who flopped at Eurovision'. That is, unfortunately, how history will remember them now."