Eurovision Song Contest 2010

[Perdita]

Four countries have pulled out of the Eurovision Song Contest - but it's no guarantee we won't end up with nil points.

The Czech Republic, Montenegro, Andorra and Hungary have snubbed this year's 55th competition in Oslo because of cash cuts, organisers admitted.

Svante Stockselius, executive supervisor of Eurovision, said: "The economic crisis is affecting us. We have fewer countries competing and they all withdrew for the same reason - cuts."

Britain's hopes are resting on That Sounds Good To Me sung by Josh Dubovie, 19, from Essex.

The contest, watched by about 124 million Europeans, has seen its budget slashed by a quarter.

Norway's broadcaster NRK will spend £22million on staging the gala which now includes two semifinals and a final on Saturday.

It was forced to sell its World Cup rights to pay for the contest.

*Sadly, it's still going on

[Perdita]

Whos our entry?

The final of the Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Oslo on Saturday night. Josh Dubovie will be representing the United Kingdom with his song That Sounds Good To Me, penned by popmeisters Mike Stock, Pete Waterman and Steve Crosby. Can he better the credible fifth place of last year's UK entrant Jade Ewen (ably supported by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber)?

Josh's entry aside, the participants are a mixed bag of heartfelt ballads and campy Europop, which is what we love about Eurovision after all. A competition for statisticians and mathematicians, run by Kaggle, puts Azerbaijan's Safura, singing Drip Drop, in first place, followed by Germany (Satellite, sung by Lena) and Armenia (Apricot Stone, sung by Eva Rivas). Azerbaijan and Armenia will of course need to make it through the semi-final tonight to be sure of performing on Saturday.

[Siobhan]

Ireland got through last night...

[tammyy2j]

^ I cant see us winning it tbh

[Katy]

Its Niamh Kavanagh isnt it, i was well shocked when i seen her and the realised that no it wasnt that mush of a shock as its 20 odd years since the committments was filmed! not heard the song but she does have quite a good voice, or she did last time i heard her.

I tink Britain are heading for nill points! the songs awful and he cant even sing that well.

Im quite looking forward to it.

[Katy]

I seen the Irish entry on Youtube, i quite like it. Its a proper ballad with a low whistle. Its catchy. Her voice is much different to what it used to be like.

[Chloe O'brien]

Yahoo the UK was last again. Nice to see that political and tactical voting for your neighbours has returned.

[Perdita]

Germany triumphed in the Eurovision Song Contest tonight, topping the scoreboard with 246 points.

19-year-old Lena clinched her country's first victory in the competition since 1982 with 'Satellite', produced by Julie Frost.

Turkey, represented by maNga, were runners-up with 170 points. Romania's Paula Seling & Ovi and Denmark's Chanée & N'evergreen followed in third and fourth place respectively.

Meanwhile, the UK's entrant Josh Dubovie finished in last place with a song penned by Pete Waterman, scoring just ten points, falling victim to Georgia, who gave Belarus the maximum 12 points at the last minute.

Dubovie's finish was worse than Andy Abraham's in the 2008 contest, which veteran Eurovision commentator Sir Terry Wogan cited as one of his reasons for quitting.

[Perdita]

Last night's Eurovision Song Contest saw Lena reign victorious, topping the scoreboard with 246 points.

Elsewhere, the UK's Josh Dubovie finished in last place, the nation's worst performance since 2003 when Jemini's 'Cry Baby' received "nul points".

Below is a full list of how each nation performed this year:

01. Germany - 246
02. Turkey - 170
03. Romania - 162
04. Denmark - 149
05. Azerbaijan - 145
06. Belgium - 143
07. Armenia - 141
08. Greece - 140
09. Georgia - 136
10. Ukraine - 108
11. Russia - 90
12. France - 82
13. Serbia - 72
14. Israel - 71
15. Spain - 68
16. Albania - 62
17. Bosnia Herzegovina - 51
18. Portugal - 43
19. Iceland - 41
20. Norway - 35
21. Cyprus - 27
22. Moldova - 27
23. Ireland - 25
24. Belarus - 18
25. United Kingdom - 10

[Siobhan]

^ I cant see us winning it tbh

At least we were not last...

I really like the German song and the French one