Wogan Quits Eurovision

[duncan]

Terry Wogan has announced that he will no longer commentate on Eurovision after 35 years of doing so. The job has been handed to.....Graham Norton.

[Pip Madeley]

Wogan Quite Eurovision

Is he?

[duncan]

If someone would kindly edit the title to read Quits I'd be grateful.

[Si Hunt]

I'll do it. When I get a free minute. Tee hee.

Is this confirmed? I read a report yesterday saying Norton had denied taking over.

Si.

[Si Hunt]

I wonder if this is because of the decision to finally make the selection criteria for the UK entry a televised six-week contest? Terry would be unlikely to host that show's entire run (what with his radio show, unreliability etc) and it would perhaps seem odd to switch presenter between the selection show and finals? Maybe Norton agreed to the selection show on the condition he got to do the finals as well?

I don't know that, I just thought I'd start a few conspiracy theories.

Si.

[SiHart]

It's official. From the BBC News:

Sir Terry Wogan is stepping down as commentator on the Eurovision Song Contest after three decades.

Fellow Irishman Graham Norton will take over for the 2009 contest, which will be hosted in Moscow.
Veteran presenter Wogan, 70, cast doubt on whether he would be involved in covering the event again following this year's contest.
He said it was "no longer a music contest" and that prospects for western European participants were "poor".

The show has suffered from accusations of bloc voting, which was blamed by some for leaving Britain's 2008 contestant, Andy Abraham, with only 14 points.

Wogan said he would be "sad to leave it all behind".
He said: "I've had 35 wonderful years commentating on the 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.
"The silly songs, the spectacle, the grandiose foolishness of it all.
"Let's hope that between (Norton) and 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."

Norton described it as "an amazing job and a huge honour".
He said: "Sir Terry is nothing less than legend and is an impossible act to follow, but somebody must and I just couldn't say no.
"I can't wait to get to Moscow. With a combination of cheap vodka and a language barrier what could possibly go wrong?"

Jay Hunt, Controller of BBC One, thanked Sir Terry for his work on the programmes.
"Terry has enhanced viewer's enjoyment of Eurovision for many years," she said.
"I am delighted that Graham Norton will now be bringing his wit to bear on this iconic music event."

To be honest I don't blame him at all. He's been quite damming about the way the contest has been going over the last few years and if he's not enjoying it any more, then it's time to go. I'll miss him though.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

It seems odd though as they've just changed the rules as a reaction against everything he was complaining about. So you'd think he'd be happy.

Si.

[WhiteCrow]

He's been complaining about the competition for a while now, with it not being a competition at all now. I think he's right to pull out, although it won't be the same without him.

Graham Norton, although he can be quite brilliant, wouldn't be my first choice. It would be quite nice for UKs Eurovision commentary to be provided by someone from the UK rather than Ireland. But then the Irish dominate Eurovision don't they, the crafty swine?

[Llordllama]

I have to agree with Simon and WhiteCrow, Wogan's been a bit of wet blanket the last few years on the contest. In 2007 he almost shut up throughout the night which was a major disapointment. I may be a Eurovision fan for the music/costumes/car crash television but Wogans totally unPC comments made it. Maybe Graham can bring that back, though I don't think I'll be able to stomach 6 weeks of Strictly Pick Middle of the Road No Hopers!

[Larry]

At the end of his commentry at this years contest he did pretty much all but say live on air that he'd had enough and this would be his last eurovision so this is only confirming what he said .

It will be sad to see him go as he was the best thing about eurovision but the truth is since the break up of the soviet union and other eastern europeon countries like yugoslavia it has never been the same.

It has just become all about politics rather then the music which made a mockery of the scoring system as Terry, has said him self the scoring is no longer a joke any more. He has quite clearly become very dissillousioned with it over the years and I think it wouldn't be an exageration to say that during the scoring there was a dagree of contempt for it in his commentry this year.

[WhiteCrow]

It is disgusting how the block voting is working at present. You have to wonder why the UK puts money into this, when it's essentially anti-UK.

Although saying that I feel like I've suddenly come over with American attitudes.

[Philipnet]

Hey, maybe that's the BBC's ploy; get an Irish presenter who can celebrate his country getting more than the audience who watching him!

With regards to Terry leaving, he was making loud noises about that at the last Eurovision contest, I'm not surprised by him leaving.

[Si Hunt]

It's like my post stating they've changed the rules just doesn't exist.

Si.

[SiHart]

Sorry, did you say something there?

Si xx

[WhiteCrow]

What are the new rules changes Si H?

[Wayne]

The job has been handed to.....Graham Norton.

How completely apt.

[Simon R]

How rude that the above article mentions Wogan's age but not Nortons.

I think it's a real shame Wogan is going. He could have at least stuck it out for one more year seeing as there's some new rules and the new UK selection show to come.

I'm not sure about Norton. He's alright in very small doses and his "Graham Goes To Dollywood" programme was good but he seem a bit obvious.

After her genuine Eurovish knowledge was revealed on "Making Your Mind Up" the other year I'd have gone with Melanie Giedroyc. Alas she's not enough of a name for the BBC.

On the brightside at least it's not Jonathan Ross, John Barrowman or Fern Cotton.

[P-Bal]

Fern Cotton, Cotton, her panties are rotten.

[Si Hunt]

Barrowman would have been interesting - he has a clear knowledge of Eurovision, so it might have finally been a chance to get him on a light entertainment show he was qualified to be on*

Si.

* "Torchwood" doesn't count as light entertainment of course. Stop laughing at the back.