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It's time to let someone else have a go
UK: Wogan speaks about his Eurovision retirement
Can you confirm or deny that you're doing Eurovision again?
I think, really ... it's unlikely. I think the BBC has got great plans, and good luck to them, but I made it fairly clear last time I did the commentary that the political voting ... [pauses] It's my major regret that I didn't put any money on Russia last time, because I knew that, whatever kind of a song it was, it was their turn. But putting all that aside, I've been doing it since God was a boy. There's a time to live and a time to die.
It's not time to die yet!
Only the river goes on forever. I think it's time to let someone else have a go. Bring a fresh face to it, and a fresh voice - it might make all the difference.
You've said before that it's no longer a song contest - was it ever?
Well, it doesn't matter to the British public who wins, but it does matter that we keep coming last or second to last. That's the thing. We want a fair shake, and that's really the sticking point. They'll still watch, with or without me.
Will you watch it?
Er, no! The only reason I watch it is because I commentate. It's not my life. Once, it's over, my priority is to get home, have dinner and be with my family.
When asked by Heat who should replace him on the Radio 2 morning show, Terry's first suggestion was for Michael Ball, the UK's representative in the 1992 Eurovision Song Contest.
The complete interview with Sir Terry Wogan can be read in this week's edition of Heat Magazine.
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Luis Almeida
As I said before I like Terry Wogan's commentary. What I meant was that his talking throughout the recap made it difficult to hear the songs properly. Many viewers hear the songs for the first time on the final night and might need that second listening (recap) to be able to vote 
@ Stockholm calling:
I saw the video you suggested and thought Wogan's comments or not annoying at all, but rather critical... Come on, you have to agree someone has to do it... This contest became as lame and ridiculous as it gets. The songs are completely stupid and hollow. Take a look again at the 2006 recap... It was one of the poorest contests ever! And it's not going to improve as long as the (voting) system feeds it...
Wogan, who is qualified to do it, after watching this contest going deeper every year, can do nothing but be sarcastic... That's, actually, the future of many revolutionary minds...
Sir Terry - your witty, sarcastic and hugely entertaining commentary will be sadly missed.
Jonny
I think Vendela has a good voice but Frida's song is catchier
Mina
Thats for the heads up lol!! 
Stockholm
I like that song although I do agree that Frida was a much better choice
"he also had to inflict his blabla upon the world during the recaps of some years"
I see what you mean, Florian.
I've always liked Terry's commentary but last night when I watched the recap of 2006 I found his talking a bit annoying. Maybe it doesn't matter much to the fans who have listened to the songs many times before the final but most people have only heard the songs once or twice and need to refresh their memory.
http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=uGGEY7qwjy4
The fact that Terry won't be arsed to watch the contest after his commentary tenure ends, just shows how little interest he has in the event. It's clear that this has just been another 'gig' for him. Give it to someone like Paddy O'Connell or Graham Norton who are actually fans of the show. Whether Terry accepts it or not, his cynacism is one of the main reasons why people in the UK have lost interest in the contest and why other countries think our entries don't deserve points. Terry - nil points. Stop carping on and just do us all a favour and retire,
Everyone has really gotten off topic now.
Stop talking about JESC and Iraq. Stick to the topic.
Dame Edna? Ech. No thanks.
Why don't they give us the choice to tern the commentators off? You can do that for football.
I will try Ken Bruce next year
Jonny
This was my favourite in the Swedish NF of JESC last year (Vendela) though I think now that Frida was a better choice:
http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=4_KZ0egX_Jg
Jonny
Yes, I'm sure she would. She's still very young, will be 13 in December.
What kind of game are you playing in chat?
Stockholm
Aaaah yes I saw that video the other day Its a shame you dont take part in JESC anymore cos i'm sure Mimi would have gone at some point
Jonny
I see. Have you heard Molly's sister Mimmi before? Here's a link:
http://www.youtube.c(...)&feature=related
Once again, i'd like to thank IBA for not stating ANY comentaters and letting us Israelies enjoy the show (or not) as is. (for those of us who don;t speek english, we have subtitles provided small under the screen).
I dont understand why countries need commentaters. OK, so in Spain or Turkey and some fmr Soviets nobody knows english, but why northern europe ? Their primary school children speek english very well, so why you need some comentator ruining the show ?
" he has hardly ever contributed positively"
OMG yes he has!! If it wasn't for Terry eurovision wouldn't be as popular in the UK as it is nowadays! I mean, 12 million people watched in 2007 and about 9 million people this year. Thats a 6th of the population and alot of people watch just for Terry. Whilst he may not have benefitted the contest itself a great deal, its all thanks to him that we love it so much in the UK.
I agree with IIan...it was high time Terry pulled out. He has seldom had a single good word to say about ESC. And even if he personifizes ESC in UK (ppor people!) he has hardly ever contributed positively. Those silly xenophoic remarks, prejuiced comments...ESC is not meant to be his showcase! It's like the former Norwegian Jostein Pedersen. He was crap too...all those silly remarks about dresses and dancing, totally irrelevant when music is the main thing!
I agree also with Night Elf. The East / West discussion is overused. What is the difference. When so many sing in English? Almost all countries enter modern songs (pop, rnb, dance, rock etc), they all look quite similar etc. ESC is meant for unifying Europe, and it should not be important if a song is from Belarus or UK. The Eastern countries are simply rewarded for taking it seriously. They send major stars, modern pop songs, good songs, and do their best really to put an effort into ESC.
I hope the next UK commentator won't try to follow Terrys footsteps. Rather someone who is objective, shows respect for the contest and isn't too eager of showing himself (her?) off. Better to have someone who is a bit "boring" even...at least neutral. Still, it can be funny and entertaining. Terry occasionally was amusing, but I mostly didn't like him. When he says he won't even watch when he isn't involved, it just shows how little his commitment is!
So many mention Norton. Hm...I dunno, but I have got the impression he might be of the sarcastic kind, talking too musch about dresses and dancing...I hope I am wrong. If so, I hope they go for someone else!
Stockholm
Yes I think they did deserve to do better. But the performance I posted was their NF performance, they weren't as strong in Rotterdam, however they should have done better in any case Its one of only 2 JESC songs I actually listen to, the other being "nu eller aldrig"
Jonny
The song is very good I looked at the scoreboard and I was surprised to see that it finished 15th !? It deserved to do much better I think.
Stockholm
I know this is completely random but . .
What do you think of this song - http://uk.youtube.co(...)/watch?v=ewMWEV2h4Ko ?? It was the Belgian entry to JESC 2007 & imo opinon along with Sweden (Frida!!) it deserved way higher!
Jonny
Oh yes, I know. That's why his name sounded so familiar to me.
Stockholm
lmao!! Well you never know, Putin has people everywhere!!
(On the subject of Russian spies, the dancer at this years EDC for Russia, the male one, was called Alexander Litvinenko and I don't know if you know, but part of the reason for the major tension between the west & Russia is due to the death of a Russian spy called Alexander Litvinenko in London. I wonder if Alexander Litvinenko is a popular name in Russia?)
Jonny
Yeah LOL. And the dancers last year were unmistakably secret agents (joking )
I agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stockholm
"I always suspected that "My Galileo" was a coded message"
LOL!!! Do you know, I think there really was a message . . "Dont sing in english if you're from Belarus!!"
"And indeed the entire West should boycot the Moscow-circus... not only for current Russian politics, but also as a protest on how the ESC has lost its' ever value by having sold the 2008 victory to such country. And that's the truth Mina."
No offence Muireanne but you must be on a different planet to me because I think anybody who thinks Russia bought their victory is seriously deluded.
@ Owen Williams:
Amen!
At the end of the day guys we can argue about politicalvoting until we are blue in the face, but what REALLY matters is not whether there is or there isn't political voting but what the majority of the general public THINK there is or isn't.
Viewing figures are one of the only reasons you have not seen big countries like the UK withdrawing from ESC, and viewing figures have a DIRECT correlation to how much the public enjoy the contest! If the public in the west percieve there to be political or otherwise unfair voting, chances are the enjoyment factor will go down and as a result the viewing figures will drop!
Now, I know a lot of the Easten fans here, and the Eastern countries in general don't like to admit it but like it or not ESC NEEDS the big 4 in ESC, so that we fund it (because believe me we are not going to fund something we dont take part in!), and therefore poorer countries can take part because the richer countries subsidise them and their entries, if for example France pulls out then it means less financially well off countries will also be forced to withdraw!
SO REALLY it doesn't matter what the fans think about political voting what matters is how the rest of the public THINK they see it!
I'm acting 'hateful and dominant and intolerant' because I don't agree there's political voting?
No, because you keep denying - by all means - we might see it that way. We see it as 'political' voting, if you don't... fine. But don't tell us how to see things either ok.
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