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Exclusive: UK Final on March 17th [UPD]
The BBC confirmed to esctoday.com that the date is set for March 17th. Asked about whether they have permission to select the song after the March 12th deadline set by the EBU, we were told that they had received permission some time ago and that there would be no problems.
The date had to be kept secret until the last possible moment in order to protect the event from possible scheduling changes from rival broadcasters. This is to maximise the audience of the show and increase interest in the Eurovision Song Contest in the United Kingdom.
EXTRACTS FROM THE BBC PRESS RELEASE:
With a huge number of hits between them it's up to the public to choose who they think is the act to take the UK to the top in Helsinki.
The huge annual event that is Eurovision has a record number of 42 countries competing and, after Daz Sampson finished in 19th place last year with Teenage Life, the pressure is on once again.
Unexpectedly, monster rockers Lordi stormed to victory in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest scoring a huge 292 points with the song Hard Rock Hallelujah.
So, it's anyone's guess who will make it to the top this year.
In a UK exclusive, Lordi will be performing on Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up in March. It will be their only television performance before their appearance at Eurovision in Helsinki.
Eurovision: Making Your Mind up will be hosted once again by Eurovision veteran Sir Terry Wogan and this year he will be joined by Fearne Cotton.
Terry said: "This year hope springs eternal. Who knows, this could be the year that the UK makes it into the top ten. It's about time!"
Fearne is no stranger to Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up having served as a judge on last year's show. She said: "I'm delighted to be returning to Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up as a co-host with my pal Terry this year. I can't wait to see what tricks the acts have up their sleeves this time. Can anyone top DJ Daz's troupe of school girls? "It's an eclectic mix again this year so it will be anyone's guess who the public will vote for."
Terry and Fearne will be joined in the studio by a panel of experts who will cast their judgement over the acts but the ultimate decision about who will be packing up their parka for Helsinki will be the public's.
Viewers can vote for their favourite act by phone or text with all the profits from the votes going to BBC Children In Need. The winner will be revealed in a second show later in the evening.
This year Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up will be filmed at the Maidstone Studios in Kent with the whole show having a brand new look and feel.
UPDATE: OFFICIAL COMMENT FROM EBU
After the BBC confirmed to esctoday.com that the national final would be held on March 17th, we asked Svante Stockselius, the Executive Producer of the Eurovision Song Contest for an official comment regarding the timing of the show. Mr. Stockselius explained that:
"Since the Eurovision Song Contest this year is much earlier than normal, we also need to arrange the HoD-meeting (with delivery of songs) earlier than normal. BBC informed us already a year ago, before the dates were confirmed, that they will have big scheduling problems this spring and counted on the HoD-meeting to be arranged around the same dates as last year (around 20 March).
We decided to make an exception for BBC to deliver their entry one week later. All necessary precautions have been made, this will not interfer with the preparations. Last year two of the participating members delivered their material late; France and Ukraine".
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I wouldn't call Cyndi a hasbeen or no hoper, this girl has a future with or without Eurovision I'm sure, she's gorgeous and sings better than anyone in the contest, you can hear that this big beautiful sweeping ballad doesn't even stretch her vocally, she's got a fantatsic voice.
there's no way a dated rap pop song is going to win the Final, Liz is forgettable, Brian looks terrible I'm sorry to say I know he's been through it but that hair.. ugh, he can't rep the UK, Justin just out of rehab and looks it..again a bit 'tired' looking would be the kind thing to say [same goes for his friend]..then who is there oh yes Scooch, quite a cute bubbly BArbie Girl type pop song but without the chorus but could do ok, it's nice and visual but for me if we want to have a seriouis chance it has to be young and fresh Cyndi, I think the europeans witll get it, no gimmicks just a big melodic ballad with a big melodic voice..whats wrong with that?
bern bern...
What's the point of the big 4? The point is that because of their financial input, the rest of Europe, and indeed the world, get a Eurovision Song Contest of a decent standard.
I've got an idea. Take away the big 4's special status for five years and make them enter the semi-finals but also let put as much cash into Eurovision as the rest of Europe does. Believe me, when that five years is up, Eurovision would be on a much smaller scale and fans from all over the continent would be complaining about the vast reduction in standards.
bern bern
The point of the Big 4 is to make sure there is a EBU and a eurovision to pay the larger funds to run such an organisation and to have an event. You may say this is unfair from a non big4 point of view due to the automatic qualification but we could argue that it is unfair that we pay so much, the fact that the big 4 pay the lion's share, and the BBC the biggest chunk of that share keeps entrance fees down allowing poorer countries to able to take part.
& I totaly agree with Benjamin, Vote for who you like regardless of the fact that they are big4!!
it's easy to dismiss our hopefuls as 'has beens' or C/D/Z list (I'm guilty of it myself) but unless the BBC has a radical change in attitude to the contest we will never get the Take Thats, Scissor Sisters, etc.
I think this year's line up is better than last years in terms of 'names' with a chart record. The Darkness and Atomic Kitten had several number one albums and singles in the last 3 or so years and Big Brovaz have had 4 top 10 singles and a top 10 album.
Let's not forget Katrina & the Waves were 'has beens' before winning in 97 (as were the Olsen Brothers). The BBC hasn't sent really big names since the mid 70s. Just look at the line ups for Song For Europe throughout the 80 and 90s.... 90% absolute nobodies who were unknown before and after. The link below lists them all. In contrast this year's candidates are mega stars. To be honest I'm amazed the BBC got these considering the way they'll be treated by the Corporation (mickeytaking, lack of airplay, etc).
www.tvradiobits.co.(...)ovision/eurosong.htm
what's the point to vote for big four ? they r automaticly in the final ...
People should check their facts before they talk about disqualification. The only rule about the songs (cut and pasted from the extraxt of the rules for the ESC 2007, from the eurovision.tv website) is as follows:
'The entries (lyrics and music) must not have been commercially released and/or
publicly performed before 1 October 2006'
The same thing happened last year when people were saying LT United should be disqualified because the word 'Eurovision' was used in their song. No such rule. These things are not difficult to check.
the Big Brovas,song should be disqualified,as Amaterdam's magicfm radio,has been playing for several weeks and maybe even longer than that,i heard it on there about a month back,and now i listen online,and it's still on the play list,this surely breaks Eurovision,rules,as song should not be played on radio,or given any exsposure to public,before it's announced as an entry in a national final.don't get me wrong i think it's a great track,and i have respect for them as an act.but you can't break rules.
@Neal
I agree with you. It will make no difference.
Good luck to the UK from MALTA! xxx
Ok,everyone from UK - you must be very happy to have such a participant for your Eurovision contest! No one from all over the world could deny the talent of your singers and you should be happy you have them. The unique voive of Brian Harvey is your chance to win the Eurovison!!! So go on and send there your boy! Good luck!
the contest is not a fiddle, if the UK wins it'd be down to talent like the previous years with Lordi and Ruslana who both had talent won, a UK win aint gona happen this year if we send the Big Bruvas.
The UK deserve to send an entry late the EBU knew about this last year, and it has nothing todo woth running order bias half the people iin the UK don't even know the running order only us people memebers of sites like this, most people just go with the flow of the evening and some rush to scible down names if they don't know the order.
big brovas song is very cool - i like it alot
M. Stuypi...why do I get the feeling you probably would have not voted for the UK anyway?
I do think it is absurd that we have got this extension though. We are talking about a total of 90 minutes of television over one night. Okay the UK has a very competitive televison market but you aren't telling em they couldn't have squeezed in 90 minutes before the 10th.
Why's everyone getting all excited about the UK's "unfair advantage" of not deciding our song until after the draw is made? Will it really make that much difference?! OK it might mean we finish 18th not 19th...... ;-)
You'd think Wogan would have better things to do on St. Patrick's night, like celebrating Ireland winning the Six Nations rugby earlier that day...
only the bbc could come up with such a pathetic bunch of no hope, non start zzzz listed has been celebrities.
I am so sick of the contest in the uk being used by people who either have no career or are trying to resurrect one...
what a load of rubbish, heard clips of all of them and they are dreadful.....
its just a pity about all the rap , itd be ok without it
The Big Brovaz song is OK as far as the rules are concerned I think. As long as it hadn't been released before October 1st then it's OK.
Brian's song however, seems to have been around for a little longer...
"6th June 2005
Whilst Brian still lies in intensive care Simon Harrison has been working hard behind the scenes to let radio and press know about the record Brian was working on at the time of the accident.
It's a track called "I Can" and lyrically it is all about the ups and downs of Brian's life, and becomes even more ironic whilst he lays in hospital fighting for his life.
The sample is available from the downloads section of the website."
hmm, got this off Brian's official site, seems like the song has been floating around for about 1 year and a half!
Big Brovaz is easily the best - it's got my vote.
It might be a novel and unique idea to some - but the idea of the contest is to vote for your favourite song - not the country that it comes from
Why get 1 of the Big 4 countries an exception? It's totally not fair to the other particpants, as the United Kingdom could chose the song that's best between the two countries they are!! I think the EBU has already an agreement with the BBC for winning the Eurovision Song Contest. They must win for Mr. Stockselius. The drawing order must be placed after the 17th of March now I find, otherwise the contest is already starting unfair. One thing is sure, I will boycot the United Kingdom for this and why have the EBU a reglement, if it's only some letters on paper without approval of their own rules. I think it's time for a change at the head of the EBU-Eurovision. So, escfans, notice that the United Kingdom will win in 2007!!
If you like, you can yourself enter in a honest Eurovision Contest at:
http://www.users.sky(...)l/esc/EESConline.htm
and win with your favourite country and youtube-music-clip.
Already 12 countries are competing, the 11 on the site mentioned and Denmark.
Stuypi
What's going on UK?
i'M a celebrity get me out of here!!!! Celebrity big brother AND now I'm celebrity let me sing for the UK!!!!!
uK sort it out..... it's pants.... there is so much talent in the UK use them not B rated popstars from 90s.
Rrespect.....
.JPG)
Hello people
Wats up?
OMG WHAT A GREAT LINE UP
I REMEMBER SCOOCH!!
I LOVED THEM SOOOOOO MUCH
OKAY MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE ADMITTED THAT ANYWAYS
I HEARD BIG BRUVAZ AND BRIANS SONG
UK LOKIN GOOD 
I WANNA HEAR THE OTHER 4 ANY LINKS YET
I did love Brian Harvey's song (clip), but after hearing the full Big Brovaz song I have fallen in love...!
I still like Brian's song miles more than the others. It is class.
big bruvas suck, go smooch or Hawkin and brown!!!
On the other subject of sceduling, the BBC have major competition for audiences in the UK, and therefore the whole 17th march thing is totaly makes sense, as for the "fairness" that seems to be at question the BBC pay the biggest share of them all they have a right to bend the rules now and again
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