Credits
News
© Channel4
'No plans' to take up the show
UK: Channel 4 say no to JESC
Unfortunately for British fans of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, Channel 4 have denied any plans to pick up the show, and according to the channel commissioner, there is "no intention to pick up the show" at the moment.
The United Kingdom participated in the first three competitions through the Independent Television broadcaster. The show was aired on ITV2, a digital channel and was never broadcast live on terrestrial television in the United Kindgdom. The country took 3rd place at the first Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2003 and 2nd place a year later. Fortunes dropped in 2005 with a 14th place finish. ITV then withdrew from the show and the United Kingdom has not participated since then.
Related polls
- ISRAEL: Your favourite song in the national final?
- SERBIA: Your favourite in the national final?
- The United Kingdom decided: How much do you like That sounds good to me?
- esctoday.com National Final Awards 2010: Best PERFORMANCE not to qualify in the UNITED KINGDOM?
- UK: Your favourite in the national final?
- GERMANY: Your favourite in the national final?
- SWEDEN: Your favourite in the national final?
- ESTONIA: Your favourite in the national final?
- GREECE: Your favourite song in the national final?
Go directly to the reactions
Recent news about United Kingdom
UK: Mike Stock speaks of change 107
The United Kingdom sends Josh to the Eurovision Song Contest 441
Live: National final in the United Kingdom 86
United Kingdom: Final rehearsals before showtime 44
Tonight: National final in the United Kingdom 97
Reactions
When reacting to a news item, please stick to the topic. Inappropriate messages (swearing, racism, hate, etc.), messages in other languages than English and spam (which includes URL advertising) will be deleted and you risk your account being removed. Reacting on newsitems is only possible when logged in as a member. Still don't have member account?
Click here to react Click here to become a member (free!)
I personally have never agreed with the concept of a children's Eurovision at all. It's just another way to make money.
And I'm not so sure about a Eurovision Dance Contest either.
It's just another way of making money and exploiting the Eurovision name.
_0.jpg)
JESC is a case of overexploiting something that was never really worth it.
P.S I love ESC.
Anyone here remember the Mini-Pops?
Apart from maybe Gary Glitter, I doubt anyone really has much interest in the JESC.
JESC is crap, and at least UK knows how to treat it.
@ Asta Gusta Busta Husta & Musta
If you come on this site at Winter, you will notice a majority of the news is about JESC.
I agree scrap the JESC
As much as I love the real thing I can't help but feel uneasy about watching a load of toddlers jumping around in skimpy costumes and trying to sing and impress. It doesn't seem right to set them up against each other as someone is sure to end up with no votes. It's a terrible concept that deserves to be scrapped.
@ Benjamin Johnson. There are plans, apparently to extend the CBBC Channel's time to 9 or 10pm. I don't really know how this is possible as it time-shares with BBC3. If they were to show it it would certainly be too late to actually send an act there!
CBBC? Which channel? BBC1, BBC2 or the CBBC channel? 1 problem with the CBBC channel it finishes at 19:00 local time!
May be a special Blue Peter for the national final! 
Channel 5 should join the EBU and they could do JESC!
Anyway my faveorate C4 show is Scrapheap Challenge!
LOL william noooooo
I love Charlotte Church, and the Charlotte Church show, my fave C4 show is dispatches!
C4 manages to cover almost all the tastes of Britian (with a possibly slightly leftist unbalance) except for the posh and stuck up 
Five on the other hand is what I personally would call a "Scum Channel"!
And "Survivor" was invented by SVT, so it's no American idea.
Big Brother wasn't the first reality show - it was Expidite : Robinson (Survivor).
I don't think the uk will return because I think british people find children dressing up and performing is not only cringeworthy but also just creepy. Mine you, in a stark contrast to the adult version we took it seriously at first, and all our entrys have been great!
CITV is all but dead nowadays, since they banned fast food advertising. CBBC could do it.
Owen:
is your faveorate C4 show the charlotte church show?! (hehe)
I totally agree the concept of JESC is cool but the approach from the EBU was completely flawed, leave it to childrens channels and focus on talent and inspiration.
EBU is in danger they have lost control of the ESC and also the JESC
Oh, I wish the Swedish channel 4 could learn from this! Nobody gives a dawn about JESC here either!
And as for Channel 4 being crap, it is NOT. Yes Big Brother is dissed, but it was the first and best reality show and Channel 4 also shows very very very good documentaries. The best in fact!
The JESC is being dealt with wrong. ITV wanted it as an imitation of ESC but it is a CHILDREN'S programme. ITV should let CITV take control, let CITV choose a singer then host the contest by letting the children design the set, pick an interval act an make it a proper kids programme. It has the ability to inspire kids all over europe but was treated wrong. Channel 4 has no capacity to take this on so either ITV or the BBC should.
Off topic:
EDC preview tickets: http://tickets.custh(...)2hfbmwmcF9wYWdlPT E*
Actually I think Channel 4 is GREAT!! and lets face it JESC ISNT!!!
its a crap imitation of the true ESC!! The contest is a JOKE!!! Children who have bearly hit puberty singing about love, adult feelings and most of them not THAT much more talented than my cat! (with the odd exception of course)! I wonder if for every poor child on that show how many parents who are living out THIER own dream by forcing thier children to sing to the continent!! ITS DOWN RIGHT WRONG!!!!
Channel 4 on the other hand is an innovative, risk taking channel! It's modern, and even though its controversial at times. It may be a channel for the minorities but the UK is currently made up of minorities anyway! I mean what is an average, majority British person? Its not afraid to ask awkward questions, questions that sometimes they are ridiculed or punished for asking but they ARE and will be for the forseeable future be the UK's ONE and ONLY credible, forward looking, and overall the only channel willing to push social and political boundaries of modern British media, I don't seem to remember the BBC or ITV celebrating 40 years since the legalisation of homosexuality, or seriously look at the reasons, causes and depth of anit-semitism in the UK, or SERIOUSLY ask questions about the Iraq War or create dramas like, Shameless, Queer As Folk, and Yasmin!
Channel 4 is NOT a "scum channel" It just stands on some peoples feet sometimes! It also has two cable channels, E4(which is a bit more trashy) and More4 (which is a little more serious), together they cover the ENTIRE spectrum of British media!
Why on earth would anyone think C4 would take this up? It wouldn't suit their line-up or audiences at all. You never know, when CBBC extends its hours in autumn they could end up showing it.
This is a really bad missed opertunatiy by Channel 4, by not taking up this huge opertunity!!
no British channel wants this, and next to no Brits want to watch it.
Oh well channel 4 is a pretty awful channel, things like Big Brother and Celebrity Sex tapes. Scum channel people who watch it would probably not show much of an interest in Junior Eurovision let alone Eurovision!
yes 2003 jesc was on itv, and well uk should return because frankly its only one night and itv doesnt have any annual type of thing really that isnt a talent contest, really itv is the talent contest channel, i think thy should adopt jesc uk, and channel isnt really that type, they show all american shows and the amzing BIG BROTHER, apart form that its all reality stuff, kinda crap lol
That article says that JESC was never live on terestrial... it was Live on ITV1 in 2003!
ah well perhaps channel 4 may change their mind
The list of 34 reactions is divided into 2 pages. Choose a page:
1 | 2
React yourself
This news article is older than one week. Reacting to articles is only possible in the first week after publication.
