It looks certain that time is up for Sir Terry Wogan commentating on Eurovision Finals for 37 years. :-(
He pretty much declared he was out in the current 'Radio Times' in the UK. Wogan has just turned 70 and says the "political voting" has tired him.
"I was considering giving up before Belgrade, and now I have to say I'm very doubtful about ever wanting to do Eurovision again. I've had so much fun, but I think it's time for someone else to take over...Days before the show, I knew Russia would win. The fact is, Putin was getting nasty, which means the former satellite states were always going to vote for Russia in order to keep the oil coming."
Wogan's comments were made just a few days before Putin & co invaded fellow-ESC competitors Georgia. As we write this lines of Russian troop carriers are heading towards the Baku pipeline south of Gori, Georgia.
While Terry acknowledges Western Europe considers ESC schalger-fest ("we have always taken Eurovision with a pinch of salt") he still considers neighbour-voting to be an Eastern only affairs - "The former Eastern Bloc countries are not sufficiently versed in the ways of democracy to realise they are supposed to be voting for a song, not a next-door neighbour."
Far from wanting the UK to retire with him, Wogan hopes for a great act to sacrifice their repuations for schlager-glory. "The only way the UK will ever regain any respectability is if we get a major British star – Robbie Williams, Take That, God knows there are enough of them – to represent us, and then people will vote for us."
We'd suggest The Wombats or Hot Chip, but Tezza's on the right path...
