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Engelbert Humperdinck Will Represent The UK At This Year's Eurovision Song Contest

Engelbert Humperdinck

The Huffington Post UK with WENN   First Posted: 1/03/2012 22:48 Updated: 2/03/2012 09:11

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Engelbert Humperdinck will represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012.

The 75-year-old housewives' favourite will perform at the show in Azerbaijan in May.

He said in a statement: "It's an absolute honour to be representing my country for this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

"When the BBC approached me, it just felt right for me to be a part of an institution like Eurovision. I'm excited and raring to go and want the nation to get behind me!"

Humperdinck last had a UK hit in 1972 with the song Too Beautiful to Last, but he has a quality-filled team behind his efforts. Writers include Ivor Novello Award-winning Sacha Skarbek, and the producer is Martin Terefe, whose previous talents include Mary J Blige and James Morrison.

A rep for the BBC, which airs the contest, says: "Not since the '70s have we had such an established international musical legend represent the nation. We couldn't be more delighted.

"Engelbert's experience leaves us in no doubt that he will be able to deliver a standout performance in front of 120m viewers worldwide."

Sir Cliff Richard, Sandie Shaw, Olivia Newton-John and Lulu have all represented the UK in the past. Katrina & The Waves gave the nation its last Eurovision win in 1997.

Last year saw a sustained campaign by established popsters Blue to take the Eurovision crown but, despite an intense composition, production and popularity campaign, the boy band only managed 14th position with their song I Can, trumped by Ireland's own poptastic twins Jedward, who came in at number 6 with the song Lipstick.

Humperdinck faces some tough competition this year - Julie Frost, the woman who teamed up with Madonna to write Golden Globe-winning track Masterpiece for the film W.E., is the brains behind love song Best Thing I Got, which Aya hopes to take to the European music competition as Denmark's representative.

At least he won't have to deal with fellow crooner David Hasselhoff - the former Baywatch star dismissed reports he would be representing the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest last year.

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Engelbert Humperdinck will represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. The 75-year-old housewives' favourite will perform at the show in Azerbaijan in May. He said in a statement: "It...
Engelbert Humperdinck will represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. The 75-year-old housewives' favourite will perform at the show in Azerbaijan in May. He said in a statement: "It...
 
 
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splenetic
303 Fans
09:14 PM on 03/04/2012
He's got a permanent exhibit in a museum in Siegburg, Germany.
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terriminx2
70 Fans
 
12:31 PM on 03/03/2012
I saw him recently on a morning show. He was once undoubtedly a good entertainer but I personally think he is now past it. The voice isnt there anymore and his only saving grace is his past fans who still follow ..... he was popular in europe not just the UK so as long as his old fans all vote, who knows. I feel kind of embarassed though that this is the only option felt suitable for the UK entry but I guess we are getting used to being the laughing stock. Why do we still engage in this ridiculous competition? It isnt a fair competition anymore its completely political.
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colin12
7 Fans
12:26 PM on 03/03/2012
why waste licence payers money on the garbage just give this so called prize to the balkan states ,they are united in their votes, a total waste of veiwing time, better to watch paint dry
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Barbara Longstaff
106 Fans
12:05 PM on 03/03/2012
Well we are certainly scraping the bottom of the barrel this time. Wonder if we will get any points. He is old, ugly and he certainly cannot sing like he used to - sorry Englebert but I would give it up as a bad job. Why not put someone in like Susan Boyle or even some of the up and coming singers like the school girl Felly - there are so many young singers around why pick an old has been.
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tickeli
29 Fans
10:45 AM on 03/03/2012
If his voice is still there then why not? Great voice.
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Dibble
20 Fans
12:00 AM on 03/03/2012
He looks a good deal Humpier and a whole lot less Dinkier than when I last saw him on TV forty years ago.
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sean big biscuit
2 Fans
08:21 PM on 03/02/2012
Susan Boyle, the one ,the only one.
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matt34
9 Fans
07:54 PM on 03/02/2012
Get Iron Maiden to do it, it probably wouldn't effect their career and the rest of europe loves em. Doubt they'd do it though, their to in love with awful pop crap.
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Valerian Forrest
5 Fans
 
05:58 PM on 03/02/2012
Quick fact check on this article:

• Blue came 11th last year, not 14th
• Jedward came 8th last year, not 6th.
• Aya isn't the Danish representative this year. She lost to Soluna Samay at the national final in January

To those commenters still peddling the "We never do well/Europe hates us" myth, it's worth noting that, although they did badly with the juries, Blue came 5th in the televote. When Jade Ewen finished 5th overall in 2009, it was, in part, due to the juries placing her 3rd.
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Glasgow David
2 Fans
05:08 PM on 03/02/2012
With all the success we've had in the past umpteen years, no present day "star" or "up and coming" performer would abandon their career to the dust bin by appearing in the Eurovision contest. Go for it, Englebert, you never know, stranger things have happened. Maybe, we could change your name to Lazarus; yes, there's quite a nice ring to that - Englebert Lazarus Humperdinck
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CologneCitizen
533 Fans
03:32 PM on 03/02/2012
Because the Eurovision song contest is so awfull it has reached cult status in Germany. The only act to win that had some class was ABBA. The rest sucked big time. I think all these artists from Eastern Europe are hilarious, they try to copy what they think is "modern" or "in" and sound just funny. Or the worst a few years ago "Lordi" from Finland, some kind of imitation of a "hard rock act". Was it Cameron's decision to send Engelbert ? It would be great if England had nominated MOTORHEAD. A sure winner, all other contestants also ran.
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spursmad
2 Fans
02:35 PM on 03/02/2012
Don't know why we still bother with Eurovision, it's quite obvious that unless you're a former Soviet state you won't get any points!
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uksnapper
9 Fans
01:38 PM on 03/02/2012
Euro-vision contest in Azerbaijan,how odd,its not in Europe.
While I'm on the subject can anyone tell me why Israel gets to compete in the EURO-vision contest?
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Michaelxx
34 Fans
06:47 PM on 03/02/2012
and Engelbert has lived in USA for forty years, why he was picked.
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colin12
7 Fans
12:28 PM on 03/03/2012
no one else wanted to put their careers in jeopardy
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maggggiiee
26 Fans
01:30 PM on 03/02/2012
OH fgs give me a break, all the young edgy singers/groups we have and they choose Engelbert aged 75, yes he was good in his day, my mums day lol. but Eurovision Contest NOOOOOOOO ........
should be someone like Cher Lloyd or Little Mix, or any one who's not 75 fgs.
Looks like a defo NIL POINTS for us again ........
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slamport2
0 Fans
01:11 PM on 03/02/2012
I think the UK should be showing off our own new and up and comming artists and songwriters, Me and a musician colleague had a great song we were hopeing to enter for a chance to represent the uk! But never had that chance for the BBC to consider...All said and done i wish the UK great sucess in there entry.
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