Bertrand Audoin
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Maria Miller
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Mehdi Hasan
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Damian Collins
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David Burrowes MP
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Eurovision - political? It's time to change the record. Preferably to one written by a Swede.
With the English delegation once again returning home from Eurovision with its tail between its legs following a dismal result, calls will only grow louder to pull out of the competition altogether. However, for the more conscientious among us this year's competition has served as far more than just a trashy manufactured pop-fest and it could do so again in the future.
So - here we are. After months of preparation, the annual kitsch-fest of sequins, divas and shrill voices (and that's just the fans) has kicked off in Baku, the oil-rich capital of Azerbaijan. Below are my tips for the top in this Saturday's final.
The first Eurovision semi-final kicks off on May 22. To help you decide which country deserves your televote, I'm previewing some of this year's most talked-about contestants. Today's acts include Ireland's Jedward-easily the most successful X-Factor rejects ever-and Sweden's Loreen-the odds-on favorite to win the Eurovision crown this May.
In the past few years, countries traditionally seen as mono-cultural or ethnically homogenous have increasingly sent singers and songs to Eurovision that cross geographical and cultural boundaries.
