Louis Walsh says the BBC needs to axe the Eurovision competition it uses to choose the UK entry if they ever want to win it again.
Each year our song is picked via a competition called 'Eurovision: You Decide' but the former X Factor judge, who coached three-time Eurovision winner Johnny Logan in the 1980s, says there needs to be big changes.
Louis, 66, said: “The UK can win Eurovision again for sure yes, but it needs to be a group like Bucks Fizz or an old pop style song. They need a great writer. A lot of the great songwriters are afraid to put their songs in because the competition doesn't have any credibility where we are. Whereas in Eastern Europe they look at it as a serious TV show.
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“They always do a competition to choose the song but you need an established artist, I would do it with Simon Cowell if he wanted to do it, or one of the major labels like Sony or Universal wanted me to get involved I would do it. Absolutely.
“But you need a great song and a great singer and then you work on production and promotion.”
Louis was speaking as he promoted a Paddy Power competition, calling on Eurovision fans to unite in one voice and vote for the UK to win this year’s contest in Tel Aviv. It would mean despite Brexit , thousands of Europeans would flood into the UK next summer for the competition.
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Asked how he really felt UK entry Michael Rice would get on, Louis added: “I think he is gonna do OK. He is not going to win. I saw him on Graham Norton last week and he seemed a nice guy and it seemed to mean a lot to him.
“He will get points and be well up the scoreboard. The other songs are stronger but we should do better than normal.
“The Netherlands, Italy, Russia and Sweden have all got great songs and the quality is really good, I think one of them will win.”
*For the latest Eurovision odds see paddypower.com/special-bets/eurovision-2019 .
