United Kingdom: BBC reportedly interested in Jessie J for Eurovision 2022

United Kingdom: BBC reportedly interested in Jessie J for Eurovision 2022
Sunday, 13 June 2021

  • According to British media reports Jessie J seems to be one of the acts BBC would like to see representing the UK in Eurovision 2022. 

    Following this year's nul points overall score in Rotterdam, BBC is moving forward and already focusing on the country's Eurovision 2022 particiaption. Accroding to the local media the British broadcaster is already forming a list of potential representatives among which seems to be included the international accliaimed star Jessie J.

    Namely, The Sun is reporting that Jessie J is one of the acts on BBC's wishlist with a source stating to the British media outlet: 

    The production team are desperate to make a fresh start after this year’s flop and are trying to lure top talent with promises of lucrative record sales and international exposure.They are determined to come back fighting and think Jessie would be perfect. She has a huge following in Europe.

    But Jessie is in demand, so pinning her down might be harder than they think.

    After 4 years of national finals through the Eurovision: You Decide format,  BBC decided in 2019 to swtich to an internal selection, selecting its representative in co-operation with record label BMG. An agreement was signed between the BBC and BMG in the summer of 2019 aiming to bring the UK in a path of better results in the contest.

     

    The United Kingdom in Eurovision 

    The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 1957 and has been crowned winner five times (1967, 1969, 1975, 1981, 1997). The UK holds the record of finishing in the 2nd place the most times than every other country in the contest, specifically 15 times. Although big names of the music scene have represented the country in the past ( Sandie Shaw, Olivia Newton John, Lulu, Buckz Fizz, Brotherhod of Man, Cliff Richard, Sonia, Gina G, Bonny Tyler and many more) in the latest years its results are rather disappointing for a country with such a big share in the international music industry.

    In the latest years, UK followed the same formula of national selection in 2016 to select Joe and Jake who finished 24th. In  2017 through the same process Lucie Jones was decided to represent the UK ending in the final 15th while in Eurovision 2018 'You Decide 2018' winner, SuRie finished in the 24th place in the grand final. In 2019 Michael Rice won the national selection Eurovision You Decide 2019 and represented the British colours in Tel Aviv with his entry Bigger than Us, but scored another disappointing result for the Uk as he finished last in the Grand final.

    Last year James Newman was set to represent the country with the song 'My last breath'. James never had the chance to perform his entry in Rotterdam as the contest was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic, but was reinvited back for 2021. 

    This year James Newman defended the Birtish colors with his song 'Embers' which unfortunately received zero points from both votings in the final. 

     

     News Source: The Sun/ Eurovoix

    Image: Insider.com/Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Images