Simon Webbe and Duncan James of Blue have shared memories of their adventures at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. The duo have said Eurovision was not “about winning” for them in Düsseldorf. Here’s what they had to say…
“It was about representing our country”, says Simon Webbe
In an interview with Metro, Simon Webbe and Duncan James spoke about their experiences at Eurovision. Webbe commented by saying that the group didn’t do Eurovision to win it, but to come back into the minds of their fans. He says:
Eurovision wasn’t even about winning for us. It was about representing our country, a movement, and also it catapulted us into the minds of our fanbases all around the world through one performance.’
Simon Webbe to Metro
“There was all that political talk”, says Duncan James
Fellow band member Duncan James added that they were very proud of their result in Düsseldorf. He also applauds the change in attitude towards the UK and Eurovision after Sam Ryder‘s second place in Turin. The talk of how everything is political and no one liking the UK seems to have vanished, as he says:
The position that we came, we was very proud and it was the best the UK had done in 10 or 11 years.
Duncan James to Metro
Since Sam we had the highest score from the UK and we’ve proud of the fact we were bookies’ favourite, we came number fifth in the public vote and we actually really enjoyed the Eurovision experience of what came with it, and it’s just amazing to see Sam flying the flag so high and doing so well because for many years, there was all that political talk of no one likes the UK, we’re all going to get voted down but that changed this year and it was a really great feeling.
It just seems that Duncan James has managed to forget that Jade Ewen existed. Just two years prior to Blue finishing eleventh, she had brought her song “It’s My Time” to fifth place in the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Simon Webbe added a little more fuel to the political fire that has haunted the United Kingdom in terms of Eurovision. He thinks it’s quite “funny” that Europe has started to like the UK entry again after Brexit, saying:
Isn’t it funny we had Brexit and now we’re not a part of [the EU] everyone’s like yeah now we like you because you’re not with us anymore.
Simon Webbe to Metro
Simon also seems to be forgetting something here, namely the fact that in the first Eurovision Song Contest after Brexit, the United Kingdom finished dead last without a single point. James Newman then failed to convince both televoters and the juries with his “Embers”.
Blue at Eurovision
Back in 2011, the United Kingdom entered a phase of sending artists with admirable track record to Eurovision. This started with Blue, who had had success in the early 2000s with songs like “All Rise” and “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word”, featuring Elton John. In 2012 and 2013, the BBC replicated the formula with some more distant success in Engelbert Humperdinck and Bonnie Tyler.
Blue, consisting of Simon Webbe, Duncan James, Lee Ryan and Antony Costa, sang “I Can” in Düsseldorf, finishing eleventh. The group came in fifth with televoters, but only 23rd with the juries. Legends suggest the singers had not been informed that the Friday night rehearsal was the show the juries would judge them on and therefore, the four didn’t deliver as much as they could or should have.
In September, Blue will release a new album called “Heart and Soul”. They’ll also go on tour around the United Kingdom, going from London to Glasgow and from Aberdeen to Cardiff. The tour will last just over two weeks. Tickets are available here.
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