Douze Points

No country has dominated the Eurovision Song Contest more than Ireland in the 1990s. With five wins (including three consecutive) in the decade, taking their overall tally to a record seven wins, Ireland were a huge force to be reckoned with. So what made them so unstoppable? What happened? And will Sweden's record-equaling seventh win at Liverpool 2023 relight their Eurovision fire? If you love E...

This is a special bonus news bulletin, as during the past week it has been confirmed that TAP Music have decided not to renew their contract with the BBC. What will this mean for the UK's music selection at Eurovision 2024? What route should the BBC now go down? Another label, a public vote, an internal selection? Steven Perkins is here to break this all down for you. If you love Eurovision as muc...

On this episode of Douze Points, Steven digs through the Eurovision Song Contest vault to uncover the formula for the perfect Eurovision hosting. What's the perfect number of hosts? Should they be men, women or non-binary? Is it better to be seasoned presenters or a former contestant? Listen and find out! If you love Eurovision as much as we do, don't forget to connect with us on social. DM us on...

Luxembourg are set to make their big return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2024, after over 30 years since their last appearance. But what's prompted the change of heart, why did they leave in the first place, and what impact could it have on Eurovision? Steven is here with your whistlestop history of Eurovision's small but mighty competitor. If you love Eurovision as much as we do, don't forge...

Have you missed us? Well get your glad rags on and dust off those glitter balls, because Sweden have announced the host city for Eurovision 2024. This means the new season of Douze Points has begun! As we make our way to Sweden via Junior Eurovision in France, we are going bigger than ever. Plus, we unveil the countries currently confirmed for next year's contest, with one curious omission... If y...

There have been highs, lows and everything in between, but Eurovision 2023 has now drawn to a close. In this episode, we take a more considered look at the results, what went wrong for Mae Muller and the UK, and the rise of Eurovision in the British music chats. We also take a look ahead to next year as countries including Luxembourg (who have not competed in Eurovision since the 90s) make their l...

It's the morning after the night before. We wish we could say the night was full of shocks and surprises, but this was arguably one of the more predictable Eurovision Song Contests in recent years. Finland's late surge with the televote wasn't quite enough to stop Loreen romping away with her second win, and Sweden's seventh overall, to make them the joint most successful country of all time. On t...

On this special episode of Douze Points, Steven is joined by his extended Bingewatch family, as Ian MacEwan and Hannah Fernando drop in to discuss all the highs and lows of Eurovision 2023's second semi-final. It was an interesting night, as Australia compete for potentially the last time, Luke Evans performed some poetry (we think it was intentional), and we can all agree that Hannah Waddingham i...

When Nicki French flew the flag for the United Kingdom with her song Don't Play That Song Again , anything less than a top ten finish was inconceivable. Oh how times have changed! In this bonus episode, Steven catches up with Nicki 23 years later to discuss the UK's renewed love Eurovision, the pressure of performing on the biggest music stage in Europe, and her new album of Eurovision covers. Lis...

In our series of special Eurovision week episodes, Steven Perkins is joined by show producer Liam Heffernan to recap all of the events from the first semi-final, live from Liverpool. From Alesha Dixon rapping to Hannah Waddingham being Hannah Waddingham and, well, Croatia (IYKYK), Eurovision 2023 has been kicked off in style. Sweden led the pack in the group of death, as former winner Loreen retur...

Can you believe it - Eurovision week is finally here?! From Mae Muller to Polan's unicorns, rehearsals are in full swing ahead of the first Semi Final on Tuesday night, when the competition officially begins. On this episode, we are delighted to be speaking to Tina Karol. As Ukraine's entry in 2006 with Show Me Your Love , she knows a thing or two Eurovision, and will be representing her country d...

Welcome to Douze Points, the podcast for Eurovision fans from journalist and Eurovision obsessive Steven Perkins. With Eurovision 2023 just around the corner, we take a closer look at the Big 5 - France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and of course the United Kingdom. Why do these countries get an automatic place in Grand Final? Is it fair? And what sort of advantage does it give them> Listen to find o...

On this week's Douze Points we look at the official Eurovision launch event, featuring this year's hosts Hannah Waddingham, Alesha Dixon and Julia Sanina. Plus, we reveal some of the BBC's Eurovision coverage across May, including exclusive shows and tie-ins with some of their most popular shows. And finally, what does the coronation of King Charles have to do with Eurovision? Find out by listenin...

In the news this week, details have emerged of the semi-final performances, which range from legends of Eurovision past to, well, Rita Ora. Plus, we take a closer look at the unstoppable success of Sweden, as Loreen hopes to win the country's seventh Eurovision crown and make it the joint most successful country alongside Ireland. So what is it that makes them so good at Eurovision? If you love Eu...

Making Eurovsion headlines this week: The BBC have released details of several Eurovision screening events across the UK, with more cities to be announced in the coming weeks. The Eurovision stage is officially under construction, so the countdown is on! Dario Campeotto, who represented Denmark in 1961, has died at the age of 84. France reveal details of the next Junior Eurovision Song Contest. If...

On this episode of Douze Points we're taking a look back at 1998, the last year the United Kingdom were on hosting duties following Katrina and the Waves' resounding win the previous year. From Terry Wogan's dated hosting to Ukrika Jonsson's mishap with the Netherlands, it was a ceremony of many lasts (including the use of a live orchestra) as well as many firsts (such as the crazy results map), a...

It's a big week for Eurovision updates, as the full running orders for the two semi-finals have been announced. Ten nations from each semi-final show, to be held in Liverpool on Tuesday 9th and Thursday 11th May, will qualify for the grand final on Saturday 13th, in which (at the time of recording) Sweden are the heavy favourites as 2012 winner Loreen returns with another banger. 2nd Semi-Final Fu...

In the first episode of Douze Points, we take a closer look at should-be hosts Ukraine's short but wildly successful history at the Eurovision Song Contest, despite being mired by controversy and conflict. Plus, the UK have announced their Eurovision entry and we run through the biggest headlines across the Eurovision world this week. The Best Will Ferrell Scenes in Netflix's Fire Saga Jamala Perf...

Hello, and welcome to Douze Points - a brand-new podcast from the Bingewatch family that celebrates the weird and always wonderful world of the Eurovision Song Contest. I’m Steven Perkins, I’m a TV magazine journalist, a Eurovision obsessive, and I’m your host for this podcast - so thank you, brilliant listener, for joining me, and I hope we’re going to have a great time chatting about Eurovision....