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Making her mind up: Bucks Fizz star Cheryl Baker backs Cardiff to host Eurovision

26 Jul 2022 3 minute read
Photo BBC Breakfast

The Welsh capital is one of many cities being touted following confirmation on Monday that the United Kingdom will host the event in 2023 on behalf of Ukraine.

Organisers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decided the event could not be held in the war-torn country following the Russian invasion.

Baker was part of Bucks Fizz alongside Bobby G, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston when they triumphed at Eurovision in 1981, winning with their song Making Your Mind Up.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Baker, 68, said: “It needs to go to a city where there’s an international airport, where they’ve got a venue that’s big enough, where there are enough hotels, so any one of those would work.

“I think it would be nice if it didn’t go to London although, for me, I live in Kent, I’m half an hour from London. So for me, that will be perfect.

“But would be nice if it went to (a) regional… I fancy Cardiff, I think that would be nice. Like you say, the land of song.”

Bucks Fizz relaunched as The Fizz a few years ago after changing their name because of a legal row with former member Bobby G, and reformed with original members Aston, Baker, Nolan and newest recruit Bobby McVay, who represented the UK at Eurovision in 1983.

Ukraine

Ukraine will automatically qualify for the grand final alongside the so-called big five nations, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, who get a free pass because of their financial contributions to the event.

It will be the ninth time Eurovision has taken place in the UK – more than any other country.

The bidding process to select a host city will begin this week, with the BBC and EBU jointly making the final decision.

Asked about the significance of the competition coming to the UK, Baker said: “I think it’s fantastic. I mean, it’s the biggest musical extravaganza in the world and it happens once a year and it’s coming to the UK.

“And I think actually as well, we came second to the Ukraine, it kind of makes sense that it comes here rather than anywhere else.

“Obviously, it can’t go to Ukraine, and I think it would be lovely for us to host it on behalf of Ukraine.

“As long as the Ukraine are completely involved, as long as their presenters, we’ve basically given them the shell to do it in my opinion, I think their production teams and their presenters and everything should be totally involved.

“It’s just like we’re giving them the venue to use, that’s what I think.”

It comes as several of Britain’s major cities, including London, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool and Leeds, threw their hat into the ring to host Eurovision on Monday.

Fellow former Eurovision winner Lulu, 73, called for the contest to be held in her home city of Glasgow.

Speaking on BBC Newsnight, she said: “It has to be Glasgow because that’s where I come from.

“They’re so politically savvy, they’re the most fabulous hosts, they absolutely are music mad.

“I think it would be just the most fabulous thing, and I would be there. I just cannot wait.”


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Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
1 year ago

Good on Cheryl Baker for suggesting Cardiff to host Eurovision but when she states not London and that it should go to a ‘regional’, I must point out that Cardiff is an internationally known national capital and we can certainly let the world know that it is being held in Wales. Then we will be invited to submit our own entry the following year. That’s the way to do it.

One of the two witnesses
One of the two witnesses
1 year ago

Needs to have an international airport. If it did look like it was going to Cardiff, there would be an “intervention” to redirect it to Bristol. very nice of her, but we all know it’s not coming to Wales. In this “union of equals” we get the crumbs which fall from the master’s table

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