We also get a guaranteed place in this because we contribute the most in terms of funding. One if 5 countries guaranteed entry.
In
1999, a rule change allowed the United Kingdom, along with
France,
Germany and
Spain, to automatically qualify for the
Eurovision Song Contest final (irrespective of their recent scores and without entering a semi-final), due to being the biggest financial contributors to the
EBU.
[19] Due to their untouchable status in the contest, these countries became known as the "
Big Four" (which became the "Big Five" in
2011 following the return of
Italy to the contest).
[20]
In
2008, it was rumoured that the "Big Four" would lose their automatic qualification, and would have to compete in the semi-finals for the first time.
[21]However, it was announced by the EBU that this would not be the case and the four countries would still automatically qualify for the final of the
2009 contest without having to enter a semi-final,
[22] and this has remained as of 2019.
In 2008, the BBC defended using money from
TV licence fee payers for the contest when
Liberal Democrat MP
Richard Younger-Ross had tabled a Commons
motion which called on the corporation to withdraw its £173,000 funding for the annual contest. That same year, former Eurovision commentator Sir Terry Wogan claimed that the show is "no longer a music contest" after the result was announced.
[23]
Since the introduction of the Big Four/Five, the United Kingdom has finished last in the contest five times, with Germany finishing last three times. The United Kingdom also has the fewest top ten results of the Big Five in the 21st century, but has achieved more top five results than Spain, having reached the top five in 2002 and 2009, while Spain has not reached the top five since the 1995 contest.
It’s the ESL rebadged you fools