We're one of the "big four" together with Germany, Spain and France and we supply a lot of the funding for the contest. The problem comes when you see year after year where those "big four" are coming and I can assure you that you'd need to look at the bottom of the list to see them.

Ella, Lincoln,

I've never thought that Britain deserved to be ranked as low as it alway has.. Can't really see why, actually. Yes, this year's contribution wasn't the best, but neither was it one of the weakest ones.

Evelina, Halmstad, Sweden

I think the disgruntled/lonely brits need to loosen up a little. It's just a laugh, nobody, especially people in Europe, takes it seriously. So what if neighbours vote for eachother? If we were on the winning side and our 'neighbours' were voting for us, guess what? we wouldn't be complaining.

Sam, Manchester, UK

Don't watch it! Nothing condemns a contest, a television event or anything for that matter, than simply to ignore it. Let the rest of Europe play with one another. We will just pretend it doesnt exist!

Tom Jackson, London, UK

Sorry but I thought the British entry was ok but entirely unmemorable as was the performer. I caught a bit of the winning entry and the tune and the performance were quite striking. Also hasnt the centre of gravity of Europe shifted and with it musical tastes? Wogan should shut up or ship out.

Bob T, London, UK

I do not get it, has Eurovision suddenly become political, after Russia has won it? The day after the contest all British newspapers were appalled. Moscow, Kremlin, KGB! Oh, really? Tell me that Oscar's are also political! Mr. Wogan open your eyes and try to be objective.

GV, San Francisco, USA

its not really politcs,bloc voting is due to cultural reasons.if you speak a similar language,you understand the neighbours songs too.and if you speak a similar language,you think similarly.some songs get to the top of the neighbours charts too,in scandinavia,in the slavic or the latine countries.

Zita, Budapest, Hungary

Rolf sums it up perfectly below. Either UK should start taking Eurovision seriously and put forward a better-prepared entry like other countries, or just accept that it's a cheese-fest, laugh at it but don't expect to do well in it. You can't have it both ways.

Anna, London,

Time for Terry to move on and aunty BBC to sharpen up its act.

iainrae, Tunbridge Wells, U.K.

Russia's relationship with the majority of its neighbors is less than friendly. But, there is a significant Russian diaspora living in some of the countries. Every time a Russian artist (athlete, etc.) loses at a contest it is believed by Russians that it was solely due to politics. True dilemma.

Irina, Tbilisi,

Just how many cds is the Russian winning song going to sell?
Not a lot I predict.
On the other hand I guarantee Andy Abraham's entry will do reasonably well in the charts.
After all this artist has had three successful albums and is now embarking on his fourth.
Rock on Andy.

prudence eely bond mcguire, London, England UK

Come one, Terry - it's EURO-Vision - it shows what EUROPE currently is, regardless of what we think about small and barely known European nations and how weird their songs sound to our ears; it's not a death-or-life competiton, it's a SHOW - with the millions of people hating, but still enjoying it.

Sergei, Sydney, Australia

Strange but the only thing I remember of the performance done by this year's winner is the many times Olympic champion skating on a small patch of ice and not falling. He was the true star and no one can deny this.

alexandre, Moscow, Russia

I'll just say something about funding Eurovision. As far as I know this year's costs for this event are 12 mil euros. EBU, which means four sponsoring countries provided 3 mil. and Serbia provided the rest, which means 9 mil. So only 25% came from UK and the other 3 sponsoring countries.

John, London,

I used to love Eurovision. This year is the first time I have not watched it since I was a child. Terry Wogan is right. The Eastern (voting) Bloc have ruined the whole event.

Jennifer Hynes, Plymouth, England

The spanish TV song was a crap we all knowed that but it´s what we wanted to send to Easternvision this year, we were tired about sending "real" artist and not to get a vote. As a result Spain got more points than in the last 4 years and the audience reached 14 millions a 76% share. Big bussines :))

Jacobo, Pyrenees, Spain,

Perhaps the best was to run this event would be to not tell the public which countries the songs are from until after the vote - then voting would have to be based on the merits of the songs alone. This would make it a song contest again and remove the politics

john, birmingham, england

Wogan's negativity and sniping are insulting. Let's either enter seriously with a credible act , or just enjoy it as bizarre entertainment. To interpret it as a serious political event is a joke. Do the population of other countries really vote because it's the politically correct thing to do???

Douglas, Windsor,

Am I the only one who recalls that, when Eurovision was launched, it was to be a lot more than the song contest? The countries of Europe were to share a number of programmes, particularly in music. I remember some enjoyable Christmas carol hook-ups, for instance. Whatever happened to this vision?

Barry, Wallington, UK

Portugal will never win so I am not here to defend this country (even though loved the song this year). But quite frankly, the UK's song did not deserve to come last. There was so much rubbish in that festival that came top that I will no longer watch unless there is an independent juri.

Susana, Portugal,

I agree with Terry Wogan, I used to love watching the show, but when you know you haven't even got a chance, whats the point. When was Russia part of Europe? No I think it is a farce!

Gloria Galloway, Salisbury, UK

come on guys it is so plain to see it is a political contest now, not a song contest and as for ireland wining 7 times and uk 5 times that was in the 90s and before when it was about the songs im talking about the last 10 years or so is when it has become political.

steven, wilmslow, uk

In the mid nineties the effects of the yugoslavia breakup and the former USSR coutries has skewed the voting to nothing more than friends voting for friends. The song is irrelevant and Terry Wogan has been saying the same thing for years now.
Its about time the BBC pulled the plug on the funding.

Mr John Robinson, Northallerton, England (UK)

I wonder how many of us only watch this programme for the comments from Sir Terry?
I know I do!

Jonathan, Didsbury, England

The Eurovision Song Contest has always been a farce, the majority of the British population avoid it and shouldn't have to pay for it. Pull out and let it sink or swim on it's own (Eastern European) merits, but without our contribution please.

Nick Williams, Potters Bar, UK

block voting COULD be contrued as annoying in the fact that it makes it fairly predictable, but who cares? If countries really want to win it THAT much then let them - like children often do they'll get bored of it in a bit. In the meantime, I like coming last , no mid table mediocrity for us!

richard smart, Sydney, Australia

Heh, Russia won the Eurovision for the first time. Many years before - that was other contries, that won it. And nobody said, that it was politics and so on. So, why now is so much complaining? Only because it is Russia?

Anastasia, St. Petersburg, Russia

Why are we bothered so much? Eurovision is the only chance most countries get to show their local music on a world stage. The UK and US have the world music business wrapped up and everyone knows it. So there's no need to worry - let them enjoy their moment in the limelight as we dominate globally.

Scott, Japan,

If it is true that the BBC funds this show by 40%, it is an iniquitous use of the licence payers' money when it is so clear that the voting is political. Without Terry Wogan's comments, it will be utterly dreary anyway.

Diana White, Munich, Germany

Don't like - don't watch. This guy Wogan spoils an evening's entertainment. Tell him to shut up and the spectacle will be a far, far better program.

Joe Btfsplk, Basingstoke, England

The only reason many of us tune is in to listen to his commentary...

Farrukh, Woking,

I think Terry would had to remember that Ireland was the winner for third consecutive time (92, 93, and 94) and it also has only one neighbour – UK. Since 1995 there were no repetitions of the winners. Don’t forget that Ireland was winners 7 times; UK - 5 times and nobody said “it was farce".

Leo, Moscow, Russia

Having a lot of neighbours does not necessarily mean to get a lot of points. We Germans have a lot of experience in getting only few or no points from our direct neighbours. But we have the most experience in getting no points from another Western-European-Country: Great Britain. So, don´t cry...

S. Luebcke, Ratzeburg, Germany

A suggestion.....perhaps the powers that be could change the rules so that each performer is given a letter or a number when they sing their song. If all the songs were also sung in English then no-one would be able to tell which country was being represented. It would then truly be a song contest

Victoria, Aberdeen, Scotland

"Totally agree with Sir Terry: it's gone political and is no longer a song contest. "

In last 10 years, at least, Eurovision is not a song contest. Why you, and your Sir Terry, understand it just now?

Nedotyko, Togliatti, Russia

The best thing for the Eurovision Song contest would be for Terry Wogan to quit.
From a witty Irishman he has turned into an English bore.
I am lucky I just switch over to the French channel where the commentary is fun but not nasty.
Please Terry quit, so that we can all enjoy Eurovision again.

Peter Goddard, Le Rouret, France, EU

A Farce? Yes! But let's face it, the reason why we watch it is to have a good old laugh at our European neighbours. Do you really want to do well in a competition that is won by not only bloc voting but also bad lyrics, hammy singing and accompanied by horribly overdramatic and flowery ice skating??

Mrs A Shepherd, London,

If he could take his rose tinted lenses off Terry would see that our entry made the biggest mistake of all, it wasn't bad, that would have been a blessing, it was totally ordinary. Nothing about our song this year stood out. We deserved to come last with it.

Colin Brown, Coventry, UK

The best thing for the Eurovision Song contest would be for Terry Wogan to quit.
From a witty Irishman he has turned into an English bore.
I am lucky I just switch over to the French channel where the commentary is fun but not nasty.
Please Terry quit, so that we can all enjoy Eurovision again.

Peter Goddard, Le Rouret, France, EU

Manch. Utd was the BEST team last year, NASA is the best with Mars trips, Russian singer was better last Saturday than any other. What's wrong? I do not think that Russian mafia has too much money to pay for competition that no one cares here.
P.S. My vote was for Greece.

Andy, Moscow, Russia

Call me stupid but, until this year I had no idea that my licence fee was funding this contest, How much do we pay every year for this? the programme itself is fun, made all the funnier by Terry Wogans wit. I seriously think it is time for the BBC to use our licenec fee on making better programmes.

theresa, Sandy,

Let the Eastern block, the Scandinavians and the Baltic nations have the contest to themselves; we in the UK know it has become a laughing stock around the rest of the world. It's tacky and so outdated, so why do we Brits want to be associated with that?

Paul, West Midlands,

Sir Terry Wogan is right. The english entry deserved more. So did
other songs. I also think that neighbouring countries vote for eachother, though it is also true that to win one has to have a good song. So from what I read everyone is right and wrong. Be cheerful and next time vote for the Malta!!!

Martin Camilleri, Hamrun, Malta

Mention the Eurovision contest and what is the immediate response? Oh Brilliant! Terry Wogan! We all know it's rubbish but let's face it... No Terry, no show.

Sheila Buividas, Bedford, England

Eurovision? Nil points. it is no longer relevant.

Here's an alternative; perform but ditch the scoring. All of the performances are produced on a double-CD and DVD which go for sale across Europe on the "Euovision" label. All profits from sales go to humanitarian causes.

Fat-belly Jones, Aberdeen, UK

I agree with Terry and Bruce, it is nothing to do with music. I am glad the next whatever event will be in Moscow but it is really undeservingly. Rules should be improved somehow to stop this farce.

Sergei, St.-Petersburg, Russia

Terry is cutting the branch he is sitting on... If it wasn't the votes from this year's semifinalists that have been already knocked out of the competition -San Marino and Ireland ( "why are they voting"? T.W.) then the UK would of scored NIL points.

Druzhishe, Moscow,

Please tell me honestly that more than fifty people watch the contest in the UK. It saves the tired old BBC from having to think of something different for a weekend. Drivel is the epitome for the BBc to tax us for not watching.

C Darken, Nantwich, UK

Terry Wogan leaving the programme will allow a fresh approach to the contest for UK viewers. However I would prefer to avoid a loud shouty presenter that seems to be the norm these days. I think the droll wit of James May would be my first choice followed by the musically erudite Mark Lamarr.

Gojko Drtcha, Leicester, UK

Political? Of course it was. Football finals=revenue! eurofarce=revenue! However, like global warming aren't us Brits being paid back slightly for our somewhat island mentality:- "rule Brittania"? Think about it! This still doesn't excuse the prejudice shown towards Brits! 2 wrongs never...Jules

Jules, Ollerton, UK

Those who vote in this pathetic contest are just 15 years old toddlers.. How can it be political then?? And yet if it trully is blocking than I have nothing more to add other than - nobody loves you anymore, england.. In this case you just have to face things and not react as sore loosers like Wogan

Slava, Moscow, Russia

The Eurovision does need reform, not just because of this year, but also because of the last few years outcome with Russia.

If Russia wins again next year and the next year...etc (which it will probably do reagrdless of the song) that will be the final nail in the Eurovision contest.

Marcus Bachler, Oxford, UK

The Russian song was the best song on the night, the UK song was the worst. No conspiracy, no bloc voting, no excuses. It is time that we learned how to be gracious in defeat. To avoid a similar scenario next year, I suggest we put forward one of our many world famous multi-platinum selling bands.

Michael, London,

A) Terry complains when neighbouring countries give votes to one another B) complains that no one from our neighbouring countries gave us votes.
Derogatory comments about Eastern Europe are nasty and inflammatory. Russia had a great song, I voted for it. We need be less smug about ourselves.

Judy Barrow, Auchterarder, Scotland

I agree with Maria Bell. Plus, if the contest awarded people to win a record contract and if they had music industry folks choosing the winner it'd be fairer. The voting system is plain politics. Always was, always will be.

Susana, Portugal,

Pull out altogether BBC.

Its time to put a stop to such time wasting viewing time

Offee, Lincoln, England

Ooh, dear, I thought most European countries were the backyard of Britain, especially when dealing with Russia on the international stage. Now it seems the opposite is true.

Luo, London, UK

What obviously was intended to be a serious song contest has evolved into a one-night -stand glitter and glamour show. Even in the past, this event only gave us a limited number of songs that went on to be real musical hits. Enjoy, just like Terry does... with delightful tongue-in-cheek irony.

Ray Massart, Hombeek, Belgium

Rolf is spot on. I love the Eurovision song contest! It's a great celebration of European unity, something we Brits need to finally accept that we are a part of.

And Mr Wogan should stop whining, he should have left 10 years ago. Always derogatory and condescending. Ugh. No wonder we get no points

Lily, London, UK

Rolf, below, explains everything, read it, well done.

john, london,

Apparently Britain is one of 4 countries that gets into the final because the BBC donates so much money to what is propaganda for countries such as Russia.

The BBC wastes our money on so many things in disproportionately catering for minorities-the licence fee is clearly too large.

David, London,

Why do the BBC keep wasting TV Licence payers money on this load of rubbish?

Allan Pointon, stafford, england

I shall never watch this program again, Terry tried he best, he is always fun to listen to, its so political its pathetic what a waste of time, we have very good talent in the country use it I suggest put our best artists in in future,

Adrienne

adrienne, Sheffield, England

Craig Miles is of course spot on, as long as English remains Europe's lingua franca we are the winners. Subsidising the competition, which guarantees a place in the final, is money well spent, which we would do well to remember when trying to book into a hotel in europe, try doing it in russian!

john camus, Colchester, UK

Does anyone really care who wins this tuneless competition.

Simon Marshland, Bath, UK

What really surprises me is that all these people writing in actually seem interested in this farce.

We in Britain find the whole thing hugely embarrassing and I don't think I know anyone who'd admit to watching this Lark!

Joe, London,

One way to disprove the block voting theory or myth would be to persuade a top UK artist to write a song sing it and win it. My vote is for Amy Winehouse, she'd walk it. I really doubt it if we fielded the best we have that it would lead to humilitation.

Chris, Brussels (expat),

- As music, the competition has always been mediocre.
- 'Bloc voting' is more cultural than political.
What surprises me is that Sir Terry is so without a clue when it comes to cultural diversity, respect and self-awareness - as long as we sneer at Johnny Foreigner, no one will vote for us!

Olaf, Darlngton,

More people will watch the contest, when he quits, he's the one who thinks its serious. I look forward to next years circus. Maybe hrh charles could step in and really lift the show.

brian keating, agde, france

Rolf speaks the truth. Grow up and stop whinging Britain!

Anyone complaining about Russia's win should probably analyse their own sorry life. When you lose, don't go making excuses and trying to discredit the (well deserved) winner. Pick yourselves up and give it all you've got for next time!

Andrew, Sydney, Australia

We cannot blame our poor performance on block voting of others. Only two western countries voted for us, why did the others not do so? Presumably because they did not like the song enough. Israel was placed in the top ten. They have no neighbours in the contest at all and are not part of any block.

Richard Miller, Cardiff, UK

Terry Wogan - I feel for him. Yes, we've moved a long way from 'puppet on a string' and 'no no leta'; have we not?! Maria Bell above made a worthwhile suggestion. The UK song? good rhythm, good performance; as the Greek, and a couple of others. France: awful, Russia? nothing to shout about.

Chantal, Perpignan, France

This competition has become a joke and an expensive one for the licence fee payer. The BBC, who support the competition disproportionately, should now announce that the UK is no longer going to take part UNLESS their is major reform of the voting system. Perhaps Roman Abramovich would help out?

Richard Upton, Ellesmere, Shropshire

Sir Wogan is wrong just at one point, Estonia and Latvia do not give 12 points to Russia because we feel nervous. Its actually the russian immigrant diaspora voting unanimously for their own song. Didn't you notice the frown in the latvian lady's face when she had to announce those 12 to Russia?

Dina, Riga, Latvia

Why we have to enter a song competition in the first place is beyond me when the most popular music in the world is provided by the talents of the British, the USA , Canada and Australia.

We rule the world when it comes to decent music, so let the others fight amongst themselves.

Paul, Southampton,

Totally agree with Sir Terry: it's gone political and is no longer a song contest. What to do next? Bring in the USA. Songs to be sung in the country's native language. Songs only - no props, eg ice skaters. Identify the voting blocs and restrict them with weighted voting for others in their bloc.

Dr David Green, Athens, Greece

Great loss if Terry leaves.

I REALLY don't understand why we keep submitting this constant stream of regurgitated nobodies who wouldn't get a vote even if bloc voting didn't exist. I'm sure loads of up-and-coming UK bands would love to do it for a laugh! some of them have some good tunes too!

Adam, Durham,

The winning entry from Russia was sung in English, as were many other entries, the contest was hosted in English, and shouldn’t we just be happy for that. How do you think the Russians felt seeing their winning entry sung in a foreign language?

So we didn’t win and came last, so the voting is political, who cares at least we took part. If any of the songs have any merit they can be hits in their own right.

Craig Miles, Peel, Isle of Man

Oh, why don't you stop the whinging? You got what you deserved with yet another lacklustre artist and performance (that Abraham was the best entry in recent years does not disguise that fact).

And yet another conspiracy, a few years back it was punishment for entering the Iraq war that made England loose, now it is the famous voting blocs.

There were 43 countries voting, only 27 are supposed to be making up those famous voting blocks: the Balkan bloc (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Turkey, Albania, Greece, Cyprus,
Bulgaria, Hungary), the Eastern bloc (Russia, Ukraine, Armenia,
Georgia, Poland, Belarus, Moldova, Romania) and the Viking Empire
(Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia).

Of course no one ever explains why with the recent political development
of the breaking-up of former Yugoslavia any of the Balkan countries would vote for each other having been involved in bitter wars against each others populations; why Turkey would ever want to vote for Greece and vice versa given their political and military opposition over the past decades; why eastern European countries would want to favour their
former master Russia, and how anyway those bloc votes would not cancel
each other out (either within each group if they vote for different
countries within the group) or as indeed group-voting.

And even if those bloc did exist, there are a further 16 countries which do not make up any blocs so far... but even they failed to give the British entry points except for Ireland and Malta (no complaining about bloc-voting there then?)

What makes the recent results so un-palatable for England ? - Is it that England as well as other the western-European countries now taste a bit of their own medicine? In past decades the Western countries in their arrogance would never have voted for a Balkan country to win.

Only since the enlargement have countries like Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Ukraine, Estonia, Finland also a chance to win - and quite a geographical spread it is (how can that be explained by bloc-voting?)

This year's winning song was produced by US star producer Timbaland and performed by a well-known artist in Russia. In comparison all Britain could muster is a virtual unknown who (almost) won a competition 3 years ago.

Put the same effort in as the Eastern or Balkan countries and you might as well get good results, but keep on sending x-factor rejects with no experience and only your arrogance can ask why you don't do better.

But if you can't be bothered to put quality in, don't be such sore losers.

Rolf, Birmingham,

I still find Eurovision great fun as bizzare and entertaining spectacle - it's all so ...wrong.
Wogan adds to it with wry cynicism, but is getting repetitive & we could use a fresh British voice.
The political voting is ridiculous, but then so are the acts!
I thought the UK entry was utter banality.

Mike K, Norwich, UK

it is well know how Britain feel, how detached are about the hole Europe thing. So there's not a cordial relation to think about vote for it, specially when it is voted from civilians. r

RUBY, London, UK

By Eurovision standards, the UK entry was good and i quite liked the French song, quirky and charming. The rest was camp, gimmicky crap...spent most of the night laughing 'at' them as opposed to 'with'.

MM, NSW, Australia

Eurovision is sadly past its sell by date. We had a competition in our house to see if we could 'guess' which country would vote for another - it was too easy!!!! So predictable and a little sad. We should stop supporting it - a lot of the songs deserved more points than they got-well done Andy!

AJ, S Wales,

The BBC is financing some of the smaller Euro countries in the Eurovision contest.What a farce and what a complete waste of public money as if the public dont finance enough groups already.How many symphony orchestras,TV stations,radio stations in this country and around the world?Licence fee? WHY?

Barry Buckley, Sydenham, London

I really think the Eurovision Song Contest should evolve into the Eurovison Song Showcase and simply be an event which gives European countries a flavour of the music which is being produced, rather than a contest. People would be far more inclined to watch it and feel good about it.

Maria Bell, Edinburgh, United Kingdom