Because my girlfriend is Finnish (and also because they rock, obviously) my vote is for LORDI!

Tina Karol from the Ukraine is stunning though - and has a good song!

The Irish always come up with something acceptable so I'd probably go for them. I really hate the UK entry it drives me up the wall, so I wouldn't vote for it anyway.

er...sorry...but..eurovision???
I'm from the US so it probably doesnt have anything to do with me anyways, but just out of curiosity, what is eurovision?

i live in Australia, so i cant vote, but i did watch the semi-finals...it was bizzare

some of the acts were horrible, no offence and there was this british voice over guy who kept talking about random things between songs, i couldn't hear him too well but i think he said something about an iPod?!

i'll watch the final tomorrow night

cheers

caity

Let me highlight something for all you very fortunate souls who have never encountered the Eurovision Song Contest....it's a load of tripe

And the funny thing is that practically everyone involved with it thinks its a load of tripe too, and it's one long mickey-take from beginning to end

Terry Wogan, a very popular presenter over here (kind of like David Letterman or Jay Leno, only without the charisma ), hosts it and spends all night gradually getting drunker and drunker, taking the mickey from all the acts, but in a very subtle, dry and Irish way.

People over here hold Eurovision parties, where they all sit and watch the contest, get drunk, and have a good laugh over how seriously everyone who's not British seems to take it. It's also very political - if one country and has done something to annoy another country, their song will get 'nil points' (said in French accent though) and there's a great deal of favouritism too - like, for example, all the Scandanavian countries will vote for each other, all the British countries will vote for each other.

And all the songs are completely and utterly awful. I cite 'Making you Mind Up' by Bucks Fizz (which has been playing all day on the radio over here), 'Ooh, Aah, Just a Little Bit' by Gina G and something awful by Sonia who no-one has heard of since the 1980's when she last had a record out.

It's a very British (and European, to an extent, though they take it far more seriously) thing and I guess you'd have to be European to appreciate how absolutely hysterical the entire thing is. Which is why I'll probably be watching it along with the rest of the country so we can all laugh about it come Monday morning at work

Ofcourse its a load of tripe, but you just have to flick the TV over just to find whos got nil point haven't you? I saw a little about the Finnish band Lordi on TV last night... well there really odd like something out of Buffy. I expect their novelty factor will win it for them.

i couldn't have put it better myself. The UK's entry is rubbish. It's a rap song! Anyway half the songs aren't sung in Engilsh so no-one over here(UK)and nobody has a clue what they are saying. i will not be voting because i can't be bothered and will probably be laughing too hard at the werird and wonderful songs that i hear, and the random outfits they wear too.

I totally agree with you Louise

You can hear everyone in the Netherlands complaining about it, but still we *try* to participate every year over and over again. (we never reach the final).
Even though I find it a load of tribe myself, I watch it every year. I find it really amusing to see al the performances, I love to hear songs from different countries.

It wasn't a suprise the Finnish band won, I even liked the song after hearing it three times. But my vote would go to Tina Karol from Ukraine, that song was amazing. I also had a good laugh at... Lithuana with "the winners".

And yup, the Eurovision Songfestival is definitely a big thing in Europe.

As usual, politics came into the Eurovision voting last night. Neighbouring countries voting for each other etc. Predictably the contest was won by Finland, rubbish song, great act. Did anyone notice if Malta did get any points in the end?

Malta had 1 point! The UK was doing okay until about halfway through the voting when countries stopped voting for us. still 19th place isn't too bad...... Did you see that song called We Are The Winners Don't know who sang it but it didn't help them at all.

I think that was that group of 'oldies' from Lithuania. Thats if you mean the song that sounded like a football chant,about being the winners of Eurovision. I think they came in about fifth.

That was the song i was on about. It came 5th! Their neighbouring countries must have voted for it- it wasn't a great song.Anyway did anybody here actually bother to vote? i didn't.

Not only did I not vote, I didn't actually watch it properley. I just sort flicked back during the results I was watching National Treasure on Sky Movies..far more entertaining. By the way I think Croatia and Bosnia Hertzawhatsit voted for Lithuania.

I did watch the Eurovision song contest. Well, at leaast I saw all of the songs and the last five minutes, onl to get to know who won. I hoped for Finland or this A capella song from lettland (don't know what it's called in eglish) to win, but I was really surprised that finland made it! My sister is a huge fan of finland and she was jumping around like a little girl (although she's twenty)... Really funny!
To Malta I think it's better not to say anything...
Okay, I shouldn't really say anyhing, because we were the last one last year... (so you might guess where I come from)
But I think it's really sad that everybody votes for the neighbour countries (except for those being our neighbours).
I think russia wouldn't have made it 2nd place if not so many countries would feel connected to it since the old war... As you said, too much politics in there...
But: "yay" for LORDI!

I wouldn't vote for my own country anyway, the United Kingdom go for the **** acts each year, muppets, something with a good beat wins it, not the cheesy **** everyone thinks will win it for us, Ukraine, Russia, Ireland or Finland usually come up with something good each year, so any one of those will do for me