United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1997

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Eurovision Song Contest 1997
Country United Kingdom
National selection
Selection processThe Great British Song Contest 1997
Selection date(s)Semi-final
7 February 1997
Final
9 March 1997
Selected entrantKatrina and the Waves
Selected song"Love Shine a Light"
Selected songwriter(s)Kimberley Rew
Finals performance
Final result1st, 227 points
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄1996 • 1997 • 1998►

The United Kingdom's entry into the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 was "Love Shine a Light" by Katrina and the Waves. The entry was chosen during the UK selection show, The Great British Song Contest, hosted by Dale Winton on 9 March, with the results announced six days later. The UK went on to win the song contest which was being held in Dublin, Ireland, with an unprecedented 227 points. The UK sang at position 24. The lead singer was Katrina Leskanich. The 1997 contest is still the most recent win for the United Kingdom.

Before Eurovision[]

The Great British Song Contest 1997[]

Semi-final[]

On 7 February, a semifinal was held on BBC Radio 2 at 09:30am, presented by Ken Bruce. This featured eight songs. Radio 2 listeners voted at 10:00am and voting closed at 11:15am and the top 4 went forward to the televised final. In addition to the four listed above, the following were included, although the 4 acts not shaded in orange were eliminated:

Contestants and results of the Great British Song Contest 1997 semi-final[1]
Draw Artist Song Songwriter(s) Result
1 Paul Varney "Can't You See I'm Crying" Rowan Heath, Steve Long Eliminated
2 Sam Blue "For the Life You Don't Yet Know" Nick Spindler, Peter Thompson Finalist
3 Dave Black "Heart of Stone" Nicola Philo Eliminated
4 B-Yond "Lighten Up" Mike Bryan, Dave Christie, Lee Lyndsey Eliminated
5 Katrina and the Waves "Love Shine a Light" Kimberley Rew Finalist
6 Laura Pallas "Room for Change" Cliff Cresswell, Laura Pallas Eliminated
7 Do Re Mi and Kerry "Yodel in the Canyon of Love" Kenny MacDonald, Gordon MacDonald Finalist
8 Joanne May "You Stayed Away Too Long" Don Black, Richard Kerr Finalist

Final[]

The Great British Song Contest final was held on Mother's Day, Sunday 9 March 1997 and televised on BBC 1 at 15:30pm. Gina G was special guest at the show. The final was hosted by Dale Winton. There was no simultaneous broadcast with Radio 2. The results were announced on The National Lottery Live on 15 March.

Contestants and results of the Great British Song Contest 1997 final[2]
Draw Artist Song Televote Place
1 Sam Blue "For The Life You Don't Yet Know" 15,657 4
2 Joanne May "You Stayed Away Too Long" 51,584 3
3 Do Re Mi and Kerry "Yodel in the Canyon of Love" 58,696 2
4 Katrina and the Waves "Love Shine a Light" 69,830 1

Each of the 4 finalists were featured each week on The National Lottery Live:

Song Date
"Love Shine a Light" 16 February 1997
"Yodel in the Canyon of Love" 23 February 1997
"You Stayed Away Too Long" 1 March 1997
"For The Life You Don't Yet Know" 8 March 1997

At Eurovision[]

The UK was awarded 12 points (the highest possible) a total of 10 times.

Voting[]

References[]

  1. ^ Roxburgh 2020, pp. 278–287.
  2. ^ Roxburgh 2020, pp. 287–295.
  3. ^ a b "Results of the Final of Dublin 1997". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2021.

Further reading[]

  • O'Connor, John Kennedy (2010). The Eurovision Song Contest: The Official History (2nd ed.). London: Carlton Books. ISBN 978-1-84732-521-1.
  • Roxburgh, Gordon (2020). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. Volume Four: The 1990s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84583-163-9. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
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