When the Cheshire emerges...

This is the sixth post in a series about the Eurovision Song Contest. If you don't know what that is I strongly suggest you follow my posts. You'll learn a lot.

Hosts and commentators form an integral part of Eurovision, shaping our perceptions of the night past the songs. Well, they do their best to put their two cents in and get away with a LOT.

The female hosts are notorious for changing dresses multiple times throughout the show. If your stylist thinks you can pull off a few designs to dazzle the audience then why not?

When I went last year, the two ladies hosting (yes, the guy was that cool he had to have a lady on each arm) did their stylists proud.

Stefan Raab sang Satellite with defending champion Lena

But while that's something to look forward to, I want to talk about a stalwart of the contest that really captured the outsider's thoughts on the contest for years.

Anyone who knows Eurovision in the UK, Australia and perhaps elsewhere beyond Europe will know who I'm on about.



BBC's Terry Wogan.

The guy was involved for the better part of 37 years, first with BBC Radio and then moving into the television slot. He had the wittiest commentary, probably on everything ever. Playing on the fact that many UK residents never took the contest too seriously, Wogan pretty much paid the shite out of whoever was really horrible.

Many said at his leaving in 2008 that a lot of Brits watched the contest only because of him. It's interesting how this is still one of the ways that Britain tries to distance itself from Europe (you know, besides other small things like currency and European politics). And yet he primarily left because he felt it wasn't being taken seriously by the committee anymore and submitting shite acts wasn't putting the joke on Europe, but turning back on itself. Bit of a double-edged sword, isn't it?

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Since his departure in 2008, SBS has provided local commentary with Des Mangan (who had replaced Wogan about five years earlier much to Australia's dismay - he's fine, but not when Wogan was still on his game), and now the comedian duo of Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang. They're okay too, but I wish Wogan would give us an encore performance now that the UK act isn't chosen by a public vote.

I'd love to know what he makes of Engelbert Humperdinck's entry for 2012.

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*I have two photos entered in the current Qatar Reflections competition. Please show your support for me by voting for either photo! Short backstory and links here.