James Fox will sing Britain's Eurovision entry on Saturday night safe in the knowledge he can't do any worse than last year. Wise-cracking Terry Wogan thinks that the UK entry could even win... if the rest of Europe didn't take it so seriously. Steve Prtt reprots.

THE rest of the country may have felt humiliated when the UK scored nul points in last year's Eurovision Song Contest, but Terry Wogan, the man without whom the competition wouldn't be complete, didn't let it worry him.

"I really don't care. It doesn't matter, it's the taking part that counts, like the Olympic Games," says the man who's been commentating on the contest since the early 1970s.

"It's not a matter of national pride for this country. It's absolutely ludicrous to think of the Eurovision Song contest as important in the context of national status, but some countries think it is. Usually the smaller the country, the more popular it is."

Wogan sees the contest is part of his life. That and presenting Children In Need are the two things he enjoys doing most on TV. "If I'm remembered for either of those I'll be very proud," he says.

"I'm very happy that I've carried the British public with me over the years with the contest and that we have the same attitude to it, which is tongue-in-cheek, not taking it too seriously, unlike the rest of Europe which, of course, takes it deadly seriously.

"It's big enough in Britain with millions watching at 11pm on a Saturday night, but you've no idea how big it is in Europe. Sometimes we don't grasp quite how important it is, first of all their own song contests and then the contest itself.

"It's a matter of national pride in many countries, particularly the emerging countries. Whereas in Britain, it's disappointing that we got nul points, but it's not the end of the world".

Fame Academy star James Fox is the man flying the flag for the UK this year with Hold Onto Your Love. At least he can't do worse than last year when Jemini's Cry Baby failed to secure a single vote and become the only UK act in the competition's 49-year-old history to score no points.

Welshman Fox admits he wasn't really interested in representing the UK at first, but was persuaded by the new format for choosing the entry. "Then I heard the song and it swayed me," he says.

"I wouldn't say I was a fan of Eurovision, but I've never not liked it. I used to watch it a lot as a kid. My dad was a big Cliff Richard/Shadows fan and I was brought up playing the guitar and playing music like The Shadows, so I always knew they'd been on Eurovision.

"In the last ten years I've been working though. I remember when Jessica Garlick did it, because she was Welsh, and Katrina winning it. Oh, and Gina G. I remember her for the dress."

Wogan, who should know a thing or two about potential winners after all the contests he's attended, likes this year's Danish entry and the Irish song, written by Westlife's Bryan McFadden. But he reckons the best song is the UKs. "That's the first time I've felt that since Katrian Leskanich won it," he says. "I really do think it's a strong entry, but our problem is always that nobody likes us, although the French would be entitled to say the same thing, and the Germans, and the Israelis.

"There are various political reasons not to vote for various countries. And it'll take a few years before the emerging countries realise that it's a song contest, you're supposed to vote for the best song, not your next door neighbour.

"On the other hand, James is very personable, he's got a charming way about him, it's a nice ballad with a strong vocal and I see no reason why it shouldn't win.

"The favourite is Sweden. I can't see that at all, but I get it wrong every year. I would never have picked the belly-dancing Turkish entry last year. Similarly, the Swedish entry this year seems to be sung by someone slightly past their youthful best. But you never know who's going to vote for high white boots and a short skirt."

Fox must be heartened by Wogan's backing, although he says he won't be nervous on the night. "I get days when I don't feel as confident as others, but I've been on stage gigging for six or seven nights a week since I was 15," he says.

"This is obviously a pretty big deal compared to a lot of gigs I've done but, in some respects, it's just another gig and I know I can do it. I'll be nervous when the results come in because there's nothing I can do."

Whether Wogan may even put his money where his mouth is, as he usually has a flutter on the contest. Not that he ever wins. "I always lose my money, it's the same with the Grand National," he says. "I have no idea. I always think I have an idea like I think now - the UK song is best, the Irish is very good, the Danish song's excellent, I like the Serbian song".

His favourite Eurovision number ever is Abba's Waterloo. He was there for the win, presenting for radio. "I tried to interview Abba after they won, in our caravan outside of where it was stage," he recalls.

"A man called Stuart, who is a great friend of mine, was directing the television coverage and he pulled out all the plugs. The show was over, so he pulled all the plugs. Myself and Abba were sat in the dark in our caravan."

l Eurovision Song Contest: Saturday, 8pm, BBC1 and Radio 2. Eurovision... A Little Bit More: Saturday, 11.10pm, BBC

Published: 13/05/2004