LONDON (AFP) — Veteran TV commentator Terry Wogan, said he may never cover the Eurovision song contest again because he is sick of politically motivated bloc voting.
Wogan said western European nations were being shut out after Russia won Saturday's contest in Belgrade with "Believe", sung by Dima Bilan, giving an eastern European nation victory for the third time in five years.
At one point in his commentary for the BBC, as Russia's neighbours and former Soviet states repeatedly gave high marks for "Believe", Wogan said "the word has gone out" that it was "Russia's turn this year".
"You have to say that this is no longer a music contest," Wogan said. "I have to decide whether I want to do this again.
"Western European participants have to decide whether they want to take part from here on in, because their prospects are poor."
Serbia won the contest in 2007, Finland won in 2006, Greece took the honours in 2005 and Ukraine won in 2004.
Wogan, 69, was also angry that British entry Andy Abraham finished in joint last place, despite having a song that many observers though was better than recent British entries.
"It's a disappointment, considering that Andy Abraham gave, I think, the performance of his life with a song that certainly deserved more marks than it got," Wogan said.
"I'm afraid nobody loves the UK. It just isn't funny any more."
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
