EURO SEPTICS: 10 YEARS OF EUROVISION

Richard Webber

2002

Jessica Garlick

Song:

Come Back

Placing: 3rd

Winner that

year: Latvia

Highest chart

position: 13

Pop Idol contestant Jessica claimed third place with her song, written by an airline pilot. She says appearing in Eurovision had 'always been an ambition'.

Where is she now? She's taking time to establish a future style, which her manager says could be contemporary country. Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell advised her to move to the US, where she is currently looking for a house and has signed a record deal with a top US producer.

2001

Lindsay Dracass

Song:

No Dream Impossible

Placing: 15th

Winner that

year: Estonia

Highest chart

position: 32

Sheffield-born Lindsay, 18, is signed to Universal Records and planning her first album. Recalling Eurovision, Lindsay says, 'It was hard work, but I enjoyed the experience. Now I dream of having a worldwide-selling album and making it on both sides of the Atlantic. I was born to sing.' Hmm, we've heard that before... Where is she now? Six of her songs were considered for ITV's recent hospital drama, The Royal - but weren't chosen.

WORST

RESULT

2000

Don't Play That Song Again

Placing: 16th

Winner

that year: Denmark

Highest chart

position: 34

Nicki's greatest chart success was in 1995, when her version of Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse Of The Heart reached the top five here and in America. She says Eurovision was 'the most fantastic week of my life', even though her placing was the worst in the UK's history. 'I assumed it would be top five, so when it came 16th I was upset.' Where is she now? Nicki teaches at Italia Conti stage school - ex pupils include Naomi Campbell and Martine McCutcheon.

Nicki French

1999

Precious

Song:

Say It Again

Placing: 13th

Winner

that year: Sweden

Highest chart

position: 6

The five-member girlband released three further singles after Say It Again, but the last, ironically called New Beginning, only reached 53 in the charts. Their album failed to impress and the girls split up. Where are they now? Jenny Frost (far right) found success with Atomic Kitten, and Sophie McDonnell (second from left), popped up in Emmerdale, then turned to presenting on shows such as BBC's The Make Shift. Don't ask us about the rest...

1998

Imaani

Song:

Where Are You?

Placing: 2nd

Winner that

year: Israel

Highest chart

position: 15

Nottingham-born Imaani wasn't sure about entering the contest. 'I was worried about my street cred,' she says. But being the first black woman to represent the UK was enough motivation and the song was a hit in Europe and Number 1 in Turkey. Where is she now? After a follow-up single, Imaani moved on to garage music and charity work. 'I'm now a patron of Nottingham Carnival and Imaani House, for battered women,' she says.

WINNER

1997

Katrina & The Waves

Song:

Love Shine

A Light

Placing: 1st

Highest chart

position: 3

The group's first UK hit, Walking On Sunshine, charted 12 years before they stormed to Euro victory. Katrina says, 'It was the most trouser- cacking two minutes and 57 seconds of my career.'

Where is she now? Katrina left the group in 1998 and took a five- year break from singing to present a Radio 2 show. She's now back in the studio working on a solo album.

MOST HITS

1996

Gina G

Song:

Oooh Aah... Just A Little Bit

Placing: 8th

Winner that

year: Ireland

Highest chart

position: 1

Gina's Grammy-nominated song became the best-selling Eurovision entry in history. Five hit singles followed, as well as albums, and she's back in the studio recording new tracks. She was allowed to take part despite being from Oz - it's the songwriters who have to come from the country entering.

Where is she now? Gina recently toured the States in ITV's Reborn In The USA - she was the second artist voted off.

NEVER HEARD

OF

SINCE

1995

Love City Groove

Song:

Love City Groove

Placing: 10th

Winner

that year: Norway

Highest chart

position: 7

Jonathan King joined the UK's Eurovision efforts to oversee the selection and modernise the entry. Love City Groove, created by Beanz (Stephen Rudden) and made up of Jay Williams, Paul Hardy and Reason introduced rap music to Eurovision.

Where are they now? This song was their only hit in the UK, but they had further success elsewhere in Europe and Japan before splitting up.

1994

Frances Ruffelle

Frances fell victim to the mighty Irish and only managed 10th place. Since Eurovision, Frances has sung a love duet with Ricky Martin on ITV's An Audience With Ricky Martin, released two solo albums, Fragile and Frances Ruffelle, and moved to the States with her songwriting partner.

Where is she now? Her most recent appearance was playing naughty Dawn Daniel-Spears in Sky One's Dream Team.

Song:

We Will Be Free (Lonely Symphony)

Placing: 10th

Winner that

year: Ireland

Highest chart

position: 25

1993

Sonia

Song:

Better The Devil You Know

Placing: 2nd

Winner that

year: Ireland

Highest chart

position: 15

For Liverpudlian Sonia Evans, 31, work since her Eurovision adventure has included playing Sandy in the stage version of Grease in London's West End and various other musicals.

Where is she now? Sonia was another artist seen on Reborn In The USA - she was the fourth pop star eliminated from the contest. This summer she's booked to sing at Butlin's holiday camps.

UK winners

In the 46 years since Eurovision began, the United Kingdom has won five times...

1997 Katrina and the Waves (bottom, far left)

were our last winners, with Love Shine A Light.

1981

Bucks Fizz began their chart- topping careers with Making Your Mind Up.

1976

Brother-hood

of Man

won with Save Your Kisses For Me.

1969

Lulu's

Boom-Bang-A-Bang tied with three other contestants for first place.

1967

Sandie Shaw's Puppet On A String came out on top.

Strange but true...

Around 500 million people worldwide watch the contest

Ireland has won the most times - seven so far

The UK has hosted seven Eurovisions and is the most successful country overall, having won five and come second 15 times

Norway has failed to get a single point on four separate occasions

Celine Dion represented Switzerland in 1988

The youngest entrant was an 11-year-old - for France in 1989

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