Contents The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 Introduction . 2 Other programming: Boom Bang-A-Bang – 50 Years Of Eurovision . 4 Other programming:The Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Final . 4 BBC goes interactive . 5 Sir Terry Wogan interview . 6 Daz Sampson interview . 8 Daz Sampson biography . 10 Patrick O’Connell biography . 11 Teenage Life lyrics . 12 bbc.co.uk/eurovision The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 Introduction The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 • The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 To mark 50 years of Eurovision for the UK, at 8pm on Saturday 20 May on BBC One kicks off the celebrations with a one-off special presented by Sir Terry Wogan. BBC ONE (and BBC Radio 2) Boom Bang-A-Bang – 50 Years Of Eurovision is a chance to relive the best and worst • Boom Bang-A-Bang – 50 Years Of moments of the Contest from the last five Eurovision at 10.35pm on Tuesday decades and features Sir Terry’s favourite 16 May on BBC ONE memories and anecdotes. • The Eurovision Semi-Final 2006 BBC Three raises the curtains on this year’s at 8pm on Thursday 18 May on hottest competition with the Eurovision Song BBC THREE Contest Semi-Final, live and exclusive, with Patrick O’Connell providing his irreverent and • Daz Sampson’s Eurovision at incisive commentary. 10.45pm on Thursday 18 May on And don’t go anywhere as BBC Three follows BBC THREE the excitement of the semi-final with a one-off special documentary, Daz Samspon’s Eurovision. Daz Sampson enters the history books this This 60-minute, intimate special follows Daz’s year as he becomes the 50th UK Eurovision two-year journey to Eurovision, from the time performer to take to Europe’s biggest stage he stormed the charts with his smash-hit in The Eurovision Song Contest 2006, the record Kung Fu Fighting, through his victory in world’s biggest music show. Celebrating Making Your Mind Up, to the road to Athens. It another big anniversary, Eurovision legend reveals everything you ever needed to know Sir Terry Wogan prepares for his 35th Contest about the music industry and what it takes to and guarantees to add his inimitable style and represent the UK at Eurovision. finesse to the proceedings in Athens. So get your pens at the ready and join more than 160 million people worldwide to watch Europe’s greatest, glitziest spectacle! Following a landslide victory in this year’s Making Your Mind Up, Manchester-based rap star Daz Sampson beat off tough competition from Kym Marsh and Antony Costa to secure his place at Eurovision 2006 with his totally original, show-stopping performance of Teenage Life.This is the first time Britain has taken a rap song to Europe since Love City Groove over a decade ago – but will Europe get down with Daz and crown him king? The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 2 Introduction BBC Radio 2 also gets in on the act, as usual, as Ken Bruce gives his usual witty, pithy and informative commentary on the Contest from 8pm on Saturday 20 May. The official BBC Eurovision website at bbc.co.uk/eurovision goes fully interactive this year, giving users a chance to view the Contest’s final live on their PCs on Saturday 20 May. In the build-up to the big day, the site will also be constantly updated with behind-the-scenes exclusives, news, gossip, interviews and games.Want to know what happened backstage at the semi-final and who’s making friends … or enemies? Log on for everything you need to know about this year’s competition. A traditional family favourite – the Eurovision Score Chart – also makes a welcome return. So head to bbc.co.uk/eurovision and print out the Daz-themed card ready for the great night! The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 3 Other programming Boom Bang-A-Bang – 50 Years Of Eurovision/ The Eurovision Semi-final Boom Bang-A-Bang – The Eurovision Song Contest 50 Years Of Eurovision Semi-Final 10.35pm on Tuesday 16 May 8pm on Thursday 18 May on BBC ONE on BBC THREE The King of Eurovision, Sir Terry Wogan, Exclusive to BBC Three, this curtain-raiser to celebrates 50 years of Europe’s biggest, the 51st Eurovision Song Contest final comes brightest and best music event – The Eurovision live from the historic city of Athens.With the Song Contest – in this one-off special. UK guaranteed a place in Saturday’s grand final, the programme is a great chance to Boom Bang-A-Bang – 50 Years Of Eurovision preview the competition. takes a look at the scandals, the dresses, the tears and the tantrums. From ABBA to Jemini, Even more musically diverse (and jaw- Brotherhood Of Man to Bucks Fizz and Tatu dropping!) than the final, Eurovision’s third to Sir Cliff, it’s a chance to relive the best and semi-final pits Ireland’s Brian Kennedy against worst of Eurovision. Sir Terry also shares his Belgium’s dance diva Kate Ryan, Finnish rock personal favourites, as well as never-before- monsters Lordi and Icelandic glamour queen seen footage of the first-ever UK entry Sylvia Night … among others. from 1957. With the help of your televotes, 10 songs will This look back at the world’s greatest musical qualify, joining 14 other countries for Saturday extravaganza is also a journey through the night’s grand final. Eurovision aficionado Patrick history of television, revealing how production O’Connell brings his incisive wit and warmth and performance have evolved over the last to the proceedings and, for the first time, live five decades – from the first-ever Eurovision in cameras take us exclusively backstage and we colour to television’s first Europe-wide report on Daz Sampson’s preparations for the televote. It also reflects the changes that have big night. shaped Europe during the life of the Contest. Communism has fallen and the Eastern Bloc countries are now strong players in the Eurovision circus, making voting more political than ever before. The special also features a live performance from UK Eurovision hopeful Daz Sampson and an exclusive sneak peak at some of his competition. The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 4 Eurovision goes interactive Eurovision goes interactive Eurovision has gone fully interactive for 2006! Fans can indulge themselves with video previews from each country in the run-up to the big night and then watch the final live on their PCs, play Buzzword Bingo with Patrick O’Connell, chat with Daz on the messageboards and access tons of exclusive content.Visitors to the site can keep up with Daz and Sir Terry in Athens by reading their blog [online diary], which will have exclusive, behind-the-scenes photos and gossip. But most importantly of all, they can also download the school-themed scorecard before the big night! Other highlights include: • The Euro Years: a witty and concise look at the history of Eurovision • Daz tells us what Terry really thinks of the song • All the latest news and gossip • Wallpapers, screensavers, quizzes and the chance to win Eurovision goodie bags • Eurovision pictures you’ve never seen before, and really need to! A traditional family favourite – the Eurovision Score Chart – also makes a welcome return. So head to bbc.co.uk/eurovision and print out the Daz-themed card ready for the great night! The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 5 Sir Terry Wogan interview Sir Terry Wogan celebrates his 35th Eurovision Song Contest of which 10 will go through to the final) in Athens.The Contest will take place at the Olympic Stadium Indoor Arena before an audience of 18,500 and a global television audience of 160 million. Sir Terry is rather modest about his part in Eurovision’s success in the UK; the TV show achieves audiences of up to 11 million, many of whom tune in for Terry’s anarchic, tongue-in- cheek commentary and his knack for saying exactly what audiences are thinking.“I’ve carried the British public with me with my views of it and that it is something you should enjoy rather than take too seriously. “My first Eurovision was following on from Thirty-five years ago, a fresh-faced young Dana winning [with All Kinds Of Everything, Irishman who’d recently joined the BBC from as opposed to transsexual Dana International Radio Telefis Eireann (the Irish National Radio who won in 1998 with Diva] – I’m not and TV Service) was asked to report on a entirely sure of the year but it’s indicative then-serious music competition in Dublin for that it was held in an old music hall with BBC Radio. Back in 1971, fewer than 2,000 about 1,500 people and 18 countries.The made up the audience at the competition at presenters sat in the Royal box at the side the Gaiety Theatre to cheer on the likes of of the stage. Compare that with Copenhagen Clodagh Rogers, who represented the UK [in 2001], with about 35,000 people – I might with Jack In The Box. as well have stayed in London because I was so far away from the stage I couldn’t see a thing! The competition was, of course,The Eurovision Song Contest, which last year “They once had to jam cameras and sound celebrated its 50th anniversary, and the young equipment and commentators’ boxes and all Irishman was the legendary Terry Wogan – the rest into a tiny little theatre – and now now Sir Terry Wogan, following last year’s look what it’s like, particularly in Scandinavian knighthood for services to broadcasting, countries.” writes Jane Dudley.