UK national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision: You Decide
Logo for the fourth edition of You Decide
GenreMusic, entertainment
Created byBBC Studios
Directed byRichard Valentine (2004–2006, 2018)
Helen Spencer (2009)
Nikki Parsons (2009)
Tim van Someren (2010)
Simon Staffurth (2016–2017, 2019)
Presented byMel Giedroyc (2016–2019)
Måns Zelmerlöw (2018–2019)
(see below)
StarringSee list of contestants
JudgesSee below
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producersKevin Bishop (2007–2008)
Clare Pizey, Moira Ross, Martin Scott (2009)
Phil Parsons (2008, 2010)
Guy Freeman (2016–2018)
Mel Balac (2019)
ProducersDominic Smith (2004–2007)
Helen Tumbridge (2008, 2010)
Kate Maddigan (2009)
Helen Riddell (2016–2018)
Lee Smithurst (2019)
Production locationsThe O2 Forum (2016)
Hammersmith Apollo (2017)
Brighton Dome (2018)
Dock10 (2019)[1]
Running time10–90 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC One (1957–2010)[a]
BBC Radio 2 (TV final: 1977, 1986–1995;[b] semi-finals, 1997–2003)
BBC Red Button (2014–2015)[c]
BBC Four (2016)
BBC Two (2017–2019)
Release22 January 1957 (1957-01-22) –
8 February 2019 (2019-02-08)[d]
Related
Eurovision Song Contest Previews (1971–1994, 2002–2004)
Wogan (1985–1992)
A Song for Europe Preview (1993–94)
Top of the Pops (1995–1996, 1999, 2004)
Live & Kicking (1996)
The National Lottery Live (1997–1998)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Eurovision: You Decide is the most recent name of a BBC television programme that was broadcast annually to select the United Kingdom's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The show had previously gone under several other names, including Festival of British Popular Songs (1957), Eurovision Song Contest British Final (1959–1960), The Great British Song Contest (1996–1999), Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up (2004–2007), Eurovision: Your Decision (2008), and Eurovision: Your Country Needs You (2009–2010), but was known, for most of its history, as A Song for Europe (1961–1995, 2000–2003).

The selection process, originally broadcast on BBC One, has varied between selecting both the performer and song, or just the song in some years, and has been hosted by a variety of presenters over the years. For most years the public has been able to vote for the winner, in the past with postcard voting, where the viewers sent postcards with their vote to the BBC, but more recently televoting and online. In 2009 and 2010, the singer was chosen by a public vote and the song internally selected.

The most recent name and format, Eurovision: You Decide, was adopted in 2016, as between 2011 and 2015 the UK representative had been internally selected by the BBC, resulting in the televised selection show being suspended. The 2016 edition of You Decide was broadcast on BBC Four,[2] while the You Decide editions between 2017 and 2019 were aired on BBC Two.[3] In September 2019, the You Decide format was dropped in favour of a return to the internal selection method,[4] in which BBC Studios partners with a music company (BMG in 2020 and 2021,[5] and TaP in 2022 and 2023[6][7][8]) to select and produce its entry. The internal selection process continues to be used as of 2024.

  1. ^ "Eurovision: You Decide live from dock10". Dock10. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Public to help choose UK Eurovision entry – BBC News". BBC News Online. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  3. ^ "The spotlight's on, the stage is set – Eurovision: You Decide is back". BBC Media Centre. 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  4. ^ "BBC drops Eurovision selection public vote". BBC News. 16 September 2019.
  5. ^ "BBC – United Kingdom confirmed for Eurovision 2020 – Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Tap Music launch talent search for the UK's Eurovision 2022 song and act". MusicWeek. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  8. ^ Stephenson, James (1 August 2023). "🇬🇧 United Kingdom: TaP Music Ends Eurovision Partnership with BBC". Eurovoix.com.


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