BBC Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills has compared the Eurovision Song Contest to the World Cup, and said the competition allows people to “switch off from the world”
BBC Radio 2’s own Scott Mills has likened the Eurovision Song Contest to “our World Cup” as the 2025 contest update has him gearing up for commentating duties alongside co-presenter Rylan Clark during the live semis on BBC One come May 13 and May 15.
Scott Mills, who’s no stranger to colourful commentary, is absolutely buzzing ahead of the semi-finals, describing Eurovision as a time for “joy” and “love”—an opportunity for fans to escape reality.
The cheerful DJ remarked: “Eurovision is like a melting pot and we’re all there for the same reason and everyone can chat and talk about what songs they like and what they don’t like.”
According to Scott, debates among Eurovision enthusiasts can get pretty intense: “Sometimes it can turn into a bit of a heated discussion and you get into the real nitty gritty of, like, ‘Well, why do you think their staging is better than this?’ and ‘Why is their song better?'”
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For the die-hard Eurovision fans, Mills sees the event as an equivalent to the pinnacle of football fandom boasting, “It’s a bit like what people do with football but with songs, and for us fans we absolutely adore it, it’s our World Cup. I look forward to it so much and that’s what’s magical about it. Everyone’s there for the same reason.”
Mills continued by highlighting the blissful escapism the contest brings: “The world can be a horrible place, but for a week you can go somewhere you’ve probably never been before and you can shut out the world and it’s just happy, happy, joy, joy and love.”
He added, exuberantly: “There is no bad news at Eurovision and it’s all you think about and all you talk about and all you hear when you’re there all week. And that is sometimes a welcome switch-off from the world.”
The UK will be represented at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest by the all-female trio Remember Monday, performing their song What The Hell Just Happened?
The trio, consisting of friends Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull, and Charlotte Steele, will be the first non-solo act to represent the UK since 2016. They are also the first all-female multi-person act to represent the country since Precious in 1999.
The UK has a rich history in the contest, having won five times, including three victories with groups: Brotherhood Of Man in 1976, Bucks Fizz in 1981, and Katrina And The Waves in 1997. Solo acts Sandie Shaw and Lulu also won in 1967 and 1969, respectively.
Last year, singer Sam Ryder came close to winning with his song Space Man, finishing second behind Ukraine.
The semi-finals will feature performances from the “Big Five” countries, including the UK, as well as former Eurovision performers from host country Switzerland. Fans can tune in to BBC Radio 2 for live commentary from Richie Anderson and Sara Cox.
The final will take place in Basel, Switzerland, on May 17 and will be broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer from 8pm.