Just when you thought the Eurovision Song Contest could never surprise you, it turns out that Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli once tried to appear on the competition. In a lot of red leather.
During last night’s Eurovision: You Decide host Mel Giedroyc shared a clip of Tonioli – who was acting as a judge on the show – performing a hip-shaking routine in 1980.
Who hasn't got a secret #Eurovision past? Eh #BrunoTonioli ? #EurovisionYouDecide pic.twitter.com/Le1Ws5ayzp
— BBC Eurovision (@bbceurovision) January 27, 2017
Although Bruno didn’t make it to the actual Eurovision finals, he performed as part of the group Duke and The Aces in the UK’s internal selection show A Song For Europe that year.
Sadly, their song Love Is Alive wasn’t a hit, finishing in 7th place that night. Instead, the UK sent Prima Donna to the Eurovision finals, a group that came a respectable third.
In typical Tonioli style, Bruno was far from embarrassed when Giedroyc unveiled the video, quipping: "You can clearly see that I was well-packaged for the show!"
Mel, however, was less impressed, saying to Bruno: "you were looking very much like a sort of Formula One mechanic!"
Fortunately, Lucie Jones – the act chosen to represent the UK in Eurovision 2017 – didn’t imitate Bruno’s performance, instead delivering the emotional ballad Never Give Up On You.
The song was co-written by Emmelie de Forest, the Danish singer-songwriter who won the song contest in 2013.
Jones will perform the song during the Eurovision finals in Kiev, Ukraine on 13th May.
