How to win Eurovision according to Katrina of Katrina and The Waves
We asked the UK's last Eurovision winner to explain how it's done
"I’ve spent all of the years since our win trying to figure out who is the person who’s choosing our material", she tells RadioTimes.com.
"I would have been trying to contact that person and saying pull the cloth out of your ears and let the people decide."
"People always say well we can’t win because of the political voting, but people said that to us in 1997," says Katrina.
"Everybody was saying, 'Well, it’s a really strong song and it should win but it won’t because of the political voting.'
"But you give people a strong song, an irresistibly strong song, a song that you’ve heard once and you want to hear immediately again, and they will vote for it, and the UK could win."
And that's coming from the woman who sang the irresistibly catchy Walking on Sunshine.
"When I heard that song on the contest I wanted to hear it again, and I could have heard it ten times in a row. That’s a good song," says Katrina.
"You’ve got to get the song right to begin with and then get somebody with incredible confidence to get up there and deliver," she explains.
"I was a big fan of Gina G’s Ooh Ah Just A Little Bit and I thought it should have won. But her performance on the night was under par."
Katrina did love Jade Ewen, though.
This year, for example, the Swedes announced 28 songs and artists who'd compete in the annual Melodifestivalen back in November. They then went on to stage four semi-finals across the country to whittle the competition down to just 12, who'll compete again to represent Sweden at home in Stockholm in May.
"Our gimmick was that the song was irresistibly Eurovision-y," says Katrina of Love Shine A Light. "It was life affirming, a real 'lighters in the air' kind of moment. It was a moment song."
"It really has to be the whole package: it’s exactly what you’re looking for in X Factor and Britain's Got Talent or The Voice. There’s got to be something that sets you apart from others and it’s sheer God-given ability. Confidence. And a fantastic song. Done."
"It’s not that difficult really."
Hey, she got douze points from pretty much every other country in Europe. Who are we to argue with that?
When is Eurovision 2016 on TV?
Eurovision: You Decide airs on BBC4 on Friday 26th February at 7.30pm.
The Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals will air on BBC4 on Tuesday 10th May and Thursday 12th May.
The Eurovision Song Contest will air on BBC1 on Saturday 14th May.
