11:15 pm - 07/03/2012
Andrew Lloyd Webber has said that racism in Europe is a reason for the UK's poor performances in the Eurovision Song Contest.
The composer's Your Country Needs You TV show picked 2009 entrant and later-Sugababe Jade Ewen, who finished fifth in Russia with a song co-written by Lloyd Webber.
"I don't think there's any point beating around the bush," Lloyd Webber told Radio Times.
"Did you see the Eurovision Song Contest this year? Well, if you had seen it, you might have noticed one thing - I don't think there was one black face on the programme."
He continued: "At the press conference in Moscow, I was asked, 'Why have you brought a black artist?'
"I said, 'Because she is the most talented artist that we had and I think she's a major, major star'. I think we would have come second but there's a problem when you go further east."
Lloyd Webber added: "It doesn't mean that we would necessarily have won that year but we could have come second.
"If you're talking about Western Europe - Germany, fine; France, fine; Spain, fine; Greece, fine; Scandinavian countries, fine. But Ukraine? Not so good."
During the interview, Lloyd Webber also claimed that none of the acts on The Voice UK could sing in tune.
Source
Andrew Lloyd Webber: 'Eurovision racism hurt UK acts'
Andrew Lloyd Webber has said that racism in Europe is a reason for the UK's poor performances in the Eurovision Song Contest.
The composer's Your Country Needs You TV show picked 2009 entrant and later-Sugababe Jade Ewen, who finished fifth in Russia with a song co-written by Lloyd Webber.
"I don't think there's any point beating around the bush," Lloyd Webber told Radio Times.
"Did you see the Eurovision Song Contest this year? Well, if you had seen it, you might have noticed one thing - I don't think there was one black face on the programme."
He continued: "At the press conference in Moscow, I was asked, 'Why have you brought a black artist?'
"I said, 'Because she is the most talented artist that we had and I think she's a major, major star'. I think we would have come second but there's a problem when you go further east."
Lloyd Webber added: "It doesn't mean that we would necessarily have won that year but we could have come second.
"If you're talking about Western Europe - Germany, fine; France, fine; Spain, fine; Greece, fine; Scandinavian countries, fine. But Ukraine? Not so good."
During the interview, Lloyd Webber also claimed that none of the acts on The Voice UK could sing in tune.
Source
Also he plans to shut down 5 different theatres during the Olympics.
Plus he gave us those horrible shows like Any Dream Will Do.
Menace to society tbh
o cool that jade ewen person was born on the same day as me, 3 years earlier
Edited at 2012-07-03 10:39 pm (UTC)
Edited at 2012-07-03 10:41 pm (UTC)
she would have probably done better if she wasn't in that year(no one had any chance against Fairytale that year)
ALW is speaking about the general situation, which is rather tragic for POC
I'm sorry, but Norway is like one of the most racist countries I've ever visited
Yeah, Sweden voted for Loreen because she's all blonde and blue-eyed. *insert sarcasm here*
Last year, Salem Al Fakir nearly won - you think all the racists voted for him too? ;)
2002 the group Afro-Dite won in Sweden: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-dite
Not that I mean to say you're wrong in general but...how is it that you point out the Scandinavian countries as being racist?
Edited at 2012-07-04 12:21 am (UTC)
"The composer's Your Country Needs You TV show picked 2009 entrant and later-Sugababe Jade Ewen, who finished fifth in Russia with a song co-written by Lloyd Webber."
bullshit.yes there's racism in europe and will most likely influence the voting but it's ntot he reason we do so fucking badly.
But so much better than Murrrrrrrrika -- unless you are brown especially if that brown is from the Middle East
Murrika has it's problems but the racism here is miles better than Europe, Australia and Russia.
As a European I would say general xenophobia is a bigger problem than racism. Prejudice against Romani people and muslims is rampant.
"The composer's Your Country Needs You TV show picked 2009 entrant and later-Sugababe Jade Ewen, who finished fifth in Russia with a song co-written by Lloyd Webber."
It's weirdly undermining a very good point.
This year was ridiculous...who the hell wants to hear HUmperdinck?!
And Jedward made me cry from laughing so hard.