Bucks Fizz star Cheryl Baker wants Cardiff to host Eurovision

Virgin Radio

26 Jul 2022, 12:06

Cheryl Baker knows a thing or two about the Eurovision Song Contest after performing in Bucks Fizz and now she wants Cardiff to host next year's competition.

It was confirmed this week that the United Kingdom will be hosting the event for 2023 following Ukraine's win, due to the ongoing conflict there.

Cities are preparing their bids, in hopes of being the chosen ones to host the event but Eurovision winner and Bucks Fizz star Cheryl Baker has said she thinks Cardiff should host.

As some of you might remember, Bucks Fizz won at Eurovision in 1981, with their song 'Making Your Mind Up'.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Baker said: “It needs to go to a city where there’s an international airport, where they’ve got a venue that’s big enough, where there are enough hotels, so any one of those would work.

“I think it would be nice if it didn’t go to London although, for me, I live in Kent, I’m half an hour from London. So for me, that will be perfect.

“But would be nice if it went to (a) regional… I fancy Cardiff, I think that would be nice. Like you say, the land of song.”

Ukraine will automatically qualify for the grand final alongside the so-called big five nations, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

The Big Five automatically make it through due to their financial contributions to the event.

It will be the ninth time Eurovision has taken place in the UK.

That's more than any other country.

The BBC and EBU will jointly make the final decision of which city will host.

Bidding officially starts next week.

When asked her thoughts on the contest coming to the UK, Baker said: “I think it’s fantastic. I mean, it’s the biggest musical extravaganza in the world and it happens once a year and it’s coming to the UK.

“And I think actually as well, we came second to the Ukraine, it kind of makes sense that it comes here rather than anywhere else.

“Obviously, it can’t go to Ukraine, and I think it would be lovely for us to host it on behalf of Ukraine.

“As long as the Ukraine are completely involved, as long as their presenters, we’ve basically given them the shell to do it in my opinion, I think their production teams and their presenters and everything should be totally involved.

“It’s just like we’re giving them the venue to use, that’s what I think.”

London, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool and Leeds have all entered bids so far.

Lulu, another Eurovision winner, wants the contest to be held in Glasgow, her home city.

Speaking on BBC Newsnight, she said: “It has to be Glasgow because that’s where I come from.

“They’re so politically savvy, they’re the most fabulous hosts, they absolutely are music mad.

“I think it would be just the most fabulous thing, and I would be there. I just cannot wait.”