BBC Sends a 75-Year-Old Crooner to Baku

MAY 15 2012 · 12:10

Engelbert Humperdinck · "Love Will Set You Free" · United Kingdom · 2012 Placement: 25 · Score: 12 · Language: English · Composers: Martin Terefe, Sacha Skarbek · Venue: Crystal Hall · Host: Baku, Azerbaijan · Type: scandal · Broadcast: streaming era The BBC selects Engelbert Humperdinck — 75-year-old British crooning legend, 60 years in pop — to represent the UK at Baku 2012. He opens the grand final as song #1. 'Love Will Set You Free' is a classy, sincere adult-contemporary ballad. 25th of 26 places with 12 points. The UK tabloid press calls the result predictable; Humperdinck himself takes the loss with evident grace. Loreen wins with 'Euphoria'. Context The BBC had been searching for credibility after 2010's Stock-Aitken-Waterman disaster. The Humperdinck gambit was orchestrated by Eurovision-experienced producer Andrew Glenn as a 'dinosaur prestige play'. The opening-song slot was statistically unfavorable; betting markets had Humperdinck mid-table before show order was announced, then crashed. Legacy The 2012 card is now a reference point for how UK Eurovision selection strategy repeatedly misunderstood the contest. Humperdinck returned to his touring schedule. The BBC pivoted to Bonnie Tyler for 2013 (similarly aged, similar result) before finally resetting with younger selections. The opening-song-slot curse persists as a Eurovision scheduling issue.