Your country needs you... even if you’re not British

BRITAIN'S hunt for a Eurovision Song Contest entry is called Your Country Needs You! - but two "UK" hopefuls are foreigners.
Girl band member Maiken is from NORWAY - the country famous for constantly winning "nil points" in the competition.

And one of the solo entrants, Esma, hails from AUSTRIA.

In all, six acts will perform live tonight on BBC1 in a battle to represent the UK.

Maiken, 23 - part of girl group Miss Fitz who featured in The X Factor last year - comes from a town just north of Oslo.

She moved to the UK when she was 19 and met bandmates Marina and Gemma. She could win the host country's vote if her band win through.

Meanwhile Esma could curry favour with Austrian voters.

They will perform against solo artists Alexis, Josh and Karen and the group Uni5.

Insiders stress it is not the first time foreigners have represented the UK in Eurovision, with American-led Katrina and the Waves winning in the 1990s.

Music legend Pete Waterman is producing this year's entry with long-time collaborator Mike Stock.

Pete will head a panel including last year's UK entrant Jade Ewen - now one the Sugababes - and Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli.

After the live performances and feedback from the panel, Pete will choose three acts to debut the Eurovision song.

The winner will then be decided by a public vote.

Pete said yesterday: "So far we've got the song and we've got six acts.

"Now all we're waiting for is the public to get behind the search for the UK entry and then we can really get to work."

Norton, who will commentate at Eurovision 2010, said: "If any man can second guess European musical tastes surely that man is Pete Waterman.

"I can't wait to get to Oslo and see the competition.


"Here's to all the usual fun, glamour, and madness of Eurovision - this year with the added extra of a faint whiff of pickled herring."

Jade Ewen came fifth in Moscow, where she performed Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren's It's My Time.

She and the Sugababes will perform on tonight's show which starts at 8.30pm.



Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/2879152/Two-foreign-contestants-on-British-Eurovision-search.html#ixzz0hIKumrnh