When did the UK last win Eurovision and who are our five winning acts? From Bucks Fizz to Katrina and the Waves and Lulu
THE Eurovision Song Contest has been on our screens since 1957 and has spawned winners from many different countries.
The UK has been one of the biggest backers of the event and thankfully, we have been rewarded with five wins during its history. Here's everything you need to know about our past victors ahead of the 2018 grand final.
When did the UK last win the Eurovision Song Contest?
The UK last triumphed in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves.
Their song was called Love Shine a Light and it received a whopping 227 points.
The band was formed of Katrina Leskanich, Kimberley Rew, Vince de la Cruz and Alex Cooper.
The bands previously big hit was in 1985 with Walking on Sunshine.
Who else has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the UK?
Sandie Shaw
The UK's first ever winner was Sandie Shaw with the track Puppet on a String in 1967, which was hosted that year in Vienna.
Sandie, 71, was one of the most successful pop artists in the 1960s, with her Eurovision win the icing on the cake in that decade.
Sandie retired from performing in 2013.
Lulu
Two years after Sandie's win, Lulu triumphed in 1969 in Madrid.
Lulu, now 69, sang Boom Bang-a-Bang but her win wasn't without controversy.
Spain, The Netherlands and Spain tied with The UK on 18 points and there were no rules in place to decide an overall winner.
All four countries were declared winners but Finland, Norway, Sweden and Portugal did not participate in the 1970 Contest as a protest against the result the following year.
The rules were then changed to make sure the situation never happened again.
Brotherhood of Man
In 1976 Brotherhood of Man triumphed with Save Your Kisses For Me.
The contest took place in The Hague, in the Netherlands.
The song then became a worldwide hit and has remained one of the biggest selling Eurovision winner tracks ever.
Bucks Fizz
The UK were crowned victors again in the 1980s when Bucks Fizz received the most points in 1981.
The four-piece, made up of Cheryl Baker, Bobby G, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston, performed Making Your Mind Up, complete with colourful outfits and tearaway skirts.
The song was one of three of the band's UK number one singles.
In 1985 Jay Aston quit the group to be replaced by Shelley Preston.
When is Eurovision 2018?
The 63rd Eurovision Song Contest started on Tuesday, May 8, 2018, and ends with the Grand Final TONIGHT (Saturday, May 12).
It will take place for the first time in Portugal, at the Altice Arena in Lisbon.
Portugal achieved its first Eurovision victory at the 2017 contest in Kiev with their song Amar Pelos Dois, which was performed by Salvador Sobral.
Forty-three countries will participate in the contest.
This is a massive number, which equals the record amount of participants in the 2008 and 2011 editions.
Russia will return after their absence from the previous edition.
For the first time since 2011, no countries have withdrawn from the contest.
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