I've been a Eurovision fan for almost 40 years. I saw my first contest at the age of eight, in 1976, when it was won by the Brotherhood of Man. I was captivated and thought the United Kingdom would win every year (boy, was I proved wrong on that one). It was, and remains, the highlight of my TV year. Yes, okay, so I'm a nerd when it comes to all things Eurovision - the songs; the winning entries, when the contests were staged...
But there are many things I didn't know about Eurovision; the minutiae of each contest - such as why Israel didn't participate in 1980 despite having won the previous two contests.
Ten years ago, John Kennedy O'Connor brought us the answers to such questions in his 50th anniversary book, which chronicled each contest held up to 2005. For me, it remains the go-to reference book.
So when I heard he had written a book to tie-in with the 60th anniversary of Eurovision for 2015, I was straight on to Amazon to order it. This time, he looked at the records surrounding Eurovision, the little facts and figures that have been lost in the mist of time and he's tied them together into chapters the titles of which are taken from Eurovision entries - Rock Bottom; Why Do I Always Get It Wrong; and Cry Baby, to name but three.
The result is an addictive page-turner. I couldn't put it down as John brought us facts delightful, whimsical, weird and wonderful, from who was the oldest performer to have appeared so far, to the secrets of Katie Boyle's undergarments at the 1974 contest in Brighton. I won't spoil it for you, buy the book and find out the answers.
If you're a true Eurovision fan, this is a must for your bookshelf. If you're a once-a-year observer who come 11.30pm on the night of the contest demands to know why the UK does so badly these days, then treat yourself to a great deal of fun reading - and perhaps a few insights that might lead you to draw your own conclusion.
Either way, don't just take my word about how good this book is, find out for yourself. As a true Eurovision fan, I eagerly await the 70th anniversary offering. You never know, the UK may be in with a shout of winning again by then.
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