United Kingdom in The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 - Eurovision: Your Country Needs You

Eurovision: Your Country Needs You

The BBC announced that a new, X Factor style national selection would be used to find the British representative for 2009. A call for singers was made on BBC One on 18 October 2008 before the dancing programme Strictly Come Dancing by Andrew Lloyd Webber in a 'Queen's Speech' style presentation. Entrants had to be 17 years old by 1 January 2009, live in the UK or in a country inside the European Economic Area. Entrants also had to send in a video of themselves performing a cover of a song, or a song they had written themselves. The entry deadline closed on 21 November 2008. Swedish singer Nina Söderquist had been approached by the BBC to compete in the competition, having been performing in the musical comedy Spamalot on the London West End, but she declined the offer, having been selected to compete in the Swedish Eurovision selection Melodifestivalen, and placed 5th in the first semi final, which was held on 7 February 2009.

Each live show was presented by Graham Norton and, like in other similar BBC shows (such as Any Dream Will Do), was fronted by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Each week the viewing British public voted a contestant out through televoting. There were three contestants remaining by the final on 31 January, with the winner competing for the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The song, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren, was first publicly performed by Mark Evans during the final of Eurovision: Your Country Needs You on 31 January 2009.