Charlotte’s Eurovision dream is over as she becomes the second person to be eliminated from BBC One’s Eurovision: Your Country Needs You.

After a public vote Charlotte and Emperors of Soul were the least popular hopefuls and Andrew Lloyd Webber decided to save Emperors of Soul. So Charlotte is the second person to leave the competition.

In Saturday’s live show, all five hopefuls performed Eurovision classic Save Your Kisses For Me, as well as solo renditions of contemporary songs chosen to show viewers that they have the nerve, skill, sheer determination and star quality to represent the UK in Moscow.

Read more & comment »

Andrew Lloyd Webber and his team of professionals have decided on a shortlist of six acts all hoping to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. Tonight, the contestants vie for a place in Eurovision history and take to the stage for the first of the live shows, hosted by Graham Norton.

Performing live for the viewers, the acts have to show they’ve got the right ingredients to take on the best in Europe, and all are hoping to win enough votes to stay in the competition.

Read more & comment »

Andrew Lloyd Webber has blasted Simon Cowell and his stream of reality TV shows saying that they torture contestants and use tricks to make favourites look good.

Lloyd Webber’s own show ‘Your Country Needs You’ kicks off tomorrow night, and he revealed to The Sun: “The mantra of the show is that we nurture, we don’t torture.”

“All my acts call me Andrew, and they all call my mobile when they need help. There will be no tricks on this show. Over my dead body.!

Read more & comment »

Twenty-three-year-old Mark has been playing Prince Charming in Bromley this season but luckily managed to fit in auditions for Your County Needs You.

Originally from North Wales he comes from two generations of farmers – his father has won national sheep breeding awards.

But in recent years Mark’s parents have encouraged their children (he is the youngest of four) to find other trades.

Read more & comment »

Jade from East London is another of Sylvia Young’s graduates and no stranger to performing, singing and acting.

Her first successful audition was for the role of Nyla in The Lion King and she’s since appeared in Whistle Down The Wind, as well as TV programmes including The Bill and Casualty.

For two-and-a-half years she was part of a fledgling girl band called Trinity Stone whose ambitions were to make it as a UK version of Destiny’s Child. Unfortunately the band didn’t make it big but since breaking up Jade has been even more determined to make it as a solo artist.

Jade grew up with her parents – dad Trevor, who is Sicilian and was born without sight in either eye, and mum Carol, who is blind in one eye and whose roots are in Jamaica. She is incredibly close to both of them and her younger brother and sister.

“I’m a true believer of fate. I’d been longing to work with a great writer and then suddenly I was auditioning for Andrew Lloyd Webber. Who knows where I’ll end up next!”

Jade’s all-time favourite Eurovision hit is Gina G’s Just A Little Bit.

These 20-year-old identical twin sisters, born and bred in Sheffield, are both trained singers who live at home with their parents. They have always lived in Sheffield, gone to the same school, work in the same pub and supermarket, go to the same university, study the same degree course and both started going out with their current boyfriends on the same day. In fact, the only way most people can tell them apart is that Fran has a fringe!

Read more & comment »

This five-piece group of friends originally got together in 2008 to perform as a Temptations tribute band. The guys are (from l-r): Julian, Gerod, Leon, Leroy and Fraser.

Julian: from West Yorkshire has been performing since the age of ten. A graduate from the Audrey Spencer Theatre School of Dancing, Julian went through the range of jazz, ballet, tap and contemporary dance during his training. His career has taken him from musical theatre roles as diverse as Bugsy Malone to Dancing In The Streets. He’s also performed on cruise ships around Europe, as well as spending five months in Oz in Miss Saigon.

Read more & comment »

Damien has a track record that started in musical theatre at the age of 12, and has more recently seen him branching out to forge a career playing at some of the top piano bars in London. Damien has also performed backing vocals for Tom Jones and has in the past few months appeared on television shows including Later With Jools, Strictly Come Dancing and Here Come The Boys.

Read more & comment »

This 17-year-old has displayed a flair for performance from early childhood. By age 11 she and her family moved lock, stock and barrel back from Nottingham to Essex in order for her to attend Sylvia Young’s much-admired stage school. She earned her place with a combination of sheer talent and determination, plus over 500 letters to obtain both the grants and scholarship the family needed to see her through.

Read more & comment »

The time has come for the public to decide who it will send to Moscow to represent the UK for Eurovision 2009.

After his heartfelt plea last October when Andrew Lloyd Webber told the UK, “Your Country Needs You”, Andrew and his casting team have scoured the country for the finest Euro-wannabes the UK has to offer, and scrutinised more than 1,000 showreels and audition tapes deep in his BBC bunker.

Read more & comment »