Terry Wogan may have retired from his Eurovision commentating duties for BBC in 2009, but the man renowned for his snide remarks (in 2001 he described the hosts as Doctor Death and the Tooth Fairy), has not left the contest behind completely.
Reviewing Graham Norton’s (the UK’s current commentator) autobiography for The Irish Times, the septuagenarian throws some indirect shade Conchita’s way. Speaking of Norton’s approach to the show, he writes:
I’m bound to say that the Bearded Lady who won this year, reducing Graham to tears, might have had a slightly different effect on me. I’ve always seen the Eurovision as a sometimes foolish farce, but not as a freak show.
Pass the aloe vera. Oh wait, the juice from bitter old lemons doesn’t burn.
Conchita Wurst Wins Eurovision 2014 – Graham Norton Reaction
http://youtu.be/wJSvJqIYSlE
Snarkyness aside, Wogan does acknowledge that the job of UK commentator was
a plum role. Actually, every presenter and stand-up comedian in the country would have killed for the gig.
Given the perceived attitude of everyday Brits towards the contest, this comes as a pleasant surprise. The fact that Norton’s biggest rival for the post was fellow chatshow-king Jonathan Ross helps quash the fiction that the UK public are indifferent.
So what do y’all think of Sir Terry’s input? Should the man who presented “the magnificently awful thing since God was a boy” just stay quite? Or do y’all appreciate his comments?
Photo: Eurovision.tv
How very sickening, the sum contribution Norton and Wogan have made to life in this country is their ability to talk. Talking is not a talent, neither of this brain dead celebs are capable of producing anything of worth, as a result the make a living in rubbishing and being sarcastic towards people who dare to put their particular talents on show. I aim my remarks more at the waste of space Wogan than Norton and if the latter ever learns to shut up when the presenters are talking in English then he may, just may improve on the efforts… Read more »
Unfortunately LEAPerce, this story has now spread like wildfire on the British media, and now there are Brits commenting on saying Eurovision IS a freak show, as well as the whole “political” stuff as usual. Yet they’ve completely forgotten about Loreen’s phenomenal impact across Europe with “Euphoria”.
As a child growing up I heard Terry’s voice on Eurovision and he taught me, as a kid, Eurovision was ridiculous. Around 20 a greek friend of mine showed me Eurovision from the greek view and it was amazing, entertaining and fun. Eurovision is not only a competition, but a celebration to culture and music, and I love it. Unfortunately Terry did not portray that to the British audience, and therefore the older generation who watched him passed these habits down to even the current generation which is a shame. He made fun of it, he down talked countries, songs,… Read more »
For Terry Wogan it´s a freak show for the UN-Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is it the following: “Ban said she had turned the event, often derided for its kitsch performances, into a “moment of human rights education” fighting for diversity and tolerance.”
The whole Reuters-article: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/11/03/uk-un-sexualdiscrimination-wurst-idUKKBN0IN18V20141103?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Agreed totally with Robyn. That’s pretty insensitive of Terry to say something like that, especially given that Conchita had one of the most restrained stagings of the night. Then again, he’s never had the most sensible commentary. He had enough vitriol towards Eastern Europe that I was surprised to hear that he had gotten in trouble with Denmark, of all countries.
That man was, is and will be always an egocentric, xenophobic and silly attempt of commentator. In just one year Graham Norton did his job much better than all those years combined! I think he’s only a bitter old hag and should be left aside for good. If he ever was a name, it’s no more.
Honestly, I used to like Wogan, but these remarks have turned me right off him. I thought he was a good commentator for the UK in that he was able to make the usually apparent-ridiculousness of many Eurovision acts into something that was, if nothing else, vaguely amusing. He broadened the appeal of Eurovision to the UK and I think his commentary is one of the reasons the BBC didn’t pull the plug after 1997. As one of you said, on the other hand, there are many other commentators on the BBC team that never needed to resort to snide… Read more »
Wogan was just a whinger. He complained too much & just became a bore. He never should have had the job.
Angie, graham only does it when an entry genuinely is bad, and apologises whenever he has to talk over the hosts, and it’s only because he has to say something he is contractually obliged to.
He isn’t homophobic (obviously), and is not racist like Terry was.
Ps to the person who said about Terry being like typical British xenophobia, I’m going to assume you aren’t British, pipe down. We aren’t xenophobic just cos one arsehole is.
Please not Jonathan Ross …. he is an arse!!
Terry single handedly turned ESC into a joke, I for one am glad he’s gone. He has had a very good career out of talking a lot of rubbish and ridiculing people. Graham also ridicules ESC and talks over everyone even when they are speaking English. I hope that after Conchita things will be different and ESC will be seen in a better light! <3 xxx
I agree with Chris. Wogan is essentially calling a gay man a freak. Norton is still in the process of undoing the damage he caused. But I really did enjoy Terry Wogan’s commentaries up to around 1992.
Glad he’s gone. He used to be funny but after 2001 he became incredibly rude and borderline xenophobic/racist. Basically to him no eastern european country was capable of making good music, and any vote was because they all voted blindly for each other; never mind the fact that most of these bloc-voting countries share the same culture so theyre bound to have similar music tastes, saying that the only way for these countries to get votes completely undermine the artist and their capabilities and achievements. One comment Ill remember is in 2008 and Bih gave 12 points to Serbia, he… Read more »
Terry Wigan became a horrendous caricature of the “little Brit”. By the time he retired commentarycommentary had moved from gently mocking to borderline racist. Always deferential about Irish and UK entries, regardless of their quality, he mocked because he had no idea ofvwhat popular music is and its differing forms around this continent. I was not sorry to see him go, be became rude, intrusive and pandered to British xenophobia. Graham Norton is by far the better commentator.
Personally, I loved Terry Wogan’s commentary. But I can understand the dislike for him. He did it take it too far in Copenhagen 2001 with the ”Doctor Death and The Little Mermaid” controversy. I think that Marty Whelan is the perfect combination between satirical and filtered. He doesn’t complain about political voting and he genuinely loves Eurovision. Graham is good. But I much prefer Marty and Terry.
Ps I’m amazed that non-Brits haven’t thrown a load of hate at the UK on this already. We usually get a load of shit purely because Wogan is a dick. I never even found his snide comments. Graham’s are so much better, like “no-one had ever won from position 2…that’s not going to change this year” as Lithuania walked on last year, and same for TEO this year..!
Hollandique, Graham is too amazing to get rid of! His reaction when the camera crew went up into his commentary box and surprised him was amazing, it was mostly disappointment that the confetti got in his wine, not that the hosts had tried to humiliate him…even though their ongoing Chinese joke was shit and graham pre-warned uk viewers as the show started!
Amazing guy, I like Jonathan roas but he can’t replace graham
Although I agree Terry was too damn unapropriate with his 2001 antics and. well pointed, pathetic commentary during performances … I do agree with his statement and I also understand his disappointment towards Eurovision. He was always very very sympathetic towards the great songs and he pointed that out very well, he understood the true musical essence of it … but … people and fans wanted something more than just the music … so transsexuals and more recently drag queens ended up winning the contest … making it a freak show … is it about their music? or about their… Read more »
He’s just jealous because Conchita sports the much, much prettier wig.
Jonathan Ross should host in 2015
He’s like maroon 5. At first you think the schtick is great but when you hear the same thing over and over, it just gets old. It’s obvious he’s burned out on eurovision and rather than letting it go and moving on, he’s still grasping for attention related to his role to it. Move on you old fart… (I’m in a mood this morning hehe)
To me, Terry Wogan would constantly break one of the biggest rules of commentating. You NEVER speak during the performance, EVER.
He is very honest.
Don’t understand the love people had for Terry.
Graham, Scott Mills, Sarah Cawood, Paddy O’Connell (especially Paddy) and Caroline Flack are all examples of subsequent commentators who manage to combine genuine-seeming enthusiasm and wonderment for the contest whilst retaining a healthy degree of amusement about it’s more zany aspects.
Terry just took the p*** and it got old.