Twenty years ago she delivered the UK their most recent Eurovision victory. Now Katrina Leskanich will return to Eurovision as the UK’s points spokesperson for 2017. Could this be a good omen for Lucie Jones?

At Eurovision 1997, Katrina Leskanich, the lead singer for pop band Katrina and the Waves, gave the UK their fifth Eurovision victory with the uplifting tune “Love Shine a Light”. Twenty years on, Katrina will return to Eurovision to deliver the UK’s points and celebrate the last time the UK won Eurovision.

The BBC broke the news today via social media.

While it has been 20 years since Katrina won Eurovision, she hasn’t retired the song. In 2014, Deban caught up with Katrina at London Pride and had a chat about how Eurovision had changed her life.

Last year Katrina returned as a guest judge on the UK’s national final Eurovision: You Decide, and offered advice to the 2016 hopefuls.

The UK hasn’t had the best luck at Eurovision in the two decades since, but with buzz starting to build around Lucie Jones’ emotional ballad “Never Give Up on You”, could Katrina’s appearance be a good omen for the UK’s fortunes in Kyiv?

And 12 points goes to…

Katrina won’t be the only former Eurovision star delivering points on Saturday. Iceland is sending 1995 representative — and Svala’s dad — Bo Halldórsson. Latvia is giving us Burkina Faso realness with their 2015 representative and 2016 songwriter Aminata. And there are two familiar faces from Stockholm 2016 — Georgia is sending Nika Kocharov (minus his Young Georgian Lolitaz), while the Netherlands has cheeky chappy Douwe Bob.

Ukraine has a throwback to their first time hosting Eurovision — their points will be delivered by 2005 host Pavlo Shylko.

Other noteworthy spokespeople include the fierce, fabulous and fashion-forward Lee Lin Chin for Australia, Melodifestivalen 2016 and 2017 finalist Wiktoria for Sweden, while German national final host Barbara Schöneberger returns for a third year.

READ MORE UK EUROVISION NEWS

36 Comments
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tic-tac
tic-tac
6 years ago

So are we here??? Is today the 1st semifinal for JURY ????
This is it. The real results start today ?

Racal
Racal
6 years ago

Am I the only one to see a hidden message from the UK to Europe, after Brexit?

“I will never give up on you
Just give me your hand and hold on
Together we’ll dance through this storm
I’m right beside you, you’re never alone
Don’t let go, when you’re so close” 😀

azaad
azaad
6 years ago

Maybe a sign of their aspirations for this year. I have to say, with the staging, I’m convinced the BBC want to make the top ten. Did the head of delegation change?

DR
DR
6 years ago
Reply to  azaad

Nope. It’s still Guy Freeman. Who was involved with Katrina somewhere, helped produce 1998 show including making our postcards. Then left at some point before 2000 then came back to give us Molly, Electro Velvet Joe and Jake and Lucie. I saw him behind Lucie in the interview on the red carpet last night.

Fatima
Fatima
6 years ago
Reply to  azaad

The BBC delegation want to make the top 10. The wider BBC (Radio, news, websites) don’t care.

Trocatroc
Trocatroc
6 years ago

I was 11 when we won and none of my family liked Eurovision so I watched it on my own in the kitchen 🙂 This song would never win now but was perfect for the time and it really was exciting for us in the UK!

JoJO
JoJO
6 years ago

One of the worst winners erver…. We are the world, we are the children… Ugh!

Trocatroc
Trocatroc
6 years ago
Reply to  JoJO

that’s a Michael Jackson song ahahaha

M_K
M_K
6 years ago
Reply to  JoJO

Yeah, the lyrics are quite cheesy, but I like it nevertheless. 🙂

Fatima
Fatima
6 years ago
Reply to  JoJO

But JoJO if you go back and watch that contest it was the song everyone wanted to hear that night

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
6 years ago

I’ll always be grateful for Katrina & The Waves winning for the UK.
Great news about the commemoration. 🙂

joy
joy
6 years ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

omg i was so afraid about the word commemoration (is a word about somebody dead)
graham norton wrote anniversary and i guess is the right word, i don’t know, english is not by far my first language.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
6 years ago
Reply to  joy

A person doesn’t have to be dead for one to give a commemoration to them. One can commemorate an anniversary just fine.
I think perhaps you are thinking of the word “memorial.” ?
Here is the definition of “commemoration”: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/commemoration

Donna Vey
Donna Vey
6 years ago
Reply to  joy

@Joy: your concern is right. ‘Commemoration’ is tied specifically to giving respect and honour, so it most commonly is used in relation to death, wars, and tragedy. Commemorating is an antonym of celebrating, because while both words mean that you are marking an event, the implication is very different. Commemoration is usually somber and serious.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
6 years ago
Reply to  Donna Vey

LOL, well…
Can you think of anything more serious than announcing the Eurovision RESULTS? 😛

Darren
Darren
6 years ago

THAt also means that it’s 20 years ago since Ireland last hosted s Eurovision 🙁 I remember a tiny bit of Dublin 1997, hosted by Ronan Keating….but I was too young to remember most of it. I was only 5!!

I wonder will I ever see my city host Eurovision ever again….

Mainland Europe
Mainland Europe
6 years ago
Reply to  Darren

..don’t hold your breath 😀

Darren
Darren
6 years ago

Haha 🙂 When it comes to Ireland these days…I never do. ?

Qualification is the most I hope for haha

Stan
Stan
6 years ago
Reply to  Darren

The UK were last in 2003 because it was a bad song, out of tune… The most horrible 0 pts in the history of Eurovision. Politics had nothing to do with it…. Check it on youtube (But I’m not that brave)

Trocatroc
Trocatroc
6 years ago
Reply to  Stan

I agree it was terrible. I was so embarrassed by it.

Yellowman
Yellowman
6 years ago
Reply to  Stan

Apparently they had problems with their earbuds and microphones on final night for they had no problem whatsoever during rehearsals.

MM
MM
6 years ago

UK won few days after Blair won in UK and became prime minister. Uk finished last in 2003 because UK have bad relation with other european countries because war in Iraq… They have good song in 1997 and deserved to won. But also deserved to won and Italy
Maybe France will win this year because Le Pen don t became president. France finished on 24 of 25 place in 1998 because France have problem with other countries in EU in that period.

Simba
Simba
6 years ago
Reply to  MM

France and The Netherlands had pro European elections. I don’t know if that has anything to do with ESC, because ESC has nothing to do with politics. It’s only about songs, not about politics. Oh…..wait….huh?

Jordan
Jordan
6 years ago
Reply to  Simba

ESC have so much with polticsc. Why Belarus is so often out of TOP 10 in semi final , many times with good songs that deserved to be in final.Yugoslavia won in 1989 because fall of Iron wall and communism in Europe and to prepare Croatia in brodcaster tehnology for future independecen and war 1 year after their city host Eurovision 1990.
UK finished last in 2003 only because politics. Ukraine won in 2016 becuase politics and to because they provocate with song by permision of EBU Russia…

Adam
Adam
6 years ago
Reply to  Jordan

You’re a crazy conspiracist. Belarus has rarely sent a good song. Their song in 2007 was the best until this year, and they got 6th because of it. Nearly every song after was terrible, until NAVI came this year and they will probably get a good result beacuse of it. Yugoslavia sent a contemporary pop song (for that time period), compared to many ballads so it stood out, AND it performed last. Why wouldn’t it have won? I doubt the average european could’ve told the difference between Croat vs Serbian vs Bosnian language when she was singing, there was no… Read more »

russia forever
russia forever
6 years ago
Reply to  Adam

Belarus have good song in 2009,2015,2016 and they stay in semi. Russia deserved to won in 1994,2000,2003,2016 but they loose because politics. If Sweden have that song they would won in that years. Few months after Eurovison 1990, start war tension in Croatia and because Eurovison JRT bought new equipment for relay signal to Vienna and Munich , in that era we don t have this technology and satellite connection like we have in period after that. And that technology is read for war propaganda in 90 ties on ex yugoslavia terirtory. And contest 1990 was not held in capital… Read more »

Denis
Denis
6 years ago
Reply to  MM

What Brits fail to see is that it’s not thier politics that gives a bad result, it’s the songs. They give us nothing to vote for. Most of the songs since Katrina & The Waves have been bland at best, downright horrible at worst. They got what they deserved

Mainland Europe
Mainland Europe
6 years ago

WOW. Has it really been 20 years since we all decided to not vote for the U.K’s songs. Wow time flies 😀

vinny
vinny
6 years ago

Shade, Fog, Visibility Zero

DR
DR
6 years ago

No 19. We came second the next year. For some reason the UK has come second the year after a win four out of five times. Imaani came second in 1998. The first year of pure Televote.

Jo
Jo
6 years ago

I voted for Molly in 2014. But then the UK sent Electro Velvet in 2015…

Racal
Racal
6 years ago

What happened to Scott Mills as the UK spokesperson? I thought he was great and he was starting to become the face of the UK (he delivered the points during 4-5 years in a row, I think).

But great to see Katrina! 🙂

Burak
Burak
6 years ago
Reply to  Racal

Only until 2014…then Nigella in 2015 and Richard Osman in 2016. Duncan from Blue did the votes in 2009 and went to Eurovision in 2011 with Blue…hmm

Racal
Racal
6 years ago
Reply to  Burak

Yes, he has been the UK spokesperson from 2010 to 2014 (except 2011).

Wfa
Wfa
6 years ago

Love shine a light, still one of the most iconic Eurovision songs of all time.