They’re the synthpop duo who have long wanted to lead the UK to a Eurovision victory. Now Hurts have revealed they haven’t given up on their Eurovision dream.
The band have enjoyed years of success in many different European countries and seem like a natural fit as a Eurovision act for the UK.
After speaking about their love of Eurovision, the BBC asked the duo to submit a potential for the UK to take to Eurovision 2012.
As singer Theo Hutchcraft later revealed, “We’d said in interviews like three years ago that we were interested. We thought it would be quite interesting. We had some ideas for it but then they went with Engelbert Humperdinck.”
In Baku, Engelbert Humperdinck went on to place second-to-last with his song “Love Will Set You Free”. This left fans to wonder if the BBC had made a terrible error in judgement.
Recently speaking to iNews, Hutchcraft revealed the duo had withdrawn their song after the BBC suggested it should be performed by “an old legend or a reality TV star”.
He explained, “We said, ‘No way, we’ve got this plan for how we’d win it, so it all fell apart.”
But Hurts haven’t given up. They wouldn’t give iNews any more details of the song as they’re still holding onto it for the possibility of one day taking it to Eurovision.
Eurovision: You Decide
If Hurts wanted to make it to Eurovision, they’d need to first win the UK’s national final. In 2016, the BBC scrapped its internal selection process. They have reverted to a national final and are slowly gaining momentum with Eurovision: You Decide.
Song submissions for the UK closed yesterday. In the previous weeks, big Eurovision names have participated in a songwriting camp, aimed at penning a winning song for Britain.
Icelandic fan favourite Greta Salóme was one of the Eurovision starts at the writing camp, but “Only Teardrops” writers Lisa Cabble and Julia Jakobsen were also involved in this year’s camp. Other names with Eurovision connections include Ashley Hicklin (writer of “Me and My Guitar” and Axel Hirsoux’s “Mother”) and Chief1 (“Should’ve Known Better”).
What do you think? Should Hurts submit their Eurovision song to the BBC? Can they secure victory for Britain? Tell us your thoughts!
Even if they aren’t that relevant anymore, this is the kind of acts BBC should take to the ESC to honour they great pop music heritage.
It’s a silly, unhelpful thing to say “they aren’t that relevant anymore”. It’s the song which matters.
I agree. 🙂 I don’t know if they are or not and I don’t care. I just echoed what many here ware saying.
I’m not a fan, but the UK needs acts that are willing to do anything to honor their participation more than ever. Save some money and select them instead of staging a crappy national final.
This would be smashing marvellous!
I can’t help but feel that was a deliberate bit of mischief to get the powers that be to authorise a national final.
calvin harris & alesso’s ‘under control’ had hurts as the vocals, they could rock a big dance song. If smaller names like hurts aren’t willing to do a national selection, I don’t think the X-factor rejects all singing nordic produced throwaway songs will do them any good again. All it would take it one year where the bbc goes all out, one big artist being brave enough to send a proper song and they’d win like 1997
Totally agree.
The BBC Missed a trick with not picking them for their internal selection.
Aside from countries like Sweden big names will only compete for their country if internally picked. About herself said she wouldn’t compete in a national selection and most artist especially in the UK wouldn’t want to risk losing to an X factor or the voice competitor.
Shame it would be nice to see bigger artist competing in you decided but it seems from last year to this year the acts competing in you decide seemed more professional and with more singing experience all being X factor alumni.
They’re not that relevant anymore… Illuminated was a really good song though!
I do like Hurts, but I also like the “You Decide” national final format. Do Hurts want to be a part of that format? This is what remains to be seen. Best of luck to them.
Hurts, are a Northern Band who have some of the best Electropop hit’s out there. With their most recent single receiving millions of streams it goes to show their still relevant. They’ve had chart topping hits since they began and a fan favorite for sure. After everything which has happened up North recently (being from Manchester myself) we stand by our music and we listen to it. People are silenced by music and the Music Scene up here is just getting larger and larger, maybe Hurts set out on this path and want to end up on that stage is… Read more »
Eh, in 2012 it would have been alright, but they’re not really relevant anymore and their more recent albums haven’t been anywhere near as good as their debut. It would be another case of the UK sending has-beens to the rest of Europe – Paloma Faith, on the other hand…
I seriously hope to see them in the National Final. Kills me that BBC didn’t choose them in 2012.
Send them omg!!! I really dont understand countries, who have big names, who want to participate in ESC and they send boring beginning artists like Ann Sophie or Lucie Jones, who will never hit the charts.
Big Names don’t want to compete in National Finals.
Avantasia and Gregorian did and lost to Jamie Lee.