Tonight the UK will decide its act for Eurovision 2019, via the national final Eurovision: You Decide 2019. The selection includes three different songs, each performed in two ways by a total of six singers.
We wanted to know what you think — but we took a cue from the voting format of Eurovision: You Decide.
First we held our version of the BBC’s “song-offs” — duels between the two versions of each song. In the second stage, the most popular version of each song faced another poll, where you were able to vote for your favourite.
First, let’s remind ourselves of the winners from the first round.
Round one poll results
“Bigger than Us” – Michael Rice vs Holly Tandy
- Michael Rice 56.36% (1,386 votes)
- Holly Tandy 43.64% (1,073 votes)
Winner: Michael Rice
“Freaks” – Jordan Clarke vs MAID
- Jordan Clarke 71.41% (1,481 votes)
- MAID 28.59% (593 votes)
Winner: Jordan Clarke
“Sweet Lies” – Kerrie-Anne vs Anisa
- Kerrie-Anne 85.83% (1,896 votes)
- Anisa 14.17% (313 votes)
Winner: Kerrie-Anne
Round two poll results: Which act should win the UK’s Eurovision You Decide 2019?
The winners of each duel then faced a final poll. From that, the winner was clear. Kerrie-Anne won the vote on 56.41% for her version of “Sweet Lies”. In second place was Michael Rice, whose “Bigger Than Us” earned 29.77% of the vote. And in third, “Freaks” singer Jordan Clarke took 13.81% of the vote.
- Kerrie-Anne – “Sweet Lies” 56.41% (1,658 votes)
- Michael Rice – “Bigger Than Us” 29.77% (875 votes)
- Jordan Clarke – “Freaks” 13.81% (406 votes)
What did the Wiwi Jury think?
The Wiwi Jury agreed with the Wiwi Poll results. Our in-house panel of music unprofessionals listened to all six tracks, then reviewed and ranked them.
Kerrie-Anne was also the jury favourite, with “Sweet Lies” picking up and average score of 7.2/10. Michael Rice was second with 6.7/10 for his version of “Bigger Than Us”, while Holly Tandy’s version was third with 6.4/10.
The jury ranked Jordan Clarke fourth, with his freaks only earning an average of 4.25/10. Anisa’s “Sweet Lies” was fifth with 4.2/10, while MAID’s “Freaks” was last with just 3.05/10.
- Kerrie-Anne – “Sweet Lies” (7.2)
- Michael Rice – “Bigger Than Us” (6.7)
- Holly Tandy – “Bigger Than Us” (6.4)
- Jordan Clarke – “Freaks” (4.25)
- Anisa – “Sweet Lies” (4.2)
- MAID – “Freaks” (3.05)
What do you think? Will Kerrie-Anne win You Decide? Or will the national final again produce a surprise winner? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Well done to all 6 acts tonight. Maid- They can sing but the arrangement of the song didn’t translate live Anasie – Stunning, Holly sang really well and brought the “CD:UK” vibe with the cheesy backing dancers. Jordan brought the stage presence but not the vocals expected for a solo singer. Kerrie Anne brought the bop. Sadly for me I felt her performance was hindered by the lyrics; were a bit too wordy to allow her to breathe. And Michael Brought the voice. My choice from the start. He seriously needs to work on his stage presence and confidence though.… Read more »
Congrats, Michael! I would’ve picked Kerrie-Anne, but still… He elevates this song with his great singing and I can see it being a grower.
its a shame. kerrie anne did not win she has beautiful legs to lick every inch of it.
What?
Wrong site!
The best singer won tonight ; well done Michael Rice
Michael won. Good song and great vocals, but overall not a very competitive entry, sadly. It looks like the UK will have to wait another year for their sixth victory.
Michael won. I wish him luck, but I don’t think there’s much else he can do with this song.
Urghh
I shouldn’t be so negative, I wanted Kerrie Ann to win, but Michael was my second choice. Good luck to him.
It’s a shame we can’t send SuRie again with that arrangement. Thank you SuRie.
Acoustic versions can be a bit tricky since most of the time they only work so well because you already know the (albeit inferior) original version. But I must say that was by far the best performance of the night.
She’s lovely. It would be great if we were watching a show to pick a song for her to sing in Tel Aviv.
A stunning version.
I was in the audience and I can tell you her live performance was stunning. Really beautiful.
I think Michael got this in the bag. You simply can’t go up against those vocals elevating the song. He only needs to clean up his choreography if he’s the one going to Tel Aviv.
I don’t know if it’s Stockholm syndrome, but suddenly “Sweet Lies” is starting to grow on me.
please vote Kerrie-Anne Sweet lies, this banger has to go through, no more ballads please,
Vote Kerrie-Anne
Erm… while I generally agree that this would be the best choice… “No more ballads please”? How many ballads have been selected so far this year? Have I missed something?
I meant with the UK, Michael, Lucie, Surie all though not that slow wasn’t as up-tempo, so yeah with the UK
06 – Michael Rice – “Bigger Than Us”
Looks like he’s going to win but I think this entry is destined for bottom 10 in Tel Aviv. The song is a bit overdone and at the same time, not too catchy.
I guess he just won You Decide. The song is extra predictable, but his vocals were very good. It’s between him and Kerrie-Anne and sadly I think both singers don’t have songs to avoid the bottom 6.
His vocals are the best of the night, but I prefer Kerrie-Anne’s track.
05 – Holly Tandy – “Bigger Than Us”
She’s trying to sell country but I’ not buying it. Doesn’t feel authentic. And, again, the song just feels extremely SIMPLE, but not in a good way.
Few times I’ve seen something more disconnected from a performance than those jolly cowboy dancers around Holly. She’s a good singer though. The song doesn’t help. Let’s see if Michael makes it sound less bland.
I actually liked this one. Her vocals were impressive, and the song arrangement does fit the current vibe. But… then Michael happened.
04 – MAID – “Freaks”
It’s boring and the presentation feels cold. What this is? Why would someone put a song like this in a national selection?
WOW, even the judges are negative.
Jordan’s version was weak. MAID’s was a disaster. Both failed completely when trying to translate the message on the lyrics.
I can’t even comment. 🙁
Being in the studio, I felt that it really wasn’t popular with the live audience, and I wondered if this came across at all on TV. The vibe was so different during both performances of ‘Freaks’. Next to me and my friends was a woman with her young daughter, and the daughter said “I hate this” during MAID’s performance. When Holly came out it was like a breath of fresh air. People in the audience had to wait together so long before the live show started (and many of us have also spent a lot of time together at the… Read more »
03 – Jordan Clarke – “Freaks”
Ugh, I don’t like it. Its melody sounds like borrowed from a children’s song. It’s pretentious, it’s lame, it’s half-hearted.
Twitter is full of questions about this song, having said that. Added benefit of publicity?
Both Kerrie-Anne and Anisa deserved a better song than “Sweet Lies”. They did what they could to make it shine. It worked better as banger, but I still think it lacks impact.
02 – Anisa – “Sweet Lies” That’s a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t that much of a fan of the studio version because it felt quite over-produced but the vulnerability she puts in the song here works quite nicely. Sadly, the chorus doesn’t work so well here and I don’t really see why she’s suddenly walking around the stage. It ruins the moment. If she had just stayed at the piano with a staging entirely focussed on her, this could have been a “moment”. So, eventually, it was better than I expected, but I still don’t see this entry doing well… Read more »
I really like Anisa, and I’m still upset that she wasn’t given a different song to sing. 🙁
Maybe next year would be good for her to represent the UK. Internal selection. Seriously.
01 – Kerrie-Anne – “Sweet Lies”
She’s got charisma and the song is somewhat catchy (even if it’s very, very simple). The staging is a bit too “X Factor” for me. Would this entry as a whole stand out in a field of 26? I don’t think so.
Yeah it’s okay. Not spectacular.
where can we watch the show as im from germany its not available here guys any help?
Just google “BBC TWO live stream”, there are some non-blocked live streams out there.
Have you found any that doesn’t keep reloading, M_K? There’s also this link on Youtube, but it has a little delay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc88rj6G6gQ
I’m quite indifferent in regards to the three/six entries, to be honest. I don’t think it will make much of a difference for the UK which one they choose. But at least we can expect a great show.
Where can we watch it online?
Also, am I crazy or was the streaming info MUCH more available last year, with Wiwibloggs officially notifying us in the articles? Why did it stop? 🙁
its on the BBC website you can easily watch it there, other than that I don’t think there’s anywhere else to watch it.
Nope. As expected online watching is horrible this year. ”Not available in my location”. 🙁
Colin I find this link http://www.freeintertv.com/view/id-2210
Thanks. 🙂
BBC Player requires to create an account and then asks for a “TV licence”. This link is working so far: http://ufreetv.com/bbc2.html
Edit: the site is annoying, keeps disconnecting you so you pay for subscription
Vote Kerrie-Anne 4 Tel-Aviv
Not discrediting the other performers tonight because I’m sure there good, but tonight is really between Michael and Kerrie-Anne really. These two are the strongest contenders for Tel-Aviv, but I’m so confident Kerrie-Anne will kill it. Michael more than likely will have a strong performance, but so much can be done for Kerrie-Anne’s performance to make it a stand out contender. I really hope everybody gives Kerrie a chance to prove herself, cause if she’s working with the best people. She could be a real underdog. Vote Kerrie-Anne tonight, let’s send something fresh to Tel-Aviv. Can’t wait for her to… Read more »
Let’s be real, Michael Rice is going to blow everyone out the water! His singing voice is so POWERFUL live and it incomparable to everyone else. He’s my winner + although Kerrie-Anne is a good choice, I think her voice is not as strong or reflective of the taste of the nation; in my opinion anyways!
Michael Rice or Kerrie-Anne. They’re both really good.
After listening to the previews on the BBC insta page, here are my top three:
1) Kerrie-Anne (I don’t expect to get the same type of ‘classic’ dance song this year – its catchy, she seems to sing well and it sticks out).
2) Jordan Clarke (I know many aren’t fans of this song. I really like it and more importantly he has a great voice).
3) Michael Rice (Powerful ballad and seems to be a favourite as well).
I actually really like Kerrie-Anne’s song A LOT. Like, I imagine myself listening to it months after the contest. I don’t care if it sounds “dated”, it gives me party mood.
Bigger Than Us – Holly
Sweet Lies – Kerrie-Anne
Freaks – Maid
3) Maid
2) Holly
1) Kerrie-Anne
Trying really hard to be enthusiastic and positive but UK wont be higher than 20th this year regardless of song
with Kerrie-Anne or Michael, I think they have a very good chance, but Kerrie-Anne will definitely rank higher than 20th, unlikely Surie her song is memorable, there’s so much that can be done with staging for her to stand out, and if she has choreography and singing, she will do great, don’t write us off yet,
Let’s just be honest here – None of the three songs will be among the best nor among the worst ones this year. Jordan, Michael and Kerrie-Anne could all push UK on the left side of the scoreboard with creative performances, but none of them will be in top five. Personally, I’d choose Kerrie -Anne, but if it’s one of the guys, then so be it. I can’t wait to hear them live tonight.
Applaud your optimism but I would be really surprised if the UK was not amongst the worst ones this year. Unless something completely unexpected happens with these live performances (generally, the live performances have been a big letdown in the You Decide’s history), then it probably will be bottom five, or even the dreaded last place for the UK.
Well, most of Supernova is worse, so are all songs from Montevizija. Belarus and Moldova have some capital duds. However, considering those will likely stay in the semis, bottom score for the UK is still a big option. I don’t think UK will be in my bottom 5, but they might end-up like that in the finals. True, I am being somewhat optimistic.
All of those finals have at least one song that I like more than any of the UK entries so if the right choices are made… Oh dear! I really am not optimistic at the moment.
Remember last year when the favourite flopped on the night when performing live ? something similar will happen tonight with Kerrie Anne when she is over-powered by the singing of Michael Rice ..just look at some of his vids on youtube ; he can really sing
So can Kerrie-Anne really sing
I would like Kerrie Anne to win but I’m betting on Michael Rice ; just look at the difference in songs from a limited Disco/Bop song to a Gospel -like song that allows him full range of his singing abilities … tonight he’s going to put his heart and soul into that song and will even be accompanied by a choir ; just listen to both songs and then guess what has the most potential to be sung live
My ranking
Anisa
Michael
Kerrie-Ann
Jordan
Holly
Maid
Most likely to win prediction
Kerrie-Ann
Michael
Holly
Anisa (if she beats Kerrie-Ann she’s a shoo in to win, bc realistically it means she killed it with the vocals, and she’s working with the best song so, beating Kerrie-Ann will be the struggle)
Jordan
Maid
Ah, wonderful, so I guess I have to post my complete list here after the single reviews in each article (and you will hate it, be afraid lol):
My personal final ranking after all 6 reviews:
6. Anisa – Sweet Lies – 6.0/10
5. Jordan Clarke – Freaks – 6.0/10
4. Michael Rice – Bigger Than Us – 7.0/10
3. Kerrie-Ann – Sweet Lies – 7.5/10
2. Holly Tandy – Bigger Than Us – 8.0/10
1. MAID – Freaks – 8.5/10
Ha, well yours is literally the only ranking I’ve seen with MAID anywhere near the top! But the world would be boring if we all thought the same 🙂 hope you enjoy the show!
“Infinite diversity, in infinite combinations.”
– “The Vulcan IDIC”, from Star Trek.
🙂 will you be at the show tonight, Purple?
Unfortunately, no, not this year. I was there in 2017 and 2018. But alas, in 2019 I have too much paid work to do. The Salford location was also impractical for me today – not enough time. But I will watch it on BBC2. 🙂
Thank you David and Purple 😀 Enjoy it, too!
She better and she will because the song is a bop!
The British public would be pretty foolish to not choose this!
So I was watching BBC1 Breakfast this morning, and there was a live introduction from Salford to the six acts. Most interesingly, Jordan Clarke was asked about that “Soccer” lyric and explained that he didn’t write the song, and that there are other thing to focus on instead. Fair enough, he is not the songwriter, but playing the “it wasn’t me” card won’t work well at the ESC press conferences should he win tonight. Great to see Holly & Michael’s energy in the morning, and Kerrie-Anne and Anisa both seemed the most professional.
Why all the fuss about this “soccer” word? So much noise for such a trivial issue. Jordan is right, there are more important things to focus on in life! Nobody is forcing people to listen to the song. Move on.
Well if you could give that answer at the press conferences every time, no-one would have a problem. 🙂
(My point was that his first answer was “I didn’t write the song”. So…)
And he is right!! He did not write the song. So why torture the guy with that? If anyone wants to sue for being offended by the use of the word “soccer”, then sue the writers. It’s quite logical!… 🙂
Ha, I think he’s right that there are “other things to focus on instead” with this song, just not in a good way unfortunately.
Jordan seems very nice and I agree he has a good voice, the criticisms aren’t for him but the song he was given. He’s better than the song really, and it doesn’t even strike me to be the best fit him.
Well he’s singing about being a lost and lonely “freak” offering solace in a family of outcasts, and also seemingly putting the listeners in the same situation. Great if he wants to talk about that; I’m up for it! 🙂
I think a good answer would be that the character in the song is such a “freak” and knows so little about sport he doesn’t appreciate the differences between “soccer” and “football” – he couldn’t give a sh!t about sport, so it’s all the same to him. He spends his time at the theatre, or design school, not yahooing with the mobs on the pitch sidelines.
Fantastic. 🙂 So the next question would be: Who is he singing to? (“Like you and me”)
Well at least I’m enjoying these intricate readings of the song 🙂
If Kerrie doesn’t win we riot
Not worth it. Just wait until Brexit day. 😛
By the way, did you catch Sanremo’s opening number during its third show? Claudio Baglioni performing “Viva l’Inghilterra” is quite a fancy way to say hello to England. hehe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHVkHySjQhw
THIS is fantastic! Grazie! 😀
Definitely Sweet Lies with Kerrie-Anne
Do I allow myself even the slightest, tiniest shred of hope that tonight Kerrie-Anne will win?? Or should I just resign myself to the cold, hard truth of the matter and accept that the U.K. WILL just simply make the wrong decision??
Yes. Because there is no right decision here. 😉
I personally agree. There is no right decision here because I think all three songs are equally good. It will all depend on the live performances. Nobody will want the UK to be represented by a singer singing flat… but based on the studio versions, I believe Michael Rice’s song has the most potential to have a greater impact with the public, especially with that choir…