Terry Wogan stands down from Eurovision

Sir Terry Wogan (pictured), the veteran Irish broadcaster, has decided to end his 35-year reign as BBC commentator on the Eurovision Song Contest. The writing had been on the wall. After this year's competition, held in Belgrade, Wogan accused the Easter European countries of bloc-voting against the British singer Andy Abraham, so allowing the Russian entrant to win. He went on to say that it was no longer a contest about music but politics.

However, Sir Terry, 70, who had made the show very much his own with his sardonic commentary, said yesterday that he was sad to be standing down. "I've had 35 wonderful years commentating on the Eurovision for radio and television. From my first, in a small music-hall in Dublin, to my last, in the huge arena in Belgrade, it has been nothing but laughter and fun."

His replacement will be fellow Irishman Graham Norton, who will cover this year's contest in Moscow for which Andrew Lloyd-Webber has agreed to compose the British entry. There is at least a chance that this time the Brit will win: when Lloyd-Webber raised the issue of bloc-voting with Vladimir Putin in November, the Russian Prime Minister promised that he would personally phone in and vote for the UK act.