Eurovision Song Contest - Trivia

Graham Norton makes his debut as commentator at this year's Eurovision Song Contest, live on BBC One at 8pm on Saturday 16 May. Find out some great Eurovision facts and figures!

> Read our interview with Graham Norton.

> Read our interview with Jade Ewen.

> Read our interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber.


► An estimated 100 million people across the world watch the contest every year.

► The maximum length of a Eurovision song is also the perfect time it takes to boil an egg: three minutes.

► Spain's winning entry 'La La La La' in 1968 used the word "La" 138 times!

► A little known popular beat combo from Sweden by the name of Abba were the runaway winners back in 1974 with their classic pop hit 'Waterloo'. You may have heard of them. The UK clearly had its finger on the pulse that year – and didn't award the Swedish sensations a single point!

► The Eurovision Song Contest is more than half a century old. The first competition staged was held on the 24 May 1956 in Lugano, Switzerland, although the UK didn't participate until 1957.

► Ireland has won most often with seven victories compared to the UK's five. The UK has finished in second place an incredible 15 times... the ultimate bridesmaids of the Eurovision Song Contest!

► Over the years the UK has been awarded the most points from Austria, and has given the most points to Ireland.

► The United Kingdom boasts the most-successful Eurovision song: the 1997 entry 'Love Shine A Light' scored 227 points out of a possible total of 288, including maximum 12 points from 10 countries.

► Cliff Richard has competed twice but never quite brought home the bacon for the UK, finishing in second and third places with 'Congratulations' and 'Power To All Our Friends' in 1968 and 1973 respectively.

► The 1988 UK entry 'Go', performed by Scott Fitzgerald, was written by Bruce Forsyth's daughter. It came second by a single point on the final vote to Celine Dion, who was representing Switzerland.

► The youngest ever winner of the Eurovision Song Contest was 13-year-old Sandra Kin from Belgium in 1986.

► Rules limit the number of performers on stage to six.

► In 2003, Jemini became the first UK act to receive the dreaded 'nul points'. With 26 countries competing, this also made the hapless duo the least successful entry in the history of the contest.