The bookmakers have little confidence in a good result for Olly Alexander.
Representing the UK at Eurovision 2024 is Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander, whose ‘appointment’ initially triggered hope among UK fans that he was the man to end the country’s 27-year wait for victory in the international song contest.
However, his song ‘Dizzy’ has failed to hit the spot with Eurovision fans.
The launch of the song on 1st March coincided with the start of the big drift for the UK from as short as 12/1 to a general 25/1 on oddschecker. The UK had even been 11/2 at the start of February.
Heading into tonight’s final, you can back him to win at a huge 300/1.
What are the Odds for UK to Finish Last at Eurovision?
The UK have been given a 20% chance of finishing last at Eurovision 2024, according to odds of 4/1 on Betway. They are rated around 6% likely to collect zero points.
The winner odds place the UK more in the middle of the market, but finishing last is not beyond the realms of possibility. Mae Muller finished second to last in last year’s final with just 24 points.
How did the UK qualify for the Eurovision final?
Olly Alexander featured in the semi-final lineup for Eurovision 2024 but his performance was not subjected to the vote to reach the final.
That’s because the ‘Big Five’ - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom - and the hosts (in this case Sweden) automatically qualify for the Grand Final.
The ‘Big Five’ are the group of countries who make the biggest financial contribution towards the organisation of the contest via their broadcasters.
It is the first time the ‘Big Five’ have performed live in the semi-finals. The UK’s Olly Alexander featured in Semi-Final 1 alongside Germany and Sweden, while France, Italy and Spain entered Eurovision 2024 proceedings in Semi-Final 2.
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Have the UK ever won Eurovision?
The UK has won the contest five times (1967, 1969, 1976, 1981 and 1997) and finished second on a record 16 occasions, most recently with Sam Ryder’s Space Man in 2022.
How was Olly Alexander picked for Eurovision?
There are three ways in which a participant is selected for the Contest.
Firstly, there is a televised national selection (for example, Sweden's Melodifestivalen), whereby a country holds a mini Eurovision to determine their representative.
The second is when the broadcaster approaches record labels and individuals without public involvement, as was the case with Alexander, Sam Ryder and recent champions including Duncan Laurence (2019 winner with Netherlands) and Netta (2018 winner for Israel).
The third is a mix of the first two where an artist is chosen by the country's broadcaster but the choice of song is put to a public vote.
