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Perhaps, but to anyone who doesn't watch Drag Race, it's just another drag act. And now Conchita has done the "shock, a drag act with a good voice and a good song" thing I don't see where else there is to go. Anything remotely like UK Hun would just be awful.
The 8 to 7 change happened a good few years ago - I think 2014 was the last year with 32 songs competing in 4 heats, from 2015 onwards it's been 7 songs. (Or were their rumours they were returning to 8 songs per heat this year?)
No rumours, just saying I still think cutting from 8 to 7 was a shame. Though it's possible that having a better than 50% chance of progressing from the first round makes it a more attractive proposition to potential artists, I dunno.
I'm not an advocate of just sending drag for drag's sake, and I agree we shouldn't be sending something traditionally "Eurovision", but surely there's a strength in leaning on a franchise which is popular globally and queens who subsequently have an international following - especially when a show like this is massively popular right now but obviously has a shelf life. Equally, just because they're drag artists doesn't mean the final product would need to be camp, pink, in your face crass. With a good song and a strong producer, you could really elevate the act.
I just think that if we're ever going to get on the left side of the scoreboard again it needs something brave and different which stands out - and at least there'd be some safety in leaning on the association with Drag Race, even if the act itself is outside the usual BBC box. And I guarantee you that sending the winning Drag Race girl group from the most recent series would get more discussion and airtime across Europe than sending James Newman, irrelevant of the song.
I just think that if we're ever going to get on the left side of the scoreboard again it needs something brave and different which stands out - and at least there'd be some safety in leaning on the association with Drag Race, even if the act itself is outside the usual BBC box. And I guarantee you that sending the winning Drag Race girl group from the most recent series would get more discussion and airtime across Europe than sending James Newman, irrelevant of the song.
Perhaps, but to anyone who doesn't watch Drag Race, it's just another drag act. And now Conchita has done the "shock, a drag act with a good voice and a good song" thing I don't see where else there is to go. Anything remotely like UK Hun would just be awful.
Ratings were good for week 1 though - up on 2020, I believe. I thought it was a shame they cut the songs from 8 to 7. But I tend to zap through the show on catchup in the semis - made really easy by their online player, which has markers for where all the songs are!
The 8 to 7 change happened a good few years ago - I think 2014 was the last year with 32 songs competing in 4 heats, from 2015 onwards it's been 7 songs. (Or were their rumours they were returning to 8 songs per heat this year?)
No rumours, just saying I still think cutting from 8 to 7 was a shame. Though it's possible that having a better than 50% chance of progressing from the first round makes it a more attractive proposition to potential artists, I dunno.