When did the UK last win the Eurovision Song Contest? Full list of former winners
11 May 2023, 16:48
Mae Muller is taking to the stage to represent the UK in 2023 but when was the last time we actually won? And which act took the trophy for us? Here's a full list of former UK winners and where they are now.
The Eurovision Song Contest final is taking place on Saturday 13th May and this year the UK are pinning all their hopes on Mae Muller - a singer/songwriter from North London.
Not only will the 25-year-old be beating off some difficult competition from acts all over Europe, Mae will also be following in the footsteps of the hugely successful Sam Ryder, 2022's UK act who came in second place.
Sam, from Essex, won over audiences with his song 'Space Man' and came as a humble runner-up after Ukraine won the competition overall.
So as our UK entries for Eurovision get stronger, when exactly was the last time we won? And who won it for us?
Here's a full list of UK Eurovision winners and when they won including Katrina and the Waves, Bucks Fizz and more.
Mae Muller opens up about her biggest Eurovision competition
When did the UK last win the Eurovision Song Contest?
The UK are definitely due a winner as the last time they held the trophy was more than two decades ago when Katrina and the Waves won in 1997.
The Eurovision Song Contest first began in 1956 and the UK have won a total of five times in just under 70 years.
Read more: How does Eurovision voting work and can UK viewers vote?
Read more: Paul O'Grady's Eurovision cameo with beloved dog leaves viewers in tears
Who are the UK Eurovision winners? And what happened to them?
The five winners of the Eurovision Song Contest in the UK are:
1967: Sandie Shaw
The first ever winner for the UK, Sandie won with song 'Puppet on a String' which also shot to number one in the charts where it stayed for three weeks.
She became famous not only for her music career but also how she always performed without shoes. Her career came to an end in the 1970s as her private life was taking over headlines.
Sandie's love life has included her name being mentioned in divorce proceedings by television executive Douglas Murdoch and his model wife Veronica Sands.
Sandie herself has also been married three times including Nik Powell, Jeff Banks and Tony Bedford.
1969: Frida Boccara, Lennie Kuhr, Lulu, and Salomé
A first in the competition, UK's Lulu found herself in joint first place with acts from France, the Netherlands and Spain.
Lulu went on to have a huge music career following her Eurovision success with top hits including 'I Could Never Miss You', 'Oh Me Oh My' and 'I'm A Tiger'.
She also turned to acting and opened her own businesses meaning she accumulated a net worth of around £30million.
1976: Brotherhood of Man
The third UK winner, Brother of Man took a huge lead on the leaderboard with their song 'Save Your Kisses for Me'.
The band split up shortly after their success but reunited in 1985 for a TV show and have been performing together ever since.
1981: Bucks Fizz
One of the most popular UK winners of Eurovision were Bucks Fizz who won with song 'Making Your Mind Up' which was also their debut single.
Their successful music stretch came to a notorious end though when the male members of the band Mike Nolan and Bobby G allegedly got into a fight.
Things also become difficult when the band acquired two more singers and the rights to use the name 'Bucks Fizz' ended up in a lengthy court battle.
Mike, Cheryl and Jay reunited in 2004 but now tour as The Fizz.
1997: Katrina and the Waves
Our last UK winners were Katrina and the Waves who won with song 'Love Shine a Light'. They first become famous for their single 'Walking on Sunshine' which even got them a Grammy nomination.
Just one year later, the lead singer Katrina left after reported disagreements within the band.
They also found themselves in a lengthy court battle over the use of their band name which eventually led to the rest of the band members going their separate ways.
