Airline act wins Eurovision vote

Scooch willl go forward to the final in Helsinki

Foursome Scooch has won the contest to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in May. The group’s airline themed tune Flying The Flag beat five other competitors in the BBC’s Making Your Mind Up show on Saturday.

They included the bookies’ favourite former Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins and Liz McClarnon of Atomic Kitten.

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest take place in Helsinki on 12 May following Lordi’s win last year.

The show was hosted by Terry Wogan and Fearne Cotton and votes came from the viewing public.

The UK is the last of 42 countries taking part in this year’s contest in Helsinki to select their song.

The event’s qualifying round will take place on 10 May, in which 28 countries will compete for 10 places in the final.

The UK has a guaranteed berth in the final two days later as one of the biggest financial contributors to the contest, along with France, Germany and Spain.

In 2006 Daz Sampson’s song Teenage Life finished 19th in Athens, while the UK last finished in the top 10 five years ago.