Eurovision: Can UK close in on top two in all-time points rankings this weekend?

You might have to go back nearly 30 years to find the last time the UK triumphed at the Eurovision Song Contest, but research from William Hill Vegas can confirm that the UK ranks among the all-time highest points scorers in the history of the competition.

The UK ranks third out of all countries since the inaugural Eurovision in 1956, amassing a total of 4,571 points in that time.

That puts the UK ahead of France, Spain and Germany, with only Italy (4,859 points) bettering the UK from the so-called ‘Big Five’, while Sweden are well ahead of their rivals in first place with an all-time points total of 6,471.

The current all-time standings leave the UK 288 points adrift of second-place Italy, but that gap could be narrowed come Saturday’s final in Malmö.

While the UK scored a measly 24 points at last year’s competition in Liverpool, Italy climbed above their rivals by scoring a huge 350 points in coming fourth, but prior to that in 2022, Sam Ryder’s Space Man saw the UK amass 466 points to Italy’s 268.

Pressure will be intense in Malmö with the UK attempting to win their sixth Eurovision and if doing so they would likely reassume second place in the all-time rankings at the expense of rivals Italy.

The UK have contested 65 Eurovisions since 1956, winning five, meaning that they have scored an average of 70 points at each competition and they would need to significantly better that to close the gap on Italy, who also have a higher average of 101 points.

Form from recent years doesn’t read positively for the UK, with eight of their last 10 performances scoring below their average points total of 70, while Italy have exceeded their average in nine of the last 10 competitions.

The current betting doesn’t look optimistic either for the UK, represented this year by Olly Alexander (performing Dizzy), placing them as outsiders for the Eurovision crown at 40/1, with Italy’s Angelina Mango (performing La Noia) much shorter in the market at 12/1.

All-time points leaders Sweden are a big price at 80/1 to win a record-breaking eighth Eurovision, but it’s Croatia that head the market at 4/5 as they chase a first ever win, while Switzerland (3/1) and Ukraine (7/1) are also favoured in the betting.

Barring a miracle, it looks as though the UK will have to settle for third on the all-time list for the time being.