When did UK last win Eurovision Song Contest? All of the British winning acts - and the biggest flops

Eurovision 2023 has officially launched in Liverpool. The first of the two semi finals kicked off the celebrations as the UK hosted on behalf of Ukraine. Excitement is high for the big finale on Saturday.

Hopes are high for the UK's entry Mae Muller after the success of Sam Ryder in the 2022 edition. After a decade of being rocked by five nil-points, Ryder has re-instilled faith in the competition after finishing second behind Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra.

Maybe, just maybe, the lucky streak will continue and the UK might even lift the trophy in 2023. Here is everything you need to know about when the UK last won Eurovision.

How many times has the UK won Eurovision?

The UK has won the Eurovision Song Contest five times and has come second 15 times.

The first win was in 1967, with Sandie Shaw’s hit Puppet on a String and the last was 30 years later in 1997.

The most memorable win was Bucks Fizz, who wowed audiences with their hit, ‘Making Your Mind Up,’ which featured a risqué skirt-ripping dance routine, complete with big hair and 80’s attire.

When did the UK last win Eurovision?

The UK last won Eurovision in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves.

Here are the UK acts that have won Eurovision:

Sandie Shaw - Puppet on a String, 1967

Shaw was the first ever act to win Eurovision for the UK, bringing the Eurovision Song Contest to London for the first time in 1968.

Lula - Bomb-Bang-a-Bang, 1969

The UK didn’t have to wait much longer for its second win, with Lulu taking the prize in 1969.

Brotherhood of Man - Save Your Kisses For Me, 1976

Brotherhood of Man finished 17 points ahead of France to win the top spot in 1976.

Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up, 1981

Perhaps one of the most memorable wins, Making Your Mind Up saw Bucks Fizz’s skirt rip routine that helped them bring home the prize.

Their act was quintessential 80s, complete with big hair.

Katrina and the Waves - Love Shine a Light, 1997

The last time the UK won the Eurovision Song Contest was in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves.

Who have been the UK’s biggest flops?

The UK used to be a top contender for Eurovision, but now it is no stranger to nul-points, having scored zero twice.

The first time it failed to score a point was in 2003, and it has struggled to score highly in the competition ever since.

These are the lowest scoring Eurovision UK acts:

Jemini - Cry Baby, 2003

Jemini was the UK’s first ever nul-point act. The pair blamed being out-of-tune on a technical issue, but the incident has gone down in Eurovision history as one of the UK’s worst performances.

Andy Abraham - Even If, 2008

The X Factor runner-up scored a lowly 14 points, coming in joint last in the competition with his song, Even If.

Josh Dubovie - That Sounds Good to Me, 2010

The 19-year-old singer finished last in the competition with a low score of just 10 points.

Michael Rice - Bigger Than Us, 2019

The UK ranked last in Tel Aviv with Rice’s song Bigger Than Us. Thankfully they did receive 11 points so avoided scoring zero.

In 2021, the UK achieved its second score of nul-points. Newman went on to receive no points from either the public or the jury vote.