Bill Bailey: BBC rejected my Eurovision song for being 'too silly'

Comedian Bill Bailey says a song he put forward for Eurovision was rejected by the BBC as it was deemed “too silly".

Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, Bailey revealed the details of his entry to hosts Susanna Reid and Bill Turnbull.

“A few years ago I sent in an entry to Eurovision and it was a spoof eco anthem in the style of Dad's Army, the BBC said, 'It's too silly, we can't have that.'” Bailey said.

“And I just thought, this taking it seriously, that's not going well either is it?"

Read: Bill Bailey throws his hat in the ring for Eurovision 2022

The former Strictly Come Dancing winner thinks the next UK Eurovision entry needs to be more eccentric to be in with a chance of achieving more than 'nul points'.

“We've got it the wrong way around," Bailey said. "We should focus on the visuals of it, make it into a huge celebration of Britishness with some great hooks.”

“We need to celebrate the eccentricity of Britishness, it doesn't seem to be coming across. It's very well produced but it's a bit underwhelming, a bit bland.”

His ideas to amp up the UK’s next Eurovision entry comes after this year’s offering by James Newman, received zero points at this year’s competition in Rotterdam last Saturday.

Watch: James Newman scores zero on Eurovision 2021

Giving his opinion on Newman’s track Embers, Bailey, 56, said it was a “serviceable song and performance” but that as a country we are “missing a trick.”

Reid jokingly suggested that Bailey, “dust off the eco anthem” and send it in again for a future entry as “we’re kind of desperate."

Despite the lengthy cheers around the Eurovison green room from fellow contestants, as Newman smiled and raised a bottle of beer in the air, at the announcement that the UK had received zero points from the judging panel and the public vote, Phillip Schofield vented on This Morning on Monday at the “embarrassment” caused.

“We can absolutely bottom, it was an embarrassment,” said Schofield.

Read more: Katie Price calls Eurovision nil points 'funny' and says she should represent the UK again

“I feel so sorry for James Newman representing us. I mean they hate us!”

Reflecting on his Eurovison experience, Newman, 35 posted a lengthy message on his Instagram account, admitting: “The thing about writing songs is that there is no guarantee that a song you think will connect with people, will connect with an audience.”

He ended the message poignantly, saying: “The times when it doesn’t play out how you hoped it might, teach you how to pick yourself up and be stronger.”

Watch: Eurovision winner cleared of drug use