British lawmakers are set to scrutinize how the UK chooses its Eurovision Song Contest entries after another last-place finish, while Irish broadcaster RTÉ has confirmed it will boycott the competition for a second consecutive year in 2027.
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, chaired by Dame Caroline Dinenage, will hold a hearing in the coming months as part of its State of Play inquiry. Figures from the BBC and music industry experts are expected to give evidence, and the committee may also receive written submissions. Once evidence is examined, the cross-party group of MPs could produce a short report with recommendations to the BBC, which selects the UK act, sometimes alongside a record label or management company.
This year's UK entrant, Look Mum No Computer — the project of artist Sam Battle — finished 25th and last, earning just one point from the jury and zero from the public. He is the third UK act in a row to receive nul points from televoters, following Remember Monday in 2025 and Olly Alexander in 2024. Mae Muller placed second from bottom in 2023, and James Newman came last in 2021.
Dinenage said the committee wants to establish who chooses the UK entrant, on what basis, and whether the country's poor record stems from bad song selection, weak performance or another cause. She noted that the application interested the committee because of the UK's reputation for scoring nul points despite having world-class songwriters and musicians. The Eurovision final remains one of the UK's most-watched music events, with millions tuning in late to see the result.
The UK has finished higher than 15th place only once in recent memory, when Sam Ryder was runner-up with «Space Man» in 2022 — the country's best result since 1998. Next year's contest in Burgas, Bulgaria, will mark 30 years since Katrina and the Waves won with «Love Shine a Light».
Many countries choose their entries through a public televised selection process. The UK last did so in 2019 with «Eurovision: You Decide», which sent Michael Rice to the contest in Tel Aviv, where he finished last. TaP Music, the management and publishing company behind artists such as Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey and Ellie Goulding, was responsible for selecting Sam Ryder's entry. Ben Mawson of TaP Music said in 2022 that the UK had been too casual about the contest and that more effort should go into thinking about the song rather than blaming politics.
Meanwhile, RTÉ has said it will neither broadcast nor participate in Eurovision next year. Ireland sat out the 2026 edition alongside Iceland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain because of Israel's inclusion in the event. A spokesperson for the Irish broadcaster said participation could not be justified given the ongoing loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, adding that RTÉ remains deeply concerned by the denial of independent access to international journalists to the territory.
Ireland has won Eurovision seven times between 1970 and 1996. This year, RTÉ aired an episode of «Father Ted» instead of the final. Last month, Dutch public broadcaster Avrotros also pulled out of Eurovision 2027, citing severe humanitarian suffering in Gaza and restrictions on press freedom. The announcement of next year's host city came after Eurovision introduced rule changes for countries at war during the competition.
Despite the backlash surrounding the 2026 contest, Israel finished second behind Bulgaria, having also been runner-up in 2025. Canada, meanwhile, has been confirmed as a first-time entrant for 2027.