Asya Robins
Live reporter

Image source, Rachel Joseph/ITV/Shutterstock

And there we have it - Remember Monday will represent the UK at this year's Eurovision Song Contest with their song What The Hell Just Happened, external. It's a remark they've probably uttered to themselves quite a few times this morning, as they told Scott Mills over on Radio 2 that the reality of it all has only just begun to sink in.

We're going to be closing our live page, but let's recap this morning's announcement, and look forward to what's still to come:

• Remember Monday will compete at Eurovision 2025, which will take place St Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland

• The trio's Lauren Burne, Holly-Anne Hull, and Charlotte Steel, who call themselves "pop girlies with a little bit of yeehaw", met at sixth form college and used the skip classes to sing together
• Speaking to Radio 2's Scott Mills this morning, they say they "feel like we're on another planet"
• The BBC's Music Correspondent Mark Savage describes the song as "a quirky, catchy girls-together anthem – and the biggest creative risk the UK has taken at Eurovision for years"

• The first Eurovision semi-final will take place on Tuesday 13 May - here are all the other key dates to add to your Eurovision calendar

And don't forget to join us here again in May, when we'll be providing live coverage of the contest, all the way from the semis through to the finals - for a flavour of the fun we had last year, take a look back at our coverage of the contest in Malmo.

In the meantime, get your cowboy hats ready to cheer on the UK in honky-tonk style.

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

We're soon going to be ending our live coverage, but here's a quick reminder of who will be representing the UK at this year's Eurovision: the all-female country trio Remember Monday.

The group, who previously reached the quarter-finals of the TV talent show The Voice, will head to Switzerland this May with a song called What The Hell Just Happened?

Calling themselves "pop girlies with a little bit of yeehaw", the trio were formed by school friends Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steel in 2013.

The group will arrive at the contest with high hopes. They are seasoned performers who, crucially, can deliver precise three-part harmonies in a live environment.

The trio also have a vibrant presence on social media - notably in a series of TikTok videos where they sing the insults, external that people leave under their YouTube videos.

If they can bring that spirit to the contest, and the pre-parties that take place across Europe in the next two months, they're sure to win over a few voters.

Image source, Reuters

As our music correspondent has just mentioned, Sweden is already tipped to be the favourite at this year's contest.

When it comes to the UK's recent track record at Eurovision, it's fair to say fans' expectations have been kept relatively low.

Unlike the title of Olly Alexander's song entry for the UK last year, we've rarely reached the Dizzy heights of the top ten. It's also worth noting that the UK hasn't won the contest since 1997 - with Love Shine a Light, by Katrina and the Waves.

Here's breakdown at how the UK has fared in the final results in the last decade, out of 26 participating countries:

• 2024: Olly Alexander, Dizzy - 18th place
• 2023: Mae Muller, I Wrote A Song - 25th place
• 2022: Sam Ryder, Space Man - 2nd place
• 2021: James Newman, Embers - 26th place (last)
• *2020: Contest cancelled due to coronavirus outbreak
• 2019: Michael Rice, Bigger than Us, 26th place (last)
• 2018: SuRie, Storm - 24th place
• 2017: Lucie Jones, Never Give Up on You - 15th place
• 2016: Joe and Jake, You're Not Alone - 24th place
• 2015: Electro Velvet, Still in Love with You - 24th place

Paddy O'Connell
Presenter and Eurovision Buff

It's cowboy boots on the ground from the UK this year.

Remember Monday, who all met at sixth form college, are a country trio, and it seems country really is sweeping the globe.

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter won best album at the 67th Grammy Awards.

What The Hell Just Happened - the song the group will be performing at this year's Eurovision - is a country inspired pop number which is very good fun. It's got more key changes than the total number of years that The Archers has been on air.

The title of the song can also sum up quite a lot of our attitude to how we've done over the years at Eurovision.

Remember Monday already have millions of shares on TikTok, but with their entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, we should all get prepared for more cowboy hats.

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

Eurovision is already heating up, with only seven countries left to reveal their entries before the deadline of 10 March.

Sweden is currently favourite to win - despite the fact their contestant won't be chosen until the final of their national selection competition, known as Melodifestivalen, on Saturday night.

Among those contending for the honour are 2015 winner Mans Zelmerlow and comedy group KAJ, whose entry Bara Bada Bastu is an ode to the joys of a sauna.

The Netherlands, Finland and Estonia have also generated buzz for their submissions, which range from soul-searching ballads to stadium rock anthems.

Meanwhile, Australia is hoping for a reversal of fortunes after being eliminated in last year's semi-finals.

They're sending singer-songwriter Go-Jo, whose song Milkshake Man is a throbbing pop number laced with barely-disguised double entendres.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, EPA

With all the excitement of the UK announcing its entrant for this year's Eurovision, it's also worth noting down when exactly we'll be able to watch Remember Monday perform at the St Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland.

Here are the key dates to mark in your calendar:

• All countries have to reveal their entries by 10 March
• The semi-finals will be held on Tuesday 13 and Thursday 15 May - You'll be able to watch these on iPlayer and BBC One
• And the grand final will take place on Saturday 17 May

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

Image source, PA Media

Formed in 2013, the band were originally called Houston – even releasing a couple of singles under that name.

But in 2018, they discovered that several other bands had the same name, so they needed to rebrand.

The new moniker was a tribute to their origins in sixth form college in Farnham, Surrey.

“We always had free periods on a Monday, which is when we just used to get together and sing,” they told Scott Mills a short while ago on Radio 2. “And then that kind of turned into us singing every single day of the week and not going to our classes."

“Our teacher used to come and find us in random spare classrooms and knock on the door and be like, ‘Girls, are you coming into class today?’ And we were like, ‘Sorry, Jenny, we're being pop stars’, and singing a cover of my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.

“So we did that for years and years, and it kind of became a little in joke that it was always happening on a Monday. So that's where, Remember Monday was born.”

Taking a brief moment to savour in the moment with Scott Mills over on Radio 2, Remember Monday's Lauren Burne, Holly-Anne Hull, and Charlotte Steel all say the reality of representing the UK at this year's Eurovision has only "just sunk in".

"[We feel] like we're on another planet," the country group tells the BBC.

Burne is regaling with Scott about how only a few years ago, when the three met at college, they used to spend their afternoons skipping classes because they "sang every day of the week".

About a year ago, the group quit their day jobs and went full-time to pursue a music career.

Shortly after the big reveal on the programme, the group's performing arts teacher calls in to congratulate them on this massive opportunity.

"You will not get better live vocalists than these three," she says, adding that they "put the hours in".

"I'm so thrilled they've stuck together all these years, and it's going to pay off now."

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from years of covering Eurovision, it’s that following trends does you no good. Last year’s contest was crammed full of thumping club songs, mimicking the sound of Loreen’s winning track, Tattoo, from 2023.

The field was so crowded that they all blended into one amorphous, 130bpm mass. The songs that really stood out were Bambi Thug’s screamcore goth nightmare, Doomsday Blue, and Nemo’s pop-opera hybrid The Code, which went on to win the contest.

For a long time, the UK entry has concentrated on what we think Eurovision audiences want to hear. Remember Monday’s song is… well, not that.

Image source, EPA

Like Sam Ryder’s Spaceman (our best performing entry of the last decade), it makes clever nods to British music history, with flourishes of Queen’s grandiosity, and a touch of the Mellotron flute sound that The Beatles used on Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.

Sending a country trio is a clever choice too. As much as the BBC (and the fans) would love it, there’s a zero per cent chance that someone like Raye or Charli XCX or Ed Sheeran would take the risk of entering Eurovision and coming last.

Any pop act we send will suffer in comparison to the globally-famous artists the UK produces.

But country mixed with a West End theatrics? Well, that tells an entirely different, and equally valid, story about our musical history. Good luck to Remember Monday.

Emma Saunders
Culture reporter

You may have noticed that the country music wave has shown no signs of slowing down, with Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter nabbing album of the year at the Grammys and acts like Shaboozey lighting up the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

This year’s UK Eurovision entry, Remember Monday, also has a country pop vibe.

The female trio – Lauren Burne, Holly Anne-Hull, and Charlotte Steel, who all met at sixth form in Farnborough, Hampshire, describe themselves on the band’s Instagram page as: “Pop girlies with a lil bit of yeehaw.”

The trio first came to prominence during a stint on the ITV talent show The Voice in 2019, when they were mentored by none other than Jennifer Hudson.

Since then they have been touring and releasing singles (including Queen and Alanis Morissette covers) and two EPs.

What the hell just happened?published at 08:18 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March

08:18 GMT 7 March

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

Try to imagine, if you can, that Abba and Sam Ryder have teamed up with the cast of Six: The Musical, got blackout drunk and tried to recreate Bohemian Rhapsody from memory. (This is a compliment.)

There are a dizzying array of key changes and tempo shifts, but with every corner they turn, the band find another hook - with the soaring chorus a particular highlight.

It opens with a gently strummed mandolin, and a story about the terror and euphoria of being so partied-out you can't remember the night before.

"Someone lost a shoe, I'm still in last night's make-up," they sing. "I'm waking up like, 'What's this new tattoo?'

"Room is spinning, ears are ringin'... I'm clutching my pearls like, What The Hell Just Happened?"

At that moment, the song explodes into a baroque rock opera, all power chords and chunky harmonies, before jumping into a double-time groove that recalls Laura Branigan's 1980s hit Gloria.

Over the next two minutes, we find out more about the band's debauched night out. Heels were broken, strangers were snogged, swimming pools were depth-charged.

"In my defence it's been a real hard year," they protest, before delivering the killer blow: "You can blame my ex."

It's a quirky, catchy girls-together anthem – and the biggest creative risk the UK has taken at Eurovision for years.

But will it be enough to push us up the Eurovision rankings?

In a press release announcing Remember Monday’s participation, the band calls the experience “very surreal”.

Here's what they say:

“When you’re a kid and people ask you what you want to be when you grow up, an absolute classic, ‘I wanna be a pop star’, so the fact that we’re getting the chance to live that dream as three best friends is just wild.

“We’re going to be the first girl band to represent the UK since 1999, which feels like such a crazy honour. We’re going to bring loads of fun, energy and hopefully do something that you won’t have seen before on the Eurovision stage.

“We honestly can’t wait to experience this with all of the other incredible artists from around the world, and hopefully make everyone back at home feel proud! This is really the music World Cup and we’ll do our best to bring it home!”

Image source, Remember Monday

Remember Monday, an all-female country trio, will represent the UK at this year's Eurovision Song Contest with their song What The Hell Just Happened.

Stay tuned as we bring you some fresh analysis on the entrant, and remember that you can listen to their song live on Radio 2 by pressing watch live at the top of this page.

Not too long from now, we'll be finding out who is going to represent the UK at this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

DJ and radio presenter Scott Mills will reveal the act on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.

The good news is you don't have to go anywhere and can follow along by pressing the watch live button at the top of this page.

Once we've heard the song, the BBC's music correspondent Mark Savage will give us a fresh review - so stay with us.

Emma Saunders
Culture reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Although the UK has an impressive five wins under its belt since first entering the contest in 1957, it’s been a bumpy ride in more recent years.

Katrina and the Waves were last to take home the prize back in 1997, with Imaani coming second the following year with Where Are You? and Jessica Garlick landing third place with Come Back in 2002.

But the following year it all went wrong, with Jemini’s Cry Baby Cry receiving the dreaded “nul points”.

Lower placings became the norm for the UK over the next 15 years or so (bar Jade Ewen’s It’s My Time taking fifth spot in 2009 and Blue placing 11th with I Can two years later).

But Sam Ryder came dashing to save us with his glam rock sensibility and long golden locks, coming second with Space Man in 2022.

Sadly, May Muller only managed 25th in Liverpool in 2023 and even pop star Olly Alexander could only manage 18th in Sweden last year.

Image source, Getty Images

Before we start turning our attention to this year's Eurovision Song Contest, lets cast our memory back to last year's contest, where Switzerland’s Nemo was crowned the winner.

Nemo's performance in Malmo, Sweden, proved to be the favourite with both the public and the jury.

The non-binary singer balanced on a tipping metal disc as they sang the opera-dance track The Code.

Croatia’s Baby Lasagna topped the public vote and came second overall. Ukraine’s alyona alyona & Jerry Heil were not far behind in third place.

UK singer Olly Alexander finished in 18th place, after garnering zero points from the public, while Joost Klein, representing the Netherlands, was disqualified from the final after a backstage incident.

Emma Saunders
Culture reporter

BBC and BBC Studios (the commercial arm of the BBC) have teamed up with music industry figure David May, who previously worked closely with the BBC team in 2022 as Sam Ryder’s manager when the UK came second in Turin at the contest.

Fingers crossed he can work his magic again.

The search has been under way for several months with UK record labels, publishers, songwriters, BBC Music and BBC Introducing all playing their part to find the UK act and song for Eurovision 2025.

The internal selection process was a replacement of the You Decide format from previous years, which let the public vote on the UK entrant. The changeup stems from a feeling that the UK might have more success with record industry involvement.

Image source, Getty Images

As is tradition, Eurovision is hosted by the country that was victorious at last year's contest - meaning that it will be Switzerland putting on this year's show.

The event will take place at the St Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland, on Saturday 17 May.

The semi-finals will be held on Tuesday 13 and Thursday 15 May at the same venue.

Award-winning stand-up comedian and presenter Hazel Brugger, Swiss TV host Michelle Hunziker and former Eurovision contender Sandra Studer will be hosting this year’s contest.

All three will present the grand final, while Hazel Brugger and Sandra Studer will also host the semi-finals.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is just around the corner and this morning we'll find out who will be representing the UK.

There'll be a moment of euphoria shortly when DJ and radio presenter Scott Mills reveals the act over on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, followed by a play of this year's entry.

The 69th contest is taking place in Basel, Switzerland this year, following Nemo’s victory last year with their song The Code.

Olly Alexander represented the UK last year in Malmö, Sweden, and finished in 18th place, getting zero points from the public.

The hopes are that this year’s contestant will carry the UK higher up the leaderboard. The BBC’s music correspondent Mark Savage will assess our chances once we officially have a name.

Stay with us for the big reveal.