Andrew Cartmell and David May both sat down for an exclusive interview with The Euro Trip this week to discuss the search for the UK’s artist and song for Eurovision 2025 in Basel.
This was the first time Cartmell – the UK’s Eurovision Head of Delegation – and May – a leading UK music industry figure and Sam Ryder’s former manager – have given an interview since they began spearheading the search last summer.
So, what did we learn?
The artist and song have been selected
“We do have the song and the artist. We had the song a few weeks ago.”
This might seem an obvious one to start off with, but it cements and confirms the position that the BBC Eurovision team finds itself in at the moment. But the work isn’t done yet.
“We’re looking to still work on it, improve it, and develop it,” Cartmell said.
“We just want to make sure we have everything in place. We don’t want to announce and launch without everything there.”
The song will be different to Mae Muller’s and Olly Alexander’s
“What we’re doing this year is a very different style and sound to the last couple of years.”
In 2023, Mae Muller presented a modern, contemporary and chart-ready song, as did Olly Alexander just last year. But fans can expect a gear change from that style in Basel.
“There’s an essence of Britishness in the song,” Cartmell said.
May added more to his description of the track: “We’re going back to the UK heritage of music; threads of what we do best. And I think we’ve encapsulated that.
“I think the world wants to see that. There’s things that we do very, very well musically, it’s very, very broad, but we do it very well, and that’s what we wanted to bring to the table.”
They stopped short of giving away way the genre or even tempo of the track.
It’s not a novelty song
“I can confidently say we’re not sending a novelty song this year.”
Yes, that was Cartmell having a bit of fun, but the real point made there is that he and May really made finding a jury-friendly song one of their top priorities. And his explanation shows how much he understands the competition.
“Eurovision now is a contest with outstanding vocals. Almost all of those artists who get top fives year in, year out have got outstanding vocals.
“So once we’d done this search of what was out there, you then had to go, ‘OK, who can measure up? Who’s got great vocals? Who can perform live day after day during the week? Who can nail it in the Jury Final?’. We’re very, very aware that the Jury Final is so important.
“If we put in place an artist with great vocals, that is one of the criteria for the juries. The tricky bit is the next bit… How can you get the audience and the viewers to vote? That isn’t easy because you’re then in a bigger pool of – and I hate to use the term, but – more novelty songs which naturally viewers are more drawn to on the night.
“I can confidently say we’re not sending a novelty song this year.”
The all-encompassing search
“A mistake we could’ve made was going inwards out; I always like to go outwards in.”
David May joined the search for the UK’s 2025 Eurovision artists last summer after being invited to do so by Andrew Cartmell, and the pair covered every bit of ground and used every asset available to the BBC during the hunt.
“A mistake we could’ve made was going inwards out; I always like to go outwards in,” May said.
“Let’s draw on all our contacts, and see what other people think because it’s not really about what we think.”
Cartmell confirmed what The Euro Trip revealed last autumn, that BBC Introducing – the corporation’s network of local radio shows showcasing largely unsigned music talent – was asked to suggest names to represent the UK. BBC Music and BBC Radio were also involved.
“We wanted to have an open mind. We did everything,” Cartmell said.
The Traitors rumour was only ever a rumour
“I’m afraid to say it was never the plan.”
Despite rumours swirling on social media over the last few weeks that the act would be announced after the final episode of The Traitors in the second last week of January, this was never the case.
“There was a rumour doing the rounds that the UK artist was going to be announced after the final of The Traitors which, I have to say, what a great idea.”
Hopefully that’s a lesson to anyone who believes every rumour they read from faceless accounts on social media.
When is the announcement going to take place for real? Well, Cartmell and May didn’t give us an exact date, just that it would be in the next few weeks. But a big reveal could be on the cards.
“We want to make a splash when we announce, obviously. That’s the plan. We just want to get everything in place to do that,” Cartmell said.
Powerhouse ambitions
“People describe the powerhouses of Ukraine, Italy, Sweden – that’s our goal.”
The UK has been through a mix of results in the past few years, but there was a recognisable sea change after James Newman’s nil points in Rotterdam four years ago. The BBC team gets it. And with that understanding comes a desire. A desire to compete with the best.
“Regardless of different results we’ve had since ‘21, I think people would at least acknowledge that the BBC and the UK have definitely taken it more seriously,” Cartmell said.
“Our aim is to get a good result this year, and if that happens, brilliant, and that will keep us moving forward.
“People describe the powerhouses of Ukraine, Italy, Sweden – that’s our goal.”
Cartmell and May want a long-term agreement
“And hopefully we’ll go on working for a few more years yet.”
Despite telling Cartmell that he would categorically not want to return to Eurovision on a tired and wearisome bus journey back to the hotel after Eurovision in Turin three years ago, May has changed his tune and fully embraced the Eurovision life.
“I certainly would love to,” May said when asked by The Euro trip if he’d want to continue working with Cartmell for many years to come.
“Results drive a lot of things, but from a passion point of view, you don’t get any bigger and better than this. This is where you can exercise all of your skill sets.”
Cartmell has his sights firmly set on that Eurovision win, too.
“The one thing I haven’t done yet is win Eurovision, and that is a goal.
“We don’t set out to do anything other than hopefully win. So at some point, 2025, ‘26, ‘27, and hopefully we’ll go on working for a few more years yet, we want to win Eurovision and bring it back to the UK as winners of the previous year.”
And what about songs in other genres? Yes. That’s Cartmell’s aim.
“I would love us, over the next few years, to try artists and songs from really different backgrounds, different genres of music. Some years be more experimental than others – just try different things and be brave with our choices.”
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