Credits
Written by
Published
Source(s)
News
Commentry since Eurovision 1980
UK: Wogan paid £150,000 for Eurovision coverage
As reported in today's Daily Mail newspaper in the United Kingdom, Terry Wogan recieves £150,000 sterling for his commentry on the Eurovision Song Contest.
Famed for his wit and humour on Eurovision, the Irish born man is known worldwide for his partake on the Eurovision stage with 11 million viewers in the UK alone tuning in to listen to him last year for the contest in Helsinki.
Terry has yet to commentate on a Eurovision semi-final but has done so for every final since 1980.
Related polls
- Eurovision 2008: best multilingual entry?
- Best winner of the last 25 years?
- Worst winner of the last 25 years?
- National finals 2008: which runner-up should have won?
Go directly to the reactions
Recent news about United Kingdom
Scotland in Eurovision: Online petition makes waves 251
Sir Cliff and Olsen Brothers record together 7
UK: Ulrika Jonsson has baby number four 68
Eurovision Winner’s Tour Hits London 50
UK Eurovision Winners Party supports THT 32
Reactions
When reacting to a news item, please stick to the topic. Inappropriate messages (swearing, racism, hate, etc.), messages in other languages than English and spam (which includes URL advertising) will be deleted and you risk your account being removed. Reacting on newsitems is only possible when logged in as a member. Still don't have member account?
Click here to react Click here to become a member (free!)
What a boring plastic irish man he is. Irish people are ashamed of him.thank god,he is now "Sir terry".as we Irish,are glad be be shot of him.what a boring piece (merda)he is.yawn,yawn.yawn.
Lack of humour in Europe?? I dont think so - I think both British and European humour is very tasteful, however it is different. And to Christopher, I dont think the number of the viewers would change without Terry Wogan. People who really like ESC will watch it anyway. Eurovision was always a song contest, only United Kingdom (meaning BBC and Terry) always had the degrading attitude towards it as if it's all just a comedy. Well, obviously, if you send horrible songs and don't win, you can't blame yourself - you've got to say "it's just a comedy".
I have nothing agasnst his age, by the way. Just because he is of senior years does not affect his possible potenial. Stop saying 'old' likes it is a bad thing and think of equal oppertunites
IN MY OPINION HE IS WORTH EVERY PENNY!
Mister Eurovision does a great job the millions of people that tune in to watch the Eurovison (11 million last year in UK) do so to listen to him! His wit and humour is great!!! The UK would be lost without him doing it, the few that dislike him, only do so cos they know he speaks the truth, and dares to say what we all think! Sir Terry, the voice of Eurovision can't wait for your commentary in May again!
I HATE TERRY WOGAN!
I usually start watching on BBC but I can switch to the Irish brodcaster RTE because I live in Northern Ireland in the UK! LOL
He annoys me!
He talks through the song talking about theyre clothes and he gets 150,000????
well the usual old thing, British humour vs European lack of humour....and since when was Eurovision a song contest? I thought it was primarily a comedy show..
OMFG! Thats such a waste of money!!!!!!! He is not funny at all, unless humour being rasist is acceptable...
Shame shame shame
I am not bothered about Terrys "jokes" about the conetst. What bothers me is that he continues talking when the songhas started. He had even spoke half way through the song on occassions. Very annoying.
I don't understand why the ESC commentator should be funny and make jokes. It's a song contest, not a comedy. Why aren't sports commentators supposed to be funny?
terry hasnt been funny for yrs , he recycles old jokes every year, not funny ones either
He might be a legend to some but his comments aren't really funny and often insulting or at least provoking. Even the EBU had to ask him not to overdo it.
Everyone says the ESC should not be mixed up with politics but that's what he's been doing for years.
Terry Wogan is very clever..He fully reflects the British mentality. Its good to know how Britain looks at continental European people...
I find it ridiculous that this obnoxious old man is still doing Eurovision.
Whenever he's asked about retiring from it the response is like "Oh no, I'd never retire! It's a job for life" ! Yep! Seems so! UNFORTUNATELY!!!!!!
Imagine having a commentator joke and laugh about other countries or athletes in the Olympics!
Why does he feel so at home with the UK commentary? He's not even British!
Whaattt? £150,000 is £149,999.50 too much. He isn't funny, he hasn't got a clue about what a good ESC song is and he talks over the songs. He moans about friendly voting despite everyone knowing that its gonna happen so get over it. Having said that, he never objects when the UK gives points to Ireland or the other way round.
And while the BBC are getting rid of him, can we also lose the other idiot, Paddy O'Woganwannabe. Who tries to copy Wogans unfunny humour and manages to be even less funny and twice as irritating!!
Do we even need commentators - its fairly self explanatory.
We should get an alternative to Terry for semi finals, not some generic carbon copy (Paddy), someone with enthusiasum and proper wit. I nominate (I know I always suggest this)
http://www.bbc.co.uk(...)ies/zero419p01.shtml
He should be removed immediately. The man hasn't got a clue what he is talking about, in the last few years or so. He is just there because of the money. He is soooooo annoying....not funny at all.
He used to be(funny).....in other decades, when eurovision was something else. Bring on Graham Norton.
He is well past his sell by date. We need somebody new and fresh and much better value to do the UK commentary.
he annoys me... he talks over the songs and makes jokes that arent even funny... its really bad when he interrupts the song to say something, he did this 3 times to Severina in 2006 i remember, it frusterated me... gosh, we dont need to know everything u think, let us listen to the damn song
@ Max:
Believe, it can be a lot worse. I actually watched last year's final on the German channel because I was sooo furious about just HOW incompetent the damn Austrian commentator was. Horrible pronunciation and tons of wrong facts! A true shame! But yeah, the German commentator isn't so good either.
Well, he surely is miles better than the boring, dull German commentator Peter Urban who is pronouncing nearly every foreign song title or band name in a wrong way and who has so obviously no clue about Eurovision...
Furthermore, his comments are always going the same way - he tries desperately to bring tension by announcing all the time how everybody's loving the German entry etc., but with this sleepy voice rising tension is impossible...
Whether we like it or not - Terry is one of the main reasons alot of people in the UK watch Eurovision. Without him - millions may not bother at all.
Philip - to say El Tel is the SOLE reason why people in the UK mock Eurovision is nonsense. Millions of people mock Eurovision because the songs/music does not have any credibility at all.
Your NME readers to those of Uncut, Q or Mojo will mock Eurovision. It that Terry's fault? Of course not.
He may not help the overall view but to say he is the sole reason??
Anyway - the viewing figures this year will be interesting. I reckon they will be down quite alot. Last year ESC was only up against Grease (which was a total flop for ITV) but this year it will go up against the might of Britain's Got Talent.
ESC against Britain's Got Talent? And the winner is....ITV.
This is such old news that he is probably now getting paid more than £150,000.
His comment in Denmark that caused such offence was to continually refer to the 2 presenters as Dr Death and The Tooth Fairy.
Terry Wogan is the greatest comedian ever!!! I hope that he continues commentating on the esc in many years to come as he has an excellent sense of humour. His jokes are hilarious and whenever I think of the esc, he always springs to mind. Without him, the show would be so dull.
KEEP UP THE EXCELLENT WORK TERRY!!! YOU ARE THE BEST!!!
minos alexandrou,
NO! He's a horrible person! 
@ Benjamin Johnson -
Oh yaeh, Wogaon is pissed off with the USSR
and by the way
@ Darko S. -
being dressed in Mrs Gorbachov old curtain sometines works much better than sining like Javine...
Two of his jokes that I remember are killers, though. In 1999, when announcing the Spanish entry (Lydia), he famously warned: "The spectators with even the slightest case of astigmatism should look away now" (true, she came out in a dress which can easily blind you if you focus on the pattern for too long). Also, according to him, Youddiphi (Russia 1994) wore Mrs Gorbachov old curtains. 
He really stirred the shit once after which Denmark lodged a formal complaint with the BBC, as he was really taking the piss out of their presenters. Can't remember exactly what he called them but it was rude beyond belief. I think he even got reprimanded, the following year he got paid less, or his free champaigne allowance was scrapped. 
One year he was totally out of it, just slurring most of the broadcast. Must have been a really bad year, hehe.
Terry Wogan is amazing. i look forward to his comments every year. I dont know why some people get so offended when he says things. He obviously loves eurovision (and the money) otherwise he wouldnt have been doing it for so long. He makes eurovision more enjoyable to watch 
The list of 90 reactions is divided into 4 pages. Choose a page:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4
React yourself
This news article is older than one week. Reacting to articles is only possible in the first week after publication.
