It's so unfair

I love national events. Ruth pointed this out to me a good few years ago and it's true, Royal Weddings, State Opening of Parliament, Rembrance Day, the Grand National, the Boat Race, you name I watch it. Last week I given all the goal updates during the FA Cup from my parents. It wasn't the same as watching the build up, seeing the team arrive in their suits, Abide With Me and all that but I was in Wilmington, NC so it wasn't that bad.

Today I heard all about the Big Brother contestants arriving. As Graham Norton said a few years ago, 'first twelve through the doors again then'.

Later in June I'll miss the World Cup. I'm not hopeful it'll receive much coverage here, even though the USA is there and ranked 4th in the world (when did they get so good?!). And of course there's Wimbledon.

But the thing that hurts the most right now that I'll be missing is, sligthly ashamed to say it, the Eurovision Song Contest. Let me tell you, it is an event in our house. There are even more fights about who has to go down for the Chinese that Saturday night. I can remember times I've rushed out to the car to switch on Radio 2 so I still hear what's going on.

The songs are generally crap and the UK stands zippo chance of ever winning it, and Ireland's lucky string of win seems to have evaporated. The voting is the brilliant though. It's a lesson in European politics. But the best thing about the whole programme is Terry Wogan. He is hilarious.

If you don't watch it, you need to start. Maybe you could go round and watch it with my parents? Just be prepared to shout at the TV along with them.