Music
Justin Hawkins has branded the British public "either racist or stupid" for selecting Scooch to represent them at this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
The former Darkness frontman is angry that 'They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To', his duet with soul singer Beverlei Brown, lost to Scooch's 'Flying The Flag (For You)' on the BBC's Eurovision trial Making Your Mind Up.
Hawkins wrote on his website: "The UK must be either racist or stupid not to have voted for Big Brovaz or Beverlei. It's like when multi-award winning, multi-million selling Lemar lost to David 'Three stars at Burger King' Sneddon in Fame Academy. Nothing changes.
"The whole thing whiffed of a stitch-up, particularly when you consider that our supporters had their banners confiscated by security, whilst Scooch fans were filmed proudly waving theirs."
However, a BBC spokesperson denied Hawkins' claims of unfairness, saying: "These are ridiculous comments. I'm not going to comment about what he thinks of the British public but, as far as his comments about the BBC, none of his banners were confiscated."
Scooch's manager Andrew Hill added: "Of course, it wasn't a stitch-up. This is sour grapes on Justin's part."
The former Darkness frontman is angry that 'They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To', his duet with soul singer Beverlei Brown, lost to Scooch's 'Flying The Flag (For You)' on the BBC's Eurovision trial Making Your Mind Up.
Hawkins wrote on his website: "The UK must be either racist or stupid not to have voted for Big Brovaz or Beverlei. It's like when multi-award winning, multi-million selling Lemar lost to David 'Three stars at Burger King' Sneddon in Fame Academy. Nothing changes.
"The whole thing whiffed of a stitch-up, particularly when you consider that our supporters had their banners confiscated by security, whilst Scooch fans were filmed proudly waving theirs."
However, a BBC spokesperson denied Hawkins' claims of unfairness, saying: "These are ridiculous comments. I'm not going to comment about what he thinks of the British public but, as far as his comments about the BBC, none of his banners were confiscated."
Scooch's manager Andrew Hill added: "Of course, it wasn't a stitch-up. This is sour grapes on Justin's part."
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