Terry Wogan quits Eurovision role

Terry Wogan has confirmed that he will no longer be presenting the Eurovision Song Contest.

The Radio 2 DJ, who has fronted the BBC's coverage for 37 years, said it was "time for someone else to take over".

"I was considering giving up before Belgrade, and now I have to say I'm very doubtful about ever wanting to do Eurovision again," Wogan told the Radio Times.

In this year's contest, Britain's Andy Abraham only earned 14 points, while the Russian winner Dima Bilan bagged 272.

Commenting on the 2008 contest, Wogan said: "Days before the show, I knew Russia would win. The fact is, Putin was getting nasty, which means the former satellite states were always going to vote for Russia in order to keep the oil coming.

"It's unfortunate, I suppose, but whereas we have always taken Eurovision with a pinch of salt, the former Eastern Bloc countries are not sufficiently versed in the ways of democracy to realise they are supposed to be voting for a song, not a next-door neighbour."