Now Eurovision 2026 is firmly behind us and weāve had a chance to properly digest the wild ride of Vienna, itās now time to discuss What Went Wrong. Weāve all had a chance to mull over the results of the contest. The Eurovision 2026 final saw some very dramatic results, but 6 acts in particular had noticeably bad results.
In our tenth part Tom, Emma, and Kittens discuss what went wrong with the United Kingdom.
Who is Look Mum, No Computer?
Look Mum No Computer is the stage name of Sam Battle, a 35-year-old singer-songwriter from the English county of Kent. A keen singer, Sam first came to prominence with his Youtube channel, which was set up in 2013. He was also involved in a number of different musical projects, before creating his own music under the moniker of Look Mum No Computer in 2019. Since then, he has achieved musical success with his blend of 80s-style synths and experimental machines, including Tesla coils and even Furby toys.
His Eurovision song, āEins Zwei Dreiā, was written by Sam himself, as well as Lasse Midtsian Nymann, Julie āKill Jā Aagaard and Thomas Stengaard.
What are the issues with the selection?
Tom: Where do we start. Look the BBC are trying, and credit to them for that. But I want new faces, new team, new artists and more energy. This was a positive step in the right direction. But good enough, hell no. Iād very much like to see us use some British songwriters, and not go straight to āthis person writes Eurovision winning sings, for Eurovision, letās use themā.Ā Iām also a British eurofan that is desperate for a British national final again. Why the BBC donāt steal the Melodifestivalen concept, I have no clue.
Emma: The BBC deserves credit for taking a creative risk, and this felt like a positive step towards sending something that feels more distinctly British. I donāt think the selection itself was necessarily the problem; choosing an established artist with a genuinely individual sound was exactly the sort of risk I wanted to see the UK taking. Ultimately, not every experiment is going to work, but Iād much rather see the BBC continue down this road than retreat back to something safe and manufactured after one disappointing result.
Kittens: I was relieved to see the BBC doing something different, and I definitely liked the concept. It was really something to get excited about, and a sign of an understanding that what was happening before just hasnāt been working and you need to take a risk. I donāt think the problems were so much in the selection, or at least so easily evident in the selection, but more in the song and performer once it came down to it.
Was the song and act good enough to be in Eurovision?
Tom: Sam Battle is great. He is so likeable. He has some incredible songs in his back catalogue. I think both āModern Gasā and āNight or Dayā have both made it onto countless playlists of mine. But this just didnāt work in the end. I had so much hope when I heard that he had been announced, as I knew of him from YouTube. I had lots of hope when I heard the song and saw the music video. But seeing the performance on stage, I cringed. The call and response did not work for me. The āslice of pepperoniā line did not work for me. Sam looked uncomfortable and so I felt uncomfortable. And the staging, while cool in parts, didnāt enhance the song enough for me. Again, it felt like a song written specifically for Eurovision ā because it was ā and I think that always takes something away from any entry.Ā
Emma: Absolutely. Sam brought something genuinely different to Eurovision, and I loved the ambition behind both the artist and the song. But there was perhaps too much effort to create a āEurovision songā around an artist who was already interesting enough without it. The result felt less natural than his usual work, and some of the moments clearly designed to get an arena audience involved just didnāt translate on the night.
Kittens: Unfortunately I think a lot of things collided here, and what is normally a passionate performer doing their niche lost their way on a larger stage. There was such an element of nerves, an element of being uncomfortable there that you could feel in the performance. I feel like he would have been much happier for the machines, dancers and output to take center stage rather than him. The song alsoā¦i think there was such an effort to write A Eurovision Song instead of a specifically original song ā and that didnāt end up working.
Did the staging complement the song and stand out?
Tom: Lookā¦ for the BBC, this was a positive change. It was something different. Nobody else did anything like this, except possibly Armenia. But they were different enough concepts to not have too much cross-over. Would I have made all the same choices, not at all. But that also isnāt my job. I think elements of the staging shone, and elements of the staging stood out for the wrong reasons. But I am still so impressed with how involved Look Mum No Computer was in the set design and creation of props and gadgets and scenery. And for that, he deserves lots of credit.Ā
Emma: Personally, I really enjoyed the chaotic movement and use of the stage, and it felt completely in keeping with both the song and Sam as an artist. There was always something happening, and it certainly stood out! Whether every element worked is another question, and for me personally, the furry TV heads may have been a step too far, but Iād much rather see the UK throw everything at a distinctive concept like this than play it safe.
Kittens: I really do see the vision with this one, but the scale was all off. I would have much rather they closed in the stage for at least part of the performance, and didnāt make things so expensive, than end up with this almost lonely looking performance. Lack of confidence from the performer made things look so staged (which obviously it is but you donāt want it to look like it!) and stopped it from being a slick performance with all the tricks it needed. But at least there was a solid vision here, just lacking in execution.
Would this song have qualified from this yearās semifinals?
Tom: Absolutely not, and that is truly a shame. The UK is lucky we auto-qualify. No matter how much I adore Sam Battle as a musician, YouTuber, and indeed person, this simply wouldnāt have left the semis if sent by another country that isnāt a member of the āBig 4(/5)ā.Ā
Emma: Sadly, no. As much as I enjoyed the ambition and chaos of the whole package, I canāt see it breaking through the semi-final. It was simply too niche and divisive to gather enough broad support, and if anything, the UK should probably be grateful we never had to find out.
Kittens: No, I donāt think in the current format it could have made it. However, in the hands of someone else, it might have had a chanceā¦ But a slim one anyway.
What are our outlooks for future contests?
Tom: As a Brit, I have no idea what is going on. I would love to see a Mello style NF from the UK, but do I trust the British public ā absolutely not. Iād love to see the UK send some rock, some indie or some UK garage in future. I would also very much like the UK to split up, and go to Eurovision as Scotland, Wales and England (with Northern Ireland joining Ireland ā like as in international rugby competitions). I think that could change the game for all 4 nations. Failing that, lets just send something that can get some points from someone ā jeez. And please can we send a song that is a good song, written because its a good song, not outsourcing the writing to Swedes or Danes, specifically for a packaged ESC song.
Emma: I really hope the BBC doesnāt take this result as a reason to retreat back to safe, generic pop. The UK has one of the most diverse and distinctive music scenes in Europe, and this was a great push towards actually sending something that feels British rather than something manufactured specifically for Eurovision. There is so much more we could be exploring, whether thatās indie, rock, electronic music, folk or any of the regional sounds and traditions found across the four nations. Not every creative risk is going to pay off, and Iād rather we occasionally (regularly) finish near the bottom while trying something interesting than endlessly chase the formula for what we think a āEurovision songā should sound like. The BBC took a gamble this year and it didnāt quite land, but that doesnāt mean the direction was wrong. Keep taking risks, keep looking beyond mainstream pop and give artists the freedom to bring something that actually represents them. Thereās always room for improvement though. And bagpipes.
Kittens: I am very much a believer that the UK public cannot YET be trusted to pick an act for Eurovision while the reputation of Eurovision is in the doldrums here. So I am thoroughly anti-national final for us. I do think this was a step forward in terms of realising something was wrong, but just didnāt hit the mark. When it comes to the UK music industry ā weāre creative! Our talents are weird (affectionately!). We should have that represented. So what I hope for above all is for the UK to not learn the wrong lesson here ā I donāt think we should go back to generic radio friendly bops. The gamble did not work this time. But if we have the luxury to try again with creative silly lil guy (gender neutral) persona, we should. Trust me. Weāve got plenty. Just please please donāt justā¦ Give up on being odd. That being said, we might end up with Count Binface anyway, so make your own decision about that!
Watch the accompanying discussion video here:
United Kingdomās Eurovision Journey
The UK is one of the most successful countries in the Eurovision Song Contest. Debuting at the second edition of the Contest in 1957, the United Kingdom won the competition on five occasions. The most recent win for the UK was in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves, singing āLove Shine A Lightā. The UK also holds the record for second-place finishes ā currently at 16.
In 2026, Look Mum No Computer represented the UK in Vienna with his song āEins Zwei Dreiā. At the close of voting, the UK finished 25th in a field of 25, earning just one point. This one point came from the jury.
What do think about our thoughts? Do you think the United Kingdom could have done better? Let us know in the comments or on social media! Be sure to follow āThat Eurovision Siteā onĀ Twitter,Ā Facebook,Ā Instagram,Ā TikTok,Ā ThreadsĀ andĀ BlueskyĀ as we prepare for Eurovision 2027!
Source: That Eurovision Site
Image Credit: Alma Bengtsson / EBU
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