Which country has finished last the most at Eurovision? (No, it’s not the UK)

The country that has the worst Eurovision track record might surprise you (Picture: Getty)

With the Eurovision Song Contest set to air on BBC1 tonight in Switzerland, fans are keen to know who is favourite to win the iconic competition… and who risks scoring the dreaded Nil Points.

All eyes will be on pop group Remember Monday tonight, in the hope that they can buck the recent trend of the UK finishing toward the bottom of the leaderboard.

The band, consisting of Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele, will be taking to the stage to perform a rendition of What the Hell Just Happened? for juries and audiences worldwide.

This comes after last year’s UK representative, Olly Alexander, finished in a disappointing 18th place, receiving a blistering 0 points in the public vote – with only 46 jury votes saving him from a humiliating last-place finish.

The UK has finished in last place a total of five times (so far!), with James Newman most recently receiving Nil Points for the song Embers, back in 2021.

But which nation has been the most unsuccessful in Eurovision history?

Remember Monday from the United Kingdom perform the song "What The Hell Just Happened" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Friday, May 16 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Pop band Remember Monday will represent the UK tonight (Credits: AP)

Which country has finished last the most at Eurovision?

Those who remember last year’s competition may recall that Norway finished in last place, with 16 points.

This marked the 12th time they have finished bottom of the table, making Norway the country which has come last the most in Eurovision history.

During last year’s competition, Norwegian folk rock and metal band Gåte performed their rendition of Ulveham, earning the country its most recent last-place finish.

Before then, Norway had finished in last place for their 2012 entry, Stay by Tooji (but we’ll forgive you if you don’t remember that particular performance).

Since making its debut in the contest in 1960, Norway has also come in last place in 1963, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1990, 1997, 2001 and 2004.

But it isn’t all bad news – as the Scandinavian country has also won the contest three times and scored the biggest victory ever in 2009, winning by a huge margin.

Olly Alexander of United Kingdom performs the song Dizzy during the first semi-final at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Olly Alexander failed to impress with last year’s performance (Picture: AP)

How many times has the UK finished last in Eurovision?

The UK has finished last in Eurovision a total of four times.

These were in 2008 with Andy Abraham (14 points), in 2010 with Josh Dubovie (10 points), in 2019 with Michael Rice (11 points), and in 2021 with James Newman (0 points).

Last year, Olly Alexander narrowly missed coming bottom of the table, placing 18th out of 25 in the Grand Final.

The UK’s Eurovision performance was considerably better in the 20th century, having won the contest a total of five times in 1967, 1969, 1976, 1981 and 1997.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva/Shutterstock (15306353q) Finnish group KAJ representing Sweden with the song Bara Bada Bastu perform at the dress rehearsal of the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, late on May 16, 2025. Eurovision Song Contest 2025 - Grand Final, Basel, Switzerland - 16 May 2025
Finnish group Kaj are current favourites to win tonight (Picture: Shutterstock)

Eurovision final odds 2025

Bookmakers currently have Sweden as the favourite to win Eurovision 2024, with most giving the nation 40% odds to take home the trophy.

Also in the running are Austria and France, with a respective 20% and 13% chance of winning

Meanwhile, the UK’s own Remember Monday are dark horses in the competition, with current odds putting them in 11th place, with a mere 1% chance of winning.

The Eurovision 2025 Grand Final airs tonight at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

This article was first published on May 9, 2024.

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