RTÉ’s vision: Kennedy in Athens

IT’S the cheesiest programme on the box with laughable lyrics, garish outfits and camp-as-Christmas dance routines.

Top tunes have included Boom Bang- A-Bang, Diggi-loo Diggi-ley and A-Ba-Ni-Bi but, despite dodgy lyrics, the Eurovision Song Contest is still a ratings winner, regularly pulling in more than 300 million viewers from around the world.

That’s why RTÉ have decided it’s time to take it seriously again. After almost a decade of dismal results for Ireland, the station yesterday ditched its You’re a Star formula and brought in the formidably talented Brian Kennedy to perform Ireland’s entry for next year’s Eurovision final in Athens.