View source for United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1986

{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2014}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox song contest national year
| Year = 1986
| Broadcaster = [[BBC|British Broadcasting Corporation]] (BBC)
| Country = United Kingdom
| Selection process = ''[[A Song for Europe]] 1986''
| Selection date = 2 April 1986
| Song = Runner in the Night
| Artist = [[Ryder (band)|Ryder]]
| Writer = {{unbulleted list|Brian Wade|[[Maureen Darbyshire]]}}
| Final result = 7th, 72 points
}}

The United Kingdom was represented at the [[Eurovision Song Contest 1986]] with the song "Runner in the Night", composed by Brian Wade, with lyrics by [[Maureen Darbyshire]], and performed by the group [[Ryder (band)|Ryder]]. The British participating broadcaster, the [[British Broadcasting Corporation]] (BBC), selected its entry through a national final.

==Before Eurovision==
{{one source|section|date=April 2025}}
=== ''A Song for Europe 1986'' ===
The [[British Broadcasting Corporation]] (BBC) held the national final, ''[[A Song for Europe]] 1986'', on 2 April 1986 at Studio 1 of the [[Television Centre, London|BBC Television Centre]] in [[London]], hosted by [[Terry Wogan]]. The [[BBC Concert Orchestra]] under the direction of [[Ronnie Hazlehurst]] as conductor accompanied all but the winning song, but despite performing live, the orchestra were off-screen, behind the set. The rule introduced for 1984 prohibiting groups or 'made for Eurovision' acts from participating was rescinded. In total, 335 entries where received, and reduced tot the final eight by a variety of music industry experts.

Lead singer of the group 'Palace' was Michael Palace, previously known as Dan Duskey; Duskey had represented {{esccnty|Ireland|y=1982|t=Ireland in 1982}} as one of [[The Duskeys]] and thus became the first Eurovision artist to have taken part in the contest for another country before attempting to represent the UK. The group Jump were led by Peter Beckett and [[David Ian]]; Beckett had taken part in ''{{esccnty|United Kingdom|y=1985|t=A Song for Europe 1985}}'' and Ian had been a member of the group First Division in ''{{esccnty|United Kingdom|y=1984|t=A Song for Europe 1984}}'', as David Lane. Jump's song was written by perennial UK songwriter [[Paul Curtis (musician)|Paul Curtis]], his 19th UK finalist.

The show was opened by 1985's Eurovision winners, [[Bobbysocks]], who sang "Let It Swing", the English-language version of their winning song "[[La det swinge]]". They were joined onstage by a large number of backing dancers, choreographed by Anthony van Laast. The duo were also going to sing their brand new single "[[Waiting for the Morning (song)|Waiting for the Morning]]", but the producers decided to cancel that part of the plan and instead, the two members of the group were interviewed by Terry Wogan during the interval.

The result was determined by 11 regional juries located in Leeds, Newcastle, Plymouth, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, Belfast, Glasgow, London, Norwich and Bristol. Each jury region awarded 15, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, and 5 points to the songs. The scoreboard, due to a technical issue, was incorrectly adjusted during the broadcast and the final tallies shown on screen did not correspond with the scores announced on air.

The winning entry was "Runner in the Night", performed by the sextet [[Ryder (band)|Ryder]], composed by Brian Wade, with lyrics written by [[Maureen Darbyshire]].

The national final was broadcast on [[BBC One|BBC1]], with a simultaneous broadcast on [[BBC Radio 2]] (with commentary by [[Ray Moore (broadcaster)|Ray Moore]]).<ref>{{cite magazine |title=A Song for Europe – BBC1 |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/be53009a0935429cb3dbca4225dacc8e |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250915104949/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/be53009a0935429cb3dbca4225dacc8e |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 September 2025 |access-date=25 March 2025 |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |location=London, United Kingdom |date=29 March 1986 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=A Song for Europe – BBC Radio 2 |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/06d57a8d4a1b446495eae9f462ad2e61 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250915105009/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/06d57a8d4a1b446495eae9f462ad2e61 |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 September 2025 |access-date=25 March 2025 |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |location=London, United Kingdom |date=29 March 1986 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref> It received an audience of 14 million viewers.<ref>{{cite news |title=No job for a grown man |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-no-job-for-a-grown-man/168857590/ |access-date=25 March 2025 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=2 April 1986 |location=London, United Kingdom |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

{| class="sortable wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto; text-align:center"
|+ ''A Song for Europe 1986''{{snd}}2 April 1986<ref name="Roxburgh">{{cite book |last1=Roxburgh |first1=Gordon |title=Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest |date=2016 |publisher=[[Telos Publishing]] |location=Prestatyn |isbn=978-1-84583-118-9 |pages=240–262|series=Volume Three: The 1980s}}</ref>
|-
! scope="col" | Draw
! scope="col" | Artist
! scope="col" | Song
! scope="col" | Songwriter(s)
! scope="col" | Points
! scope="col" | Place
|-
| 1
| align="left" | [[Vanity Fare]]
| align="left" | "Dreamer"
| align="left" | [[Valerie Murtagh|Valerie Murtagh Avon]]
| 99
| 3
|-
| 2
| align="left" | Palace
| align="left" | "Dancing with You Again"
| align="left" | Peter Mason
| 91
| 4
|-
| 3
| align="left" | [[Colin Heywood]]
| align="left" | "No Easy Way to Love"
| align="left" | [[Tony Hiller]], Stewart James, Bradley James
| 80
| 6
|-
| 4
| align="left" | Chad Brown
| align="left" | "I'm Sorry"
| align="left" | [[Paul Griggs]]
| 78
| 7
|-
| 5
| align="left" | Kenny Charles
| align="left" | "Tongue-Tied"
| align="left" | Jimmy Scott
| 86
| 5
|- style="font-weight:bold; background:gold;"
| 6
| align="left" | [[Ryder (band)|Ryder]]
| align="left" | "Runner in the Night"
| align="left" | Brian Wade, [[Maureen Darbyshire]]
| 145
| 1
|-
| 7
| align="left" | Jump
| align="left" | "Don't Hang Up on Love"
| align="left" | [[Paul Curtis (musician)|Paul Curtis]], Graham Sacher
| 137
| 2
|-
| 8
| align="left" | Future
| align="left" | "War of the Roses"
| align="left" | [[Gary Osborne]], [[Johnny Warman]]
| 76
| 8
|}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|+ Detailed Jury Votes<ref name="Roxburgh" />
|-
! scope="col" | Draw
! scope="col" | Song
! scope="col" {{vert header|nb=1|Birmingham}}
! scope="col" {{vert header|nb=1|Manchester}}
! scope="col" {{vert header|nb=1|Bristol}}
! scope="col" {{vert header|nb=1|Norwich}}
! scope="col" {{vert header|nb=1|Newcastle}}
! scope="col" {{vert header|nb=1|Cardiff}}
! scope="col" {{vert header|nb=1|London}}
! scope="col" {{vert header|nb=1|Leeds}}
! scope="col" {{vert header|nb=1|Glasgow}}
! scope="col" {{vert header|nb=1|Plymouth}}
! scope="col" {{vert header|nb=1|Belfast}}
! scope="col" | Total
|-
| 1
| align="left" | "Dreamer"
| 6 || 12 || 5 || 6 || 10 || 12 || 7 || 9 || '''15''' || 10 || 7
| 99
|-
| 2
| align="left" | "Dancing with You Again"
| 5 || 7 || 6 || 7 || 6 || 7 || '''15''' || 10 || 9 || 9 || 10
| 91
|-
| 3
| align="left" | "No Easy Way to Love"
| 7 || 6 || 7 || 9 || 9 || 8 || 5 || 7 || 7 || 6 || 9
| 80
|-
| 4
| align="left" | "I'm Sorry"
| 8 || 9 || 8 || 8 || 8 || 5 || 6 || 6 || 5 || 7 || 8
| 78
|-
| 5
| align="left" | "Tongue-Tied"
| 9 || 8 || 10 || 10 || 7 || 6 || 8 || 8 || 6 || 8 || 6
| 86
|-
| 6
| align="left" | "Runner in the Night"
| '''15''' || '''15''' || '''15''' || '''15''' || 12 || 10 || 12 || 12 || 12 || '''15''' || 12
| '''145'''
|-
| 7
| align="left" | "Don't Hang Up on Love"
| 12 || 10 || 12 || 12 || '''15''' || '''15''' || 9 || '''15''' || 10 || 12 || '''15'''
| 137
|-
| 8
| align="left" | "War of the Roses"
| 10 || 5 || 9 || 5 || 5 || 9 || 10 || 5 || 8 || 5 || 5
| 76
|-
! colspan="14" | Jury Spokespersons<ref name="Roxburgh" />
|-
| colspan="14" | {{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* Birmingham{{snd}}[[Paul Coia]]
* Manchester{{snd}}[[John Mundy (presenter)|John Mundy]]
* Bristol{{snd}}[[Angela Rippon]]
* Norwich{{snd}}David Clayton
* Newcastle{{snd}}[[Mike Neville (newsreader)|Mike Neville]]
* Cardiff{{snd}}Maureen Staffer
* London{{snd}}[[Colin Berry]]
* Leeds{{snd}}Linda Dryburgh-Smith
* Glasgow{{snd}}[[Dougie Donnelly]]
* Plymouth{{snd}}Christopher Slade
* Belfast{{snd}}[[Rose Neill]]
{{div col end}}
|}

==At Eurovision==
Ryder performed fifth on the night of the Contest, following {{esccnty|Norway|y=1986}} and preceding {{esccnty|Iceland|y=1986}}. At the close of the voting the song had received 72 points, placing 7th in a field of 20 competing countries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Final of Bergen 1986 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/bergen-1986/final |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=16 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416103300/https://eurovision.tv/event/bergen-1986/final |archive-date=16 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Terry Wogan]] once again provided the television commentary on [[BBC 1]]. [[BBC Radio 2]] also returned broadcasting the contest, with commentary provided by [[Ray Moore (broadcaster)|Ray Moore]]. The BBC appointed [[Colin Berry]] as its spokesperson to announce the result of the British jury.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

The members of the UK jury included Mr. T Abraham, Mr. A Brown, Miss M Chapman, David Elder, Mrs. M Heathcote, Mr. P Jenkinson, Sue Lloyd, Mrs. T O'Shea, Quentin Smith, Gary Speirs and Miss C White.<ref name="Roxburgh2">{{cite book|last=Roxburgh|first=Gordon|title=Songs For Europe - The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest |series=Volume Three: The 1980s|publisher=[[Telos Publishing]]|location=UK|year=2017|pages=265–276|isbn=978-1-84583-118-9}}</ref>

=== Voting ===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Points awarded to the United Kingdom<ref name="1986detailed">{{cite web |title=Results of the Final of Bergen 1986 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/bergen-1986/final/results/united-kingdom |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=16 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416134423/https://eurovision.tv/event/bergen-1986/final/results/united-kingdom |archive-date=16 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! scope="col" width="20%" | Score
! scope="col" | Country
|-
! scope="row" | 12 points
|
|-
! scope="row" | 10 points
| {{Unbulleted list|{{Esc|Finland|y=1986}}|{{Esc|France|y=1986}}}}
|-
! scope="row" | 8 points
| {{Unbulleted list|{{Esc|Denmark|y=1986}}|{{Esc|Sweden|y=1986}}}}
|-
! scope="row" | 7 points
|
|-
! scope="row" | 6 points
| {{Unbulleted list|{{Esc|Norway|y=1986}}|{{Esc|Turkey|y=1986}}}}
|-
! scope="row" | 5 points
| {{Esc|Germany|y=1986}}
|-
! scope="row" | 4 points
| {{Unbulleted list|{{Esc|Luxembourg|y=1986}}|{{Esc|Switzerland|y=1986}}}}
|-
! scope="row" | 3 points
| {{Esc|Austria|y=1986}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2 points
| {{Unbulleted list|{{Esc|Cyprus|1960|y=1986}}|{{Esc|Israel|y=1986}}|{{Esc|Portugal|y=1986}}|{{Esc|Spain|y=1986}}}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1 point
|
|}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Points awarded by the United Kingdom<ref name="1986detailed" />
|-
! scope="col" width="20%" | Score
! scope="col" | Country
|-
! scope="row" style="background:gold" | 12 points
| {{Esc|Germany|y=1986}}
|-
! scope="row" style="background:silver" | 10 points
| {{Esc|Belgium|y=1986}}
|-
! scope="row" style="background:#CC9966" | 8 points
| {{Esc|Luxembourg|y=1986}}
|-
! scope="row" | 7 points
| {{Esc|Yugoslavia|y=1986}}
|-
! scope="row" | 6 points
| {{Esc|Denmark|y=1986}}
|-
! scope="row" | 5 points
| {{Esc|Switzerland|y=1986}}
|-
! scope="row" | 4 points
| {{Esc|Portugal|y=1986}}
|-
! scope="row" | 3 points
| {{Esc|Sweden|y=1986}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2 points
| {{Esc|Turkey|y=1986}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1 point
| {{Esc|Spain|y=1986}}
|}
{{col-end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest}}
{{Eurovision Song Contest 1986}}

[[Category:United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest|1986]]
[[Category:Countries in the Eurovision Song Contest 1986]]
[[Category:1986 in British music|Eurovision]]
[[Category:1986 in British television|Eurovision]]