Tellier single outrage

Sebastién’s Eurovision entry upsets French - Wogan responds! 

16 April 08 - Sebastién Tellier’s single Divine, France's Eurovision entry, has sparked outrage in his native country.

Tellier was selected by France 3, the state television channel, to perform his electro-pop track at the annual contest – which is happens in Belgrade on 24 May.

However, the track is almost entirely sung in English - a first for a French entry in 52 years of the competition.

This has caused considerable upset amongst the French. So much so, that one MP has demanded an explanation from the Culture Minister about why Divine was chosen to represent the country.

The MP, François-Michel Gonnot  (a member of President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party) explained to The Times: "Our fellow citizens don't understand why France is giving up defending its language in front of hundreds of millions of television viewers around the world."

“It’s not going to make the smallest difference to their efforts"
- Terry Wogan

Tellier's producer, Marc Teissier du Cros, has responded saying: "Sebastién Tellier sings in English, French and even in Italian according to his inspiration.

"This year, half the Eurovision candidates are singing in English and I don't think that singing in French is the best way to make oneself understood by the whole world."

Terry Wogan, the long-serving host of the show in the UK, told 6 Music: “The French are very very proud of their language you see and it’s a bit of a body blow because it’s the thin end of the wedge here because the French insist that the Eurovision song contest is always conducted in three languages.

“But the French always insist that it be announced in French as well, because it used to be The Lingua franca [the language of the most influential nation(s) of the time] so they’re going to be very hurt about this.”

Not that Wogan reckons that the language of the French entry will help their odds.

He said: “It’s not going to make the smallest difference to their efforts because as you know, anybody that sings in English is roundly hated by anybody who lives east of the Danube"

“So that’s it! I mean it’s diminishing their chances. I don’t know, are they mad?”


Kelly Stooke