Boyband Blue are back

With just a few days to go before the Eurovision Song Contest, things are not quite going to plan for boyband Blue, who have been given the thankless task of saving British national pride with the song I Can.

None of the BBC's radio stations has put it on their playlist, which means listeners both in the UK and across the continent have little chance to hear the song in advance.

"We would have liked our country to get behind us," says Lee Ryan, "but that seems to be too much to ask."

Their gripe must rest firmly at the feet of the BBC, which finds and promotes the UK entries, and screens and partly funds the Eurovision Song Contest.

"All we want is to do our country proud," says Blue's Antony Costa, who made an unsuccessful attempt to represent the UK at Eurovision five years ago. "We have as good a chance of winning as anyone."

Last year the UK polled last, with Josh Dubovie's That Sounds Good to Me getting ten points — the third time the UK have finished bottom in eight years.

Outside the competition, UK music dominates with the likes of Adele and Tinie Tempah having number ones in charts across the globe. But Eurovision — with its many political and geographic factions — is a different matter

The contest will be Blue's first gig since they reunited a few months ago following a six-year hiatus. Having had number ones all over Europe in their Noughties heyday, with songs such as All Rise, the band say there could be no bigger showcase than one which is screened to 130 million people across Europe.

Competition politics

"If we can get a top five place it will be amazing," says Costa, 29. "For us it is just great promotion — a way of showing European fans that Blue are back."

And if it all goes wrong? "We're emigrating," says Costa. "I'm going straight to Goa," adds his bandmate Simon Webbe, 32.

But the boys insist that if the worst happens they won't blame the politics of the competition. Last year, the rules were changed so that the public only has a 50 per cent role in choosing the winner. The rest will be decided by an "independent" panel of music professionals.

"In the past, we have had some really cheesy acts. It's a competition for music; you can't go in with a bad song and then blame not getting very far on politics," says Duncan James, 33.

But not everyone is taking it as seriously as Blue. Ireland are sending X Factor jokers Jedward as their entry. While Blue don't want to get into a publicity war (they share the same publicist), James says: "Jedward are a great gimmicky act, but Eurovision's gone beyond gimmicks."

But were Jedward to beat them, they insist they will "shake their hands".

The new-look band have been hard at work in the gym. When I meet Ryan and Webbe, they are both in skin-tight vests which show off their rippling biceps.

They haven't left a stone unturned to promote their song — they've even posed nude for a magazine. When we meet, they are about to fly to Ireland, Romania, Ukraine and Russia; all in just three days.

It is ten years since Blue first formed after meeting on the boyband audition circuit. They feel they have learned some hard lessons along the way.

"We have come back much more business savvy," says James. "Our first single went in at number four, our second number one, and before we knew it we were recording with Sir Elton John. Then we burnt out and went away and it was like: ‘Where's all the money?'"

They broke up in 2006 for a few reasons. They were exhausted from travelling; their career seemed to be dipping after a few singles failed to make it into the top ten; their record boss Hugh Goldsmith was leaving; and they each had "whisperers" promising them solo success.

DIY

After they split, the boys had mixed fortunes. Although most lost their solo record contracts they continued to be in the public eye; James as a presenter and West End star, and Costa also in the West End and on TV's I'm A Celebrity.

Webbe — who had the most successful solo music career — also appeared on I'm A Celebrity, while Ryan was briefly a contestant on Hell's Kitchen.

This time around, the boys are doing it by themselves. They've set up their own record label to produce their next album, which they are funding, and they are managing themselves.

"We're flying economy and being careful with our cash," says Webbe. "It's not just about us; it's about our children's future."

Ryan, along with James, is responsible for many of the band's big hits, as well as their Eurovision entry.

"When we get together we just write," says James. "We are so quick that sometimes we can write a song in five minutes.

I Can is about getting back together again.

"We're happy to be back together and we are determined to enjoy this a lot more the second time round."