Back in the 1990's I approached the new Head of Entertainment at the BBC David Liddiment and told him I'd like to try to save Top of the Pops which was dying. He couldn't let me do that (someone else had been contracted) but asked me to try to find a UK Eurovision winner. I started by getting young fans and soul fans with Love City Groove - it was championed by Kiss-FM and made the top ten but only reached #10 in Eurovision. The next year I found what I thought was the best Eurovision song and track ever - Ooh Aah Just A Little Bit. But it only got to 8, so I quit. The new Head of Entertainment, my friend Mike Leggo, had been a researcher on my TV series Entertainment USA - he begged me to give it one last try; Katrina won with Love Shine A Light (I realised we needed a performer as well as a good song). So I collected my (massive) bonus and stayed on (next year we hosted and came second with Imaani).

I think I'd still be doing it if events hadn't brought me into contact with Surrey Police. And we'd have won a few times.

Here's one I put together earlier. As it's Brexit year I thought I'd go for the sympathy vote. Which of the three finalists do you prefer (it's Michael for me) - or do you prefer THIS?

Michael won; ordinary song; terrific performance. Could even win Eurovision 2019.

How do you identify a hit?

Are there identifiable common musical factors linking songs that have commercial success, or is it an initial gut reaction.... or what?

For me it's fairly ruthless gut reaction - so I tend to be right more often than most (only 5% as opposed to 1% but that's still better!).