Unfortunately the music was less impressive, though that made for a more exciting contest. It’s always fun not being certain who will win.

I was very lucky in that I brought the sunshine with me and the drive into the city from the airport showed Helsinki as a pretty town though reflecting the Northern, Russian style of architecture – flat featureless buildings and grand metropolitan palaces and statues.

My hotel, the aptly named KAMP, was excellent, with beautiful rooms. I knew I was in the right place when I saw a giant, green rubber duck in the bathroom. Marble, spotlessly clean, luxurious and extremely comfortable, everyone said this is far and away the best place to stay in Helsinki. Indeed, Terry and the present Mrs Wogan were there – I wandered up to them in the restaurant for a very warm reception and a chat. My long time Eurovision junior assistant, Kevin Bishop, is still running the BBC side and greeted me with “Oh my God” to which I answered “I’m glad you remember my name Kevin”!

The evening meal in the hotel’s Japanese restaurant was one of the best I’ve ever had, with my Eurovision friends Jonathan Mark Two, Peter, Paul and Billboard’s legendary columnist and chart expert Fred Bronson, who told me he’d already booked into Belgrade next year as Serbia was bound to win.

I have to say I felt the same way though Ukraine were favourites, to me Serbia was far and away the best performance.

Peter had written the English lyric for the Icelandic entry and was spending a lot of time in the Press Centre. All agreed that it was far and away the biggest as well as the best run, with literally hundreds of computers for the media to use and all the other facilities including bean bags for lounging relaxation. Tipsheet regulars Anthony and Glen were there, Glen doing a huge amount of work for the Eurovision TV Channel and Anthony officially representing the Tipsheet. With incredible efficiency they made sure I had all the correct accreditation. And with much hilarity they witnessed the little Finnish security lady ask me if she could see my little tool which turned out to be something on my key ring.

I bumped into many other journalists there including the legendary Richard, covering the event for The Hitsheet.

It was nice to be made to feel so welcome. Dozens of Eurovision fans, aware of my involvement with the UK a decade ago, shook my hand and gave me hugs. Two lovely Irish girls insisted on having their photos taken with me, although they admitted it was more for the jacket than for me.

I’ve never seen a city become so Eurovision obsessed.

The beautiful main square was throbbing with Finns – over 40,000 – and every bar and corner was packed with celebrating fans.

Helsinki is a city of outside cafes, strangely considering the weather, and the tables were full to the brim. The auditorium was in a monolithic rock building but the show was superbly staged and very well covered by the local and international media. Finland is still a Goth Rock Heavy Metal capital; like a lot of Scandinavia and the North, a charming twenty five years behind the rest of Western Europe musically. Eurovision goodies were on sale everywhere, side by side with all the usual and expected Finnish objects like reindeer, soft skins, sides of smoked salmon, pots of caviar, stuffed toys of every variety and other memorabilia.

The show itself was slick, speedy and spectacular though they haven’t quite got the rather complex voting clear yet.

I totally disagree with all the block voting criticism; I still maintain that a real hit will win as long as the performance is good.

That theory was damaged when Gina G failed with, I felt, the best Eurovision entry ever – ooh ahh just a little bit… but I proved it valid when we won ten years ago with Katrina and Love Shine A Light. The very fact that this year an expert American – Fred – and an objective Brit – me – thought Serbia was far and away the best, and it won, gives rise for optimism. Why did the UK do so badly with Scooch? Because it was bloody awful is the simple answer. Everyone said so and everyone was right.

So – my theory of Eurovision? Yes, countries tend to vote for their neighbours but Eastern Europe is so excited to be a part of the European Union and so adores the currently fresh challenge of Eurovision that they are now doing it far better than we are.

You can smell the enthusiasm and energy. Even an awful song like the Ukraine one is given such electricity by the performance that it destroys an equally bad yet typically shoddy UK entry.

I loathed the awful Danish Drama Queen and it died. I thought the Swiss Vampires were cynical and so did the voters. The Andorra Anonymous boy band was quite cute but the song was nothing and did nothing. I don’t think there was a real hit in the contest this year.

Whereas there were several last year – Romania’s delicious Tornero, Russia’s wonderful Dima Bilan, Lithuania’s mad We Are The Winners and even Lordi’s magic pop rock sendup… all genuine hits for me. This year, no hits; as a result, more blatant block voting.

But still the best lady won with a great voice and suitable lack of glamour (though I think the Hungarian girl Magdi is also a potential future superstar).

Political voting? Rubbish. Scandinavia rightly won last year though I’d have preferred the even stronger Russia which came second. Serbia rightly won this year. The United Kingdom rightly won ten years ago.

Why? Because they had a King finding their entry.

Say no more. Oh my God!