Harman said that up to 4 million people would take part in the contest.

Seventeen countries were originally to take part in the contest.

Members are also beginning to take sides in the contest for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.

A record 25 countries took part in the contest, which was beamed live to an estimated 300 million viewers throughout Europe and beyond.

All artists taking part in the contest this year did it for the first time.

Due to the poor placing, Macedonia was not invited to take part in the 1999 contest.

Many other known aviators of that time took part in the contest as well.

He took first place in the contest and was immediately signed with a US management/agency team.

Italy was one of the seven participating countries to take part in the first contest in 1956.

The low placement meant that the Netherlands were relegated from taking part in the 2002 contest.