The UK's Eurovision entry will be decided this Friday has already generated controversy, months before the contest takes place in Kiev, Ukraine.
The reason? All six finalists, who will compete in a heat on BBC2's 'You Decide' programme, are former X Factor contestants - or, as some people have rather cruelly dubbed them, 'rejects'.
They are Danyl Johnson, Lucie Jones (both 2009), Olivia Garcia, Nate Simpson (both 2016), Holly Brewer (2015) and Selena Mastroianni (2012).
People on Twitter have been reacting to the shortlist, and not all of it is complimentary:
#Eurovision UK entry is doomed with an X Factor reject singing 😂
— Marc Almond (@Tubzy2001) January 24, 2017
So every one of this years UK hopefuls for Eurovision is an X Factor reject!! So another year of nul points for UK then.... ðŸ˜ÂÂ? #Eurovision
— Carl Goddard (@CarlGoddard_) January 24, 2017
Our Eurovision contest representative will be decided this Friday on the Telly! All former X Factor contestants, I'm leaving the Country ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
— ðŸÅ½¶ Brian (@Brianquizmaster) January 24, 2017
X Factor rejects representing the U.K this year at #Eurovision. Should be exciting watching us place 24th again.
— Chris Aaron Arnott (@Chris_Arnott) January 24, 2017
An X Factor reject to represent the UK for Eurovision?! We have no chance! If we didn't vote for them then Europe bloody won't! #Eurovision
— Ryan Ashmore 🙌 (@Razamataz144) January 23, 2017
All the Eurovision contestants are former X factor contestants 😂
— Hollie 🦄 (@rosegoldbadwi) January 23, 2017
Mind you, at least the people of the UK have a say in their Eurovision entry. Ireland, on the other hand, will not be afforded the same opportunity as our entry - by Brendan Murray, a former member of Louis Walsh's boyband Hometown - has already been given the green-light, although the song has not been selected.
