Cheryl Baker, the 72-year-old singer who shot to fame as part of Bucks Fizz after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981, has revealed that she and her bandmates were a "prime target" for terrorism on the night of their victory. The group, originally consisting of Cheryl, Bobby G, Mike Nolan, and Jay Aston, won with the track Making Your Mind Up and went on to enjoy further success with hits like My Camera Never Lies and The Land of Make Believe.
IRA Threat During Eurovision
Speaking about the 1981 contest, Baker admitted that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) posed a significant threat. She said: "For us, when we did it, it was the IRA. And because we didn't do a show in Ireland, the IRA threatened to disrupt the show. I was young, so I thought it was really exciting — when you're young you have no fear."
She recounted the intense security measures: "Everywhere we went, we had armed guards. No other contingents were in our coach either, it was just us. And we had outriders, so it made us feel like royalty." Reflecting on the danger, she added: "We were prime targets and if they had done something to us, it would have been fantastic for their political statement. But when you're young."
Bucks Fizz Legacy and Eurovision Rankings
Since 2004, the group has performed as The Fizz. A recent survey of 2,000 adults by WhichBingo ranked Making Your Mind Up as the greatest British Eurovision entry for the second consecutive year. Sam Ryder's Space Man came second, followed by Brotherhood of Man's Save Your Kisses for Me, Cliff Richard's Congratulations, and Katrina and the Waves' Love Shine a Light.
Cheryl Baker on This Year's UK Entry
Baker praised this year's UK entry, Eins, Zwei, Drei, performed by YouTube star Look Mum No Computer. She said: "I actually think our boy's going to do really well this year — at the very least I think we'll finally be on the left-hand side of the scoreboard rather than the right-hand side. It's fun, it's different, and Eurovision audiences love that. I've seen the rehearsals and he's got dancers with these television screens — it looks great and could do really well."
