Recently in Eurovision Previews Category

Right, there may not be much in the way of blanket promotion across the airwaves for the competition, but the 2008 Eurovision Dance Contest begins at 8pm BST tomorrow (Saturday) at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow.

We know who's taking part, but when exactly are they playing? And do we know what moves each couple will be showing off to a watching continent?

Of course we do. We're Boom Bang a Blog.

Isn't the alphabet marvellous? By listing the entries taking part in this year's Eurovision Dance Contest in that fashion it has enabled us to be all patriotic and save the UK until last. Huzzah.

Taking on the burdenous mantle this year is actress (note: 'actress'. Not 'professional dancer'. Oh yes, we know how to play by the rules...) Louisa Lytton, who is taking a break from chasing naughty teenagers down alleyways full of really big bins in The Bill to give a potential hometown victory in the Eurovision Dance Contest a shot. Well, look how well the Chinese athletes did in their own back yard at the Olympics.

These two look like they know a thing or two about style. It's the Ukraine, the 13th of 14 nations taking part in this year's Eurovision Dance Contest.

If you've read the entry for the Russian couple, you'll be aware that there are actually two couples hailing from Ukraine (goodness knows why, it's not as though Russia has a population of Monaco-esque proportions), which will probably make for some interesting votes on the night.

It's usually the case that former Pop Idol contestants go for a second nibble at fame's cherry via the Song Contest, not the Dance one. But Sweden's Danny Saucedo is relying on his toes and not his vocal chords in an attempt to scoop a trophy for his homeland.

He is joined by professional dancer Jeanette Carlsson (not Krankie, despite the Contest taking place in Scotland) in an attempt to light up the scoreboard for Sweden on Saturday night.

Now, although Dima Bilan's barefoot-performed ballad was by no means a worthy winner of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, the inclusion of Russia in the Dance Contest line-up means TV Moscow could wind up with the very first Song/Dance Contest double.

Imagine the excitement. It won't be long before Manchester United start entering both Contests as well.

And they're hoping to pull it off with the obligatory professional dancer and a former Olympic ice dancing champion.

Now, this dynamic duo has a lot of responsibility weighing down on their 20 talented toes.

If they score the most points in Glasgow on Saturday night it will be the first time Portugal has ever won a Eurovision Contest, dancing or otherwise.

No pressure then.

Polish pair Martin Mroczek and Edyta Herbus hope to "conquer the European hearts" at this year's Dance Contest, which has lost them the cardiac surgeon vote already.

Boom Bang a Blog is assured their performance on Saturday will not involve sitting in the corner of a Glaswegian pub with their thumbs aloft, as the above image suggests (Pher-yewee, that wouldn't have gone down well with the judges).

Shall we have a nosegay at their biogs? Oh, go on then...

It is four years since the Netherlands last showed up in a final of the Eurovision Song Contest, but with no pesky semi-final system to worry about here, the Dutch are loud and proud and straight through to the final in Glasgow.

Singer Thomas Berge takes on the amateur role in this partnership, having had experience in musicals such as Oliver and The Secret Garden and his popularity is such, a nosey Dutch camera crew followed his every move for a wee while to make a six episode fly-on-the-wall documentary all about him.

Finland was the last nation to pick its entrant for the 2007 Eurovision Dance Contest - and won the whole thing. This year, it is the Lithuanians who brought up the rear in the couple-picking stakes, so will this prove ominous?

Dancers Saulius Skambinas and Karina Krysko certainly hope so. Bless 'em. There wasn't a lot of meat on the bones of their biography, but we'll do our best with what we've got...

In a turnaround from recent Irish Eurovision entries, we have it on good authority that neither of these two dancing lovelies are feathered hand puppets.

Time was when the Eurovision relationship between Ireland and the UK was strictly one-way traffic. The call of: "And finally, Ireland... 12 points" could be heard regularly from the London-based jury, whereas the Dublin spokesperson would usually relish the announcement of "...and we give one point to the United Kingdom" with a rather smug grin.

But with the Eastern European love-in the Contest has now become, something rather marvellous has happened. The now-neglected former Eurovision powerhouses of Royaume Uni and Irlande have forged a voting relationship of Greek/Cypriot proportions.