British flag-fliers Scooch have hit back after scathing comments by singer and chat-show host Charlotte Church this week.
Ms Church, in her online video diary, slammed the band as "absolute s**t", confessing that the performance "made every pore in my body itch with embarrassment". The attack also targetted the Making Your Mind Up contest itself, which Church also dismissed as "absolute s**t". She did admit, however, that she thought Cyndi should have won: "Cyndi had a good voice and it was a reasonable song".
In a press release from the band's management, Russ Spencer, Natalie Powers, David Ducasse and Caroline Barnes admit that they are dismayed to hear the singer, known ashaving the"voice of an angel", had launched an unprovoked monologue about the group and their song "Flying The Flag (For You)". In Russ' words, "what a pity the voice of an angel has acquired the mouth of a sewer". Natalie adds "As a mother of a young child myself I find her behaviour and language quite unacceptable. What kind of role model is this for a mum-to-be?".
Opposing camps
The song has certainly been the cause of lots of heated discussion in the UK, and as ever with Eurovision, opinion is split down love-hate lines with both camps clearly having much to say. But singer Caroline expresses her concern about the way this is vocalised: "It is natural that not everybody is going to like our song. For some reason good fun pop music offends some people. But there is a POLITE way to express your opinion, something that Charlotte wasn't able to do", she says.
David concludes with a severe ticking-off aimed at the young singer and TV star: "The British public voted for us so we would hope that their opinion would be respected. We would also hope that our entry would be shown patriotic support, particularly by people who are fortunate to have been placed in positions of influence. Charlotte's outburst seems to be a cheap, and attention seeking, reaction of a young lady who should know better".
