Will the UK go pop?

This time last year Jade had won the UK's Eurovision selection programme and had been half way round Europe in an attempt to get them to vote for her.

It's a little different for 2010. We still have Your Country Needs You, but it's all happening on one night - this Friday at 8.30pm on BBC1.

Six acts are lining up to represent the UK, and it looks like the emphasis is on youth. The 6 hopefuls comprise: Alexis (aged 20), Josh (19), Esma (17), Karen (18), Miss Fitz (a 3 piece all girl group) and Uni5 (which is made up of 3 girls and 2 boys).

It's pretty much impossible for us to say who should win, because we've not really heard any of them sing. From the info available, we quite like the sound of Miss Fitz, who have already given The X Factor a go. Marina is the daughter of none other than Colin Berry (left), who regularly read out the UK's votes, and Maiken hails from Oslo and seems to know plenty about her country's past Eurovision entries.

But what of the song one of these 6 acts will sing?  Well that's in the hands of Pete Waterman and Mike Stock (pictured right).  Eurovision Express normally loves ballads, but this year's Contest is saturated with them, so we're hoping for an uptempo pop classic - something like Banarama's Love In The Third Degree, Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up or Kylie's Better The Devil You Know.

On Friday the six acts will be whittled down to three, who will then each sing the Waterman/Stock composition.  The UK entrant will be decided by a public televote.

Here at Eurovision Express we've got everything crossed for a fantastic UK entry!