The Big Review (33) Romania

Last year I was convinced that Romania had a fighting chance of winning Eurovision with "Zaleilah". This year I am convinced that Romania are not only going to fail to qualify, they will fail badly. Cazar's vocals, whilst impressive, are also downright freaky. The song "It's My Life" doesn't do much for me either. I full expect people at my preview party tomorrow night to be falling around laughing when this comes on. Still, it's memorable, for all the wrong reasons. If Europe is having a bit of a laugh then this might just sneak through but I'm sticking to my guns. For now.

Qualifying: No

The Big Review (12) Moldova

Moldova is an interesting country in Eurovision, they're very hit and miss. Their debut in 2005 was a hit and their follow-up in 2006 was a big miss. Last year's song was a cracking little ditty and I even thought it was going to win the whole thing at one point (I know, I had obviously listened to the songs too many times to remain objective!) This year is a bit of a miss for me. I don't like Aliona's voice for a start nor do I like the song. Even having the lovely Pascha on piano doesn't help this. It all comes across as rather messy. Good use of the frock though, very Azerbaijan 2012! I would dearly love Moldova to win one day, it would be fascinating if the contest was staged in what is a very problematic country, economically and politically (it's the poorest country in Europe and has seen massive civil unrest in Transnistria). With Romania unable to vote in this semi-final, I think it's safe to say that it won't be Chisinau 2014!

Qualifying: No