Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon has branded the Eurovision Song Contest "absolutely awful" despite hoping to represent Ireland.
The singer threw his hat into the ring as the Irish representative backed by his band Public Image Ltd (PiL). Irish broadcaster RTE announced PiL are among the six entries vying to represent the country in Liverpool in May.
The post-punk group, formed in 1978, have entered the song Hawaii, described as a "love letter" to John's wife of nearly 50 years, Nora, who has Alzheimer's disease but recent comments from John show he has less than favourable thoughts regarding the competition and its reputation.