Last ditch attempt: RTE ditch Eurovision mentors and ask public to find a winning song

RTE have axed the Eurovision mentor system – in a last ditch attempt to finally win the song competition again.

Last year Ireland were embarrassed across Europe after Kasey Smith failed to even get through to the Eurovision final in Denmark.

And in 2012, Ryan Dolan came dead last after managing to pick up just five points from the other European nations.

Axed: Eurosong is being taken out of hands of mentors | ANDRES POVEDA

Now RTE have decided to change the way acts are picked – after previously allowing five music industry experts to pick an act which were then put to a public vote.

Instead the public will be allowed to submit any entry, all of which will be considered and short listed by an initial RTE-picked judging panel.

Songwriters and singers from across Ireland until the end of the month to enter any song, as long as it is not more than three minutes in length.

RTE said the changes were made after they “reviewed the selection procedure for this year’s contest” following our recent dismal performance in the Eurovision, which we previously won seven times.

Winner: Conchita after she was crowned champion

It is understood that the public will still pick the final song as part of a show like The Hit, hosted by Nicky Byrne, taking it away from the Late Late Show.

Eurovision Executive Producer Michael Kealy said: “Ireland has a track record at Eurovision which is second to none but finding a song and an artist who can perform at the biggest entertainment show in the world is not an easy task.

“This year we have decided to have an open selection process for Eurosong 2015 and we want to hear from the very best songwriters and performers who believe they have what it takes to compete at the highest level in Vienna next May.”

It currently costs more than €100,000 to take part – including a fee of around €7,000 which is paid to the European Broadcast Union.

Jedward have been one of our most successful acts in recent years, when they came eighth in 2011.

Last year’s Eurovision was won by Conchita Wurst, with the 60th anniversary of the competition to be held in Vienna, Austria on May 23.

Entries can be submitted on CD or on USB key as an MP3 or WAV file to Eurosong 2015, RTE Entertainment, Donnybrook, Dublin 4 before October 31.