Eurovision: Bucks Fizz stars on what Years and Years singer Olly Alexander needs in Malmo final

This was the winning combination which led UK entrant Bucks Fizz to victory at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981.

“That was the tipping point for us winning the Eurovision Song Contest,” says Cheryl Baker, 70, about their skirt reveal more than 40 years since the classic Eurovision moment.

“I honestly don’t think we would have won without it, I honestly don’t. It was the thing that made us memorable.”

Fellow original member Jay Aston reveals a slight wardrobe malfunction on her part during the finale performance may have garnered them some extra attention.

“There’s some slightly more revealing-than-I-would-wish photos out there when I did my twirl,” says the 63-year-old singer.

“But then it might have got us a couple more points,”, she adds with a chuckle. “It was a 19-year-old bottom then, we’d be at nul points now.”

The pair, who now perform in a spin-off group named The Fizz, are reflecting on their winning performance with their hit Making Your Mind Up – after which went on to sell millions of records with a string of studio and greatest hits albums released throughout the 1980s – as this year’s Eurovision contestants set their sights on the same prize.

British singer Olly Alexander will be hoping to follow in their footsteps this year when he takes to the stage in Malmo, Sweden with his dance-infused track Dizzy.

Aston remembers feeling the weight of expectation on their shoulders when they were preparing for the show, but says the buzz of rehearsals, photoshoots and interviews took over.

“You’re just so excited”, she recalls. “It was an amazing time.”

Do they have any pearls of wisdom for Alexander? “I wouldn’t think he needs advice because he’s such a fantastic performer,” says Baker.

“He’s got a wonderful voice, I love him.

“All I would say is to do something like we did. If you look at any of the winning songs of Eurovision, they’ve always got something that’s special and listening to Dizzy, it needs something to lift it.

“It needs something toward the end, he needs to do something spectacular on the stage that makes everybody want to see it again…

“He just needs to pull it out of the bag on the night and I’m sure he can.”

And if the Years & Years singer is at a loss for how to grab the audience’s attention, Baker has a solution.

“What you need is Velcro,” she tells me through a giggle. “Because if the song doesn’t work, just rip your clothes off – it worked for us.”

The Fizz will be performing at the Indigo at The O2 in London on June 28 at their concert titled Party Like It’s 1981.