LONDON - Swedish musician Benny Andersson has spoken against the talent show, Eurovision Song Contest, which had helped his band Abba to find fame.

Andersson, 62, said ahead of the 54th annual final in Russia that the show, which had helped ABBA win with their ‘Waterloo’ song 35-years-ago, now “means nothing” to him, as it has gone downhill after their win.

“What it is now is possibly a great television event, but for music it means nothing,” the Scotsman quoted him as saying.

“I don’t watch Eurovision. It’s become so huge.

“It was a smaller scale then than it is now. It might have been a little bit more meaningful in the 50s and 60s and when we entered but after that, I’m not sure if anything ever happened.

“Musically, it’s not what it should be. But as a television show it’s a good show,” he said.

Andersson also added that it was a good spectacle “if you can bear sitting for such a long time”, and revealed that he had over the years been asked to help with the Swedish entry in the contest but had no interest in doing so.

Russia is hosting the contest for the first time this year after Dima Bilan won the competition in Belgrade last year.

The event, expected to attract a television audience of at least 100 million, is being staged at the huge stadium built for the Moscow Olympics in 1980. (ANI)