Magda Tul fails in Germany; photo - EPA

For the third year in a row Poland will not have an entry in the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest, after Magda Tul crashed out of the semi finals last night in Düsseldorf.

Magda Tul  opened the first semi final at the  24,000-seat Esprit Arena, usually the home of Fortuna Düsseldorf FC, with her self-penned song Jestem (I am) accompanied by five backing singers and dancers.

Neither the jury (which gets 50 percent voting weight) or the television audience - who were voting via text-message - were particularly impressed, however, and Tul failed to get into the top ten acts who will qualify for the finals on Saturday night.

The ten qualifiers were from Serbia, Lithuania, Greece, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Switzerland, Hungary, Finland, Russia and Iceland.

The second semi final is on Thursday.

Poland’s best performance in the contest so far was in 1993, the first time the country entered after joining the Eurovision Broadcasting Union. That year Edyta Gorniak came second with To nie ja (It’s not me), Poland’s best ever placing. (pg)