Andrew Lloyd Webber to create U.K.'s Eurovision entry

Musical theatre impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber will be penning the U.K.'s next Eurovision entry, in addition to embarking on a televised search for the right singer.

"Win, lose or draw, I am looking forward to every minute of it," the 60-year-old composer told BBC News.

Lloyd Webber will participate in a BBC show in 2009 called Your Country Needs You  to find the performer for the U.K. entry.

Six finalists chosen by Lloyd Webber and music industry professionals from entries sent to the BBC website will take part in the TV show, with the winner to be chosen by the public.

This announcement shows just how serious the Eurovision song contest, now headed into its 54th year, has become.

The flashy show, often with mediocre songs, has become a staple of TV viewing in Europe and around the world with a reported audience of 100 million.

The U.K.'s entries have been scraping bottom over the past few years. Last year's victor was Russia's Dima Bilan with Believe.

"In my life I have never shied away from the impossible and this looks like the biggest mission impossible of all time," said Lloyd Webber, the brains behind blockbuster musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and Evita.

The theatre producer was also behind the series How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? first broadcast in Britain. The reality show pitted contestants against each other for the primary role of Maria in Lloyd Webber's The Sound of Music theatre show.

In the Canadian version, which aired on CBC, Elicia MacKenzie was crowned the winner.

The 2009 Eurovision contest will be held in May in Russia.