Eurovision 2012: Please don't throw knickers, says Engelbert Humperdinck But according to Humperdinck, the BBC may be on to something, in what initially appeared to be a left-field choice even for a competition which has boasted turns from transsexual Dana International, rock monsters Lordi and this year's Russian entry, the Buranovo Grannies, who are singing a folk song-cum-dance track entitled Party for Everybody dressed in traditional peasant outfits. Thanks to one of the Grannies, Humperdinck is not the oldest Eurovision contestant, something he is not best pleased about. "The Russians jumped on the bandwagon," he sniffs. The man formerly known as Arnold Dorsey has a confession to make, however. I'll be honest with you, I used to dye my hair. I started when I was 25 because I was prematurely grey. I didn't want to go into showbusiness with grey hair as a young person. So I started dyeing it jet black and I've been dyeing it ever since. Although just recently I've taken it a little lighter because of my age. Humperdinck (who once memorably told Sue Lawley: "You can call me Enge. You can call me Humpy. Just don't call me Dinky") has a lot more to offer than beautifully coiffed hair though. And thank heavens for him - let's face it, Royaume-Uni has not fared well in Eurovision in recent years; it's a long time since the glory days of Katrina and the Waves, Bucks Fizz or the Brotherhood of Man. Re-formed boyband Blue scraped 11th place last year - but, unlike other recent efforts, at least we know who they are. Josh Dubovie? Daz Sampson? Andy Abraham? And while we do remember Jemini (2003's entry), that's only because they managed the Eurovision disaster of scoring "nul points." Compare this with the Hump who has not only sold 150 million records worldwide and has just returned from concerts in Manila, Singapore and Dubai, but who also knows a thing or two about winning: he held the Beatles' Penny Lane off the No 1 slot in 1967 and holds the longest consecutive-week run in UK chart history (Release Me remained in the charts for 56 weeks). He believes his appeal to our European neighbours may run far deeper than adopting the name of an obscure 19th-century German composer. I've done concerts all over the world playing to different nationalities, which of course I'll be doing on this particular occasion. I think it's going to give me an edge in knowing what to do," he says. I've never been to Azerbaijan but I was in Riga, where I did a TV show for the Baltic states and we played to 18 million people which was quite wonderful. I'm hoping that the people who watched that particular show will move in my direction. However, it's a blow to British hopes that Humperdinck has drawn the opening slot at the contest in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on 26 May (in recent years the winner has performed in the second half of the draw). Another potential pitfall comes with his ballad Love Will Set You Free, written by the Grammy and Ivor Novello-winners Martin Terefe and Sacha Skarbek. It's simple, with no Euro-friendly pyrotechnics or raunchy/bizarre dance routines. Last year Moldova alone managed conical hats and a trumpet-playing girl on a unicycle. But Humperdinck is insisting on keeping it simple: "When you are doing a song of this calibre you're not doing silly dance moves. We have the right people at the helm. Disappointingly, that extends to his outfit too. There will be none of the gobsmacking costumes that enliven Eurovision; Humperdinck won't reveal exactly what he is wearing but it will be made by Franck Namani best known for dressing Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president. Indeed, Humperdinck, who was born in Madras but moved to Leicester at the age of 10 with his nine siblings, is taking his preparations very seriously. He is working out - using a treadmill and a punchbag - and is planning to perform six concerts in the US as a warm-up. But despite his reputation as the "King of Romance," Humperdinck says he would be appalled if any female fans threw underwear at him, an occurrence which used to be commonplace at his shows. "I hope not," he says. I just want to be judged for my talent and the portrayal of the song. I begin to see why the BBC might have wanted Humperdinck for Eurovision; the more intriguing question is what's in it for him? After all, while he may have faded from the public eye in this country, he still plays around 200 concerts a year. So isn't Eurovision a risk for his street cred? "I think anything you do in life is a risk," he says. And it's a risk I'm going to enjoy taking and that's that. In fact, his only regret is that it's not a world-wide competition, which would boost his profile in the US and Canada. He is even considering whether there would be promotional opportunities he could reap from Eurovision. "I love what I do and I hope I can continue to do this," he adds. I don't even think about retiring. I'll wait until God calls me.