THEY are part of a very exclusive band – Brits who have won the Eurovision Song Contest.

It seems like only yesterday that Bucks Fizz wowed tens of millions of TV viewers with a skirt-ripping routine which became one of the defining moments in the legendary competition’s history.

Incredibly it is nearly 35 years ago that the catchy Making Your Mind Up was voted the Euro number one, beating the Germans by four points.

There has been a lot of water under the bridge since that famous UK victory, with changes in line-up and legal bust-ups over the name.

That’s why these days Cheryl Baker, Jay Aston and Mike Nolan call themselves Formerly of Bucks Fizz.

The trio have been joined by special guest Bobby McVay on the Paradise Regained Tour which coincides with the 60th anniversary of Eurovision. It sails across the Solent to the Shanklin Theatre on May 1.

Before Cheryl, Mike, Jay and Bobby swept on to The Concorde stage there was footage, beamed onto the stage backcloth, of the band’s Eurovision triumph in Dublin on April 4, 1981.

Bucks Fizz was formed four months earlier specifically for Eurovision and they became one of the most successful bands of the 80s, with worldwide record sales of more than 15 million.

It did not take the Concorde audience long to get into the feelgood Friday party mood as they sang and swayed along to the Bucks Fizz classics which included Land of Make Believe, My Camera Never Lies and If You Can’t Stand the Heat.

The very down to earth Cheryl Baker seemed to want to kick off her shoes as she beat a path across the stage in pink skyscraper heels, and quipped: “These shoes are ridiculous to dance in.”

But this was a toe-tapping and polished performance from the Euro song stars.

Sandwiched between the Bucks Fizz hits was a feast of other 80s chart-busting anthems which was the cue for an invasion of the dancefloor.

The former Bucks Fizz stars rounded off the 70-minute set with their famous skirt-ripping Making Your Mind Up routine which brought them overnight fame.

Cheryl joked: “This is how it started – with a silly song and a piece of Velcro.”

But it was a piece of wardrobe wizardry that brought Eurovision glory to our shores.