UK’s beloved Eurovision singer Clodagh Rodgers dies aged 78

Clodagh Rodgers, the celebrated Northern Irish singer who brought the United Kingdom to a fourth-place finish at the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest with her vibrant performance of “Jack In The Box,” has passed away at the age of 78. Her energetic stage presence, memorably clad in a pink frilly top and sparkling hot pants, captured the attention of millions during the Dublin contest, where she earned 98 points and helped cement the UK’s reputation for strong Eurovision showings. Rodgers was selected by the BBC through an internal process, a decision influenced by political sensitivities at the time, as she was a Catholic from Northern Ireland and even received death threats from the IRA for her participation, a stark reminder of the tensions that shadowed her career.
Rodgers’ son, Sam Sorbie, shared the news of her passing on social media, saying, “With a heavy heart, my dear beautiful mum Clodagh has sadly passed away after battling an illness for the last three years. She passed away peacefully yesterday surrounded by her family in Cobham. Mum has lived an incredible life, full of love and happiness. Her fantastic career performing, travelling the world, devoting her life to her two sons and being the rock of this family. Life will not be the same without mum, but she will finally be at peace now with dad, nanny and pappa. We all love and miss her terribly.”
Beyond Eurovision, Rodgers was a familiar face on British television throughout the 1970s and enjoyed chart success with hits such as “Goodnight Midnight” and “Come Back And Shake Me.” She was also known for her resilience and dedication to her family, raising two sons—Matthew, with her first husband John Morris, and Sam, with guitarist Ian Sorbie, to whom she was married until his death in 1995. Rodgers’ influence on British pop culture endures, as her Eurovision entry remains a beloved classic and her legacy as a pioneering performer from Northern Ireland continues to inspire new generations of artists.