As he sips a coffee in a central London hotel bar after his Radio 2 breakfast show, Terry is as genial off air as he is on it. He exudes unforced, self-deprecating bonhomie, and it is a pleasure to spend time in his company.

He explains his deep and abiding connection with the Eurovision Song Contest. "I've always loved it," beams the presenter, who has commentated on the competition since 1973.

"It's a wonderful event. You can decry it for its foolishness, but it's huge all over the world – they lap it up in Australia, for instance.

"It has a global audience of some 300 million. We adore the competitive element and the voting. But above all in this country we love the Eurovision Song Contest because it's the ideal opportunity to have a jolly good sneer at Johnny Foreigner and throw things at the telly. You can't beat that sort of entertainment!"

So, Terry is the perfect person to whip the crowd up into a frenzy of delight at Eurobeat, Almost Eurovision (Sarajevo", a marvellously entertaining new musical show that is sashaying its sequinned way to a theatre near you very soon.

Terry, known across the continent as "the Face of Eurovision", will be appearing on a screen at strategic points during this uproariously fun evening.

Written by Craig Christie and Andrew Patterson, an acclaimed duo who have collaborated on three previous shows, this riotous celebration of Eurovision is the world's first interactive musical.

It gives audiences the chance to spring out of the closet and finally vote the UK as winners of Europe's greatest cultural competition.

The premise of Eurobeat is deliciously simple. As they go into the theatre, audience members are each allocated one of 10 competing countries to represent.

After they have heard all 10 entries, the audience are then invited to vote for their favourite via text message (although, unlike some shows we could mention, this voting process is bona fide).

The genius of the show is that it really is interactive, because every performance can have a different winner.

At Eurobeat, both the audience and the performers are kept in suspense until the very end. There is fierce competition between the nations; as in the real Eurovision, audience members cannot vote for their own countries, but there is nothing to stop them bribing others to do so.

In Eurobeat, the contest is taking place in sunny, safe and secure Sarajevo. It is hosted by former Olympic pole-vaulting champion, lifestyle programme presenter and cabaret performer Boyka and children's presenter Sergei.

They introduce acts who will stop at nothing to win the adoration – and, more importantly, the votes – of the audience.

Whatever you do, don't miss the entertainment spectacular during the count, in which Boyka will spellbind you with her inimitable rendition of "I'm Sarajevo … Taste Me!"

Whether you're in love with Lulu and Lordi, bonkers about Bucks Fizz and Brotherhood of Man, simply delirious for Dana International, just can't get how Serbia won last year or feel that Scooch were utterly robbed, then Eurobeat can't fail to win your vote.

The show was conceived by Craig, a British passport holder, after he was denied the chance to write an entry for the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest because he happened to live in Australia.

Cut to the quick, he was inspired to go one better and create a whole musical about the subject. And thus, a (Euro)star was born.

Eurobeat, which is on this UK tour prior to its West End première, has since wowed audiences and critics in Australia – where the Eurovision is massive - and at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival, where it scooped the inaugural MTM Best Musical Award.

Reviewers lined up to heap praise on the show. Metro called it "as camp as Graham Norton listening to Bucks Fizz in a camper van. Eat your heart out, Scooch – this show's a winner."

For its part, Variety described Eurobeat as "an epically delirious hoot," while Times commented that it was, "instantly, wonderfully funny."

Terry is delighted to be associated with such a glorious, exuberant show. The 69-year-old presenter – who has long since acquired "national treasure" status, a stature underlined by the knighthood he was awarded three years ago - declares that, "I was more than happy to get involved with Eurobeat. It's been a tremendous laugh.

"As you enter the theatre for Eurobeat, you've given a country to represent and you can't vote for that nation.

"Mind you, if you're from Scandinavia or the Balkans, you might take an entirely different view!

"At this stage show, you get a great flavour of the fun and the enthusiasm of the real Eurovision Song Contest.

"When it goes out on TV, people up and down the country hold parties and hoot at all the contestants. Did you know that last year it got 11 million viewers in the UK?"

Many, many of those viewers watch the Eurovision Song Contest purely to hear Terry's commentary.

He is famed throughout the world for his irreverent, micky-taking remarks. Why does he think his voiceover has become so essential to people's enjoyment of the show?

He reckons that: "I say what I see just before the viewers do – 'have you ever seen teeth like that?' One hundred and one things occur to you when those clowns come on stage or when the local presenters start shrieking."

Terry, who is dressed today in a grey tweed jacket, a taupe polo-neck jumper and dark trousers, continues that: "People used to say to me, 'how come you are at this Contest, if you don't like it?' But they were missing the point. I adore Eurovision. France has two commentators at the event and they're catty. But I'm never knowingly nasty - why should I be? You have to approach it in a spirit of fun."

The presenter, who has legions of devoted fans – known as TOGs (Terry's Old Geezers) – tuning into the nation's most popular breakfast radio show every morning, points out that our attitude to the contest is rather different to the rest of Europe's.

"We sneer at the music, but across the Continent that's what they listen to all the time. Our music is so diverse – they're not open to as many different influences.

"In France, they love Johnny Halliday - please! And on German TV, whole hours are given over to people in lederhosen slapping their thighs and playing the tuba. While in Spain, they broadcast variety shows that go on for four hours and include jugglers and comic sketches.

"In Europe, variety isn't dead. Different standards apply. We're not superior, but that doesn't stop us having a good old hoot at it all!"

Terry, who has been a highly popular front-man for the BBC's Children in Need for the past dozen years, is quick to emphasise that the Eurovision mockery is not all one way.

"Other countries scoff at us, you can be sure of that. Someone wrote to me recently to say that in Germany they're advertising a festival and have represented England with a fellow wrapped in a Union Jack watching telly while everyone else dances round and taunts him.

"We're not averse to getting a good kicking from the rest of Europe, but, luckily, we only speak English, so we don't understand it!"

The key to relishing the Eurovision Song Contest is not to take it the slightest bit seriously. According to Terry, who hosted the immensely successful BBC1 chat-show, Wogan, between 1985 and 1989: "Most people in this country watch the Contest with their tongues very firmly in their cheeks. I've trained them!

"Like the rest of Europe, members of the Eurovision Song Contest Fan Club take it very seriously indeed," carries on Terry, who has presented Points of View on BBC1 since 1999.

"They used to get annoyed, but now they see that what I'm doing is good-natured. I don't make the mistake of thinking it's a major musical event! Having said that, in most European countries I still have to go incognito. And if I turned up at a performance of Eurobeat, I'd probably have to wear a paper bag on my head!"

Our deep love of camp means that the Contest is always likely to be massively popular in the UK. It has certainly contributed to the enormous success of Eurobeat. "I love The Eurovision Song Contest, and it will continue long after I'm gone," Terry concludes with a trademark chuckle.

"Just please don't ask me to take it seriously!"

Eurobeat is at Theatre Royal Brighton from July 28 to August 2. Tickets are £15.50 to £25.50 from the box office on 08700 606 650, groups hotline on 08700 606617, access bookings on 0871 297 5477 or click here

Catch a sneak preview by clicking here

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