text: There remains debate on whether this status prejudices the countries' results, based on reported antipathy over their automatic qualification and the potential disadvantage of having spent less time on stage through not competing in the semi-finals; however, this status appears to be more complex given that the results of the "Big Five" countries can vary widely. This status has caused consternation from other competing countries, and was cited, among other aspects, as a reason why  had ceased participating after .
  Introduction of semi-finals
  An influx of new countries applying for the  resulted in the introduction of a semi-final from 2004, with the contest becoming a two-day event. The top 10 countries in each year's final would qualify automatically to the following year's final, alongside the "Big Four", meaning all other countries would compete in the semi-final to compete for 10 qualification spots. The  in Istanbul, Turkey saw a record 36 countries competing, with new entries from , ,  and  and the return of previously relegated countries. The format of this semi-final remained similar to the final proper, taking place a few days before the final; following the performances and the voting window, the names of the 10 countries with the highest number of points, which would therefore qualify for the final, were announced at the end of the show, revealed in a random order by the contest's presenters.