Eurovision veteran Marty has high hopes for our girl
VETERAN broadcaster Marty Whelan’s bags are packed and he is all geared up to head to Turin to cheer on Ireland’s Eurovision entry.
Ireland will be represented in Italy by Derry girl Brooke Scullion, with her catchy Eighties-inspired pop song That’s Rich’.
Despite getting a lukewarm reception from the panel on this year’s Eurosong, she was a big hit with the public and sailed though to the semi-finals.
Marty said he can’t wait for this year’s contest. He told Evoke.ie: ‘I’m so excited for it. I think she’s very good and I’ll tell you something else about her – she’s so different. I think she’s going to do well.’
However, Marty knows that with Eurovision, nothing is guaranteed. He said: ‘We have to get out of the semi-final first, and then we’re in the event properly.’
The semis start on May 10 with the grand final happening on May 14. If Brooke makes it that far, she’ll be performing to a global audience of around 180 million viewers.
But an audience that size shouldn’t faze Bags packed: presenter Marty the 23-year-old too much as, according to Marty, she’s ‘full of beans’. Not only that but Brooke has already had a brush with fame. She was a finalist on The Voice UK in 2020 when she was mentored by global superstar and Grammy Award winner Meghan Trainor and duetted with British R’n’B star Ella Eyre. Former Eurovision winner and Derry native Dana also called to wish her well, as did Derry Girls star JamieLee O’Donnell. With his daughter Jessica set to tie the knot later this year, and the song contest in just a few short weeks, Marty said that he is getting used to getting dressed up for special events again now that lockdown is over.
‘I can’t breathe out in the suit – I haven’t worn a suit in years!’ he laughed.
The winners of the 2021 contest, Italian rock band Måneskin have gone on to enjoy worldwide success since they won with their song, Zitti e Buoni. The track has garnered more than 200 million streams on Spotify since their win in Rotterdam last year.
Ireland has drawn to perform in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 12.