Eur on! Erica enters fray to be Irish Song Contest entry
FORMER Dancing With The Stars contestant Erica-Cody is the first hopeful bidding to represent Ireland at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest.
The 28-year-old Dubliner, whose song is entitled Love Me Like I Do, is one of six acts vying to represent the country in the contest in Malmö, Sweden, this May.
The singer said yesterday: ‘I always thought that I’d be representing my country with a basketball jersey on my back, but that was cut short due to injury, which was the catalyst for me to really pursue music.
‘So, to be able to represent Ireland doing the one thing I love the most (music), and have now made my career, not only would be an honour but a huge full-circle moment.’
Five further hopefuls will be unveiled on RTÉ’s Ray D’Arcy Show each day this week along with the first play of their entries. They will compete on The Late Late Eurosong Special on January 26 to determine who will go on to represent Ireland.
In 2022, Erica-Cody finished second on Dancing With The Stars with her professional partner Denys Samson.
Since then she has presented her own music show, The Main Stage, on RTÉ with Coronas frontman Danny O’Reilly.
Speaking about what inspired her Eurosong entry, she said: ‘The song has never meant more to me than it does right now.
‘It really helped me get through one of the most challenging times in my life while navigating a break-up. It’s the ultimate feelgood self-love anthem.’
Last year, pop band Wild Youth represented Ireland at the contest in Liverpool, but failed to make it past the semi-final stage.