I am in it to win it, says our Eurovision star Lesley Roy
THE hopes of the nation are resting on the shoulders of singer Lesley Roy as she seeks to reclaim Ireland’s place in the Eurovision songbooks.
It’s been a long road to Rotterdam for Lesley, but she finally got her chance to shine on the Eurovision stage when the Balbriggan artist took to the stage barefooted to rehearse her entry, Maps.
‘I’m so excited after waiting so long to come and see everybody and to have our feet on the stage – I’m so happy,’ she told the Irish Mail on Sunday.
‘It’s such a build-up to get to it. It feels great after the first rehearsal, the first time seeing it together. We have a few more things that we want to look at and tweak over the next few days, but I’m very happy with how that went.’
In an exclusive interview in this week’s Magazine, Lesley said she wants to change the tune of Ireland’s recent Eurovision reputation and is hoping to restore past glory at the song contest.
‘I really grew up in the golden era where we were winning back-toback years and the Riverdance explosion. I think my first Eurovision memories were Niamh Kavanagh and then Paul and Charlie for Rock’n’Roll Kids.
‘I wanted to create a different story so there’s not that funny, jokey stigma around the Eurovision, so
I’ve been trying to create that. And yes, of course I would love to get us on to the proper side of the scoreboard. It’s about me coming home and doing my country proud in this massive show.’
Lesley has a storied musical repertoire. Having signed her first record deal with Dublin label Religion Music at the age of just 17, she went on to land a contract with Sony/Jive Music in America four years later.
But now she is back on home soil and barefoot and singing to lift the mood of the country.
‘This is going to mainly be for people at home. We weren’t going to have a packed stadium, so we really thought about that.
‘We will probably do a green [nail varnish] to match the green jumpsuit that I have.’ n Read Lesley’s full interview in today’s Magazine
‘It’s about doing my country proud’