Britain’s big hope
Can 21-year-old Michael Rice conquer Europe in the Eurovision Song Contest? DEAN ASKER catches up with the former busker and the winner of TV’s All Together Now
How did Eurovision come about?
I ENTERED The X Factor in 2014 and got to the Bootcamp stage. After that, at weekends I used to get the bus from Hartlepool, where I’m from, down to London and busk outside Big Ben.
Last year I won the BBC singing show, All Together Now, and off the back of that I got asked to audition for Eurovision: You Decide, the programme that selected the UK Eurovision entry.
I was delighted to be one of the six finalists, and the UK public voted me the winner! So it’s been a crazy 12 months.
How does your family feel about you representing the UK at the contest in
Israel on
Saturday?
I DON’T think it’s sunk in for them. I don’t think it’s sunk in for me yet either!
Hartlepool is 100% behind me. There’s going to be a big screening of it in the town on the night.
What are your early Eurovision memories?
WHEN I grew up my mum would always have it on TV in the background and I remember her showing me ABBA’s Waterloo on YouTube.
And then I was totally obsessed with the Mamma Mia! film when it came out. Over the past few years I’ve loved the winning songs by Mans Zelmerlow in 2015 and Salvador Sobral in 2017.
And SuRie and Lucie Jones, the UK’s last two performers, were really good. To be in the same position as them is just mindblowing.
Have you had any advice from past UK entrants?
SURIE, who sang for the UK last year, told me that it will be absolutely crazy when I get to Tel Aviv, with red carpet events and rehearsals. She said I should take a breather whenever I need to, get my head in the game, and go out there and smash it.
I met Netta, last year’s winner, and she really likes the UK song, Bigger Than Us, and wished me
good luck.
How would you describe your Eurovision song?
THE song is a really big power ballad. It’s all about acceptance and being true to yourself. I’ve been bullied myself in the past, and it explores bullying. The song says it doesn’t matter what race, religion, gender or sexuality you are, what matters is love, and coming together as one.
The UK has not fared well in the contest in recent years. Are you worried about where you’ll end up on the scoreboard?
EVERYONE is going for that number one spot.
I’m rehearsing hard every day, making sure I can give the best performance of my life.
That’s all you can do really.
I’m going to go on that stage and sing my heart out and hopefully get a top 10 placing.
I’ve been asked if I’m worried whether politics or Brexit will affect my score, but I don’t think the contest has got anything to do with that.
It’s about having the right song, with a universal message that connects with all the different countries taking part.
When did you discover you could sing?
MY MUM put me in a theatre school on a Saturday and I did that every week until I was 13.
I then started learning a bit of piano and writing songs and that’s when I knew I really wanted to be a singer, rather than a musical theatre performer.
But the theatre training was great because it helped me develop the confidence I now have on stage.
I’ve got two brothers and a sister, but singing doesn’t run in the family. It’s just me!
Is Eurovision something you have always wanted to do?
IT WASN’T something that had crossed my mind. After All Together Now I’d been working on my album, pitching it to all the record labels.
And then the opportunity for Eurovision came up. It’s one of the biggest competitions in the world, but the UK hasn’t been doing that well recently, so it’s a big gamble, but when I heard Bigger Than Us, I thought this is a winning song.
Bigger Than Us is actually co-written by John Lundvik, who’s singing for Sweden. John’s become one of my best friends, and he’s given me some good advice.
He’s really behind Bigger Than Us and the radio stations in Sweden are playing it a lot.
What are your plans for after the contest?
I WANT to be a professional singer after the contest. I want to be having music in the charts. I’ve finished my album.
Pete Waterman spotted me on Eurovision: You Decide, and I was called into Simon Cowell’s office too.
They heard the album and we’re in really good talks with them and other major record labels as well about getting a record deal.
Apart from that, I want to carry on touring the world and building on the opportunities Eurovision has given me.
Finally, can you tell us about how the song will be staged?
ALL I can say is that it’s going to be really big and different from what the UK’s done in other years. I’ve got five fantastic backing singers from Sweden who sound incredible ... but I’m keeping the exact staging a secret until the big day!
■ The Eurovision Song Contest is on BBC1 on Saturday at 8pm.