EUROVISION LUCIE
Singer delighted to win contest to represent UK
WEST End and former X Factor star Lucie Jones has described her shock and delight at being chosen as the UK entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – and revealed that she had previously vowed never to enter another reality TV singing competition.
The 25-year-old from Pentyrch, near Cardiff, was speaking to BBC Radio 2’s Graham Norton on his Saturday show the morning after winning the Eurovision: You Decide battle to represent the UK at the iconic singing contest.
She was chosen on Friday night at a live recording at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith of Eurovision: You Decide and her song I Will Never Give Up On You was up against five other British performers in the 90-minute live broadcast from the London venue.
Lucie put in a vocal performance that won praise from the judges and secured her enough combined votes from the judging panel and public to take top spot.
Winning, she said, came as a complete surprise.
“I can’t believed you picked me, thank you so much,” she told show host Mel Giedroyc after realising she’d won.
“I was totally shocked and completely delighted at the same time,” she told radio host Norton, who is the UK presenter for the Eurovision Song Contest.
“I had the name formed in my head of the person I thought was going to win and I was waiting for that name to come out of Mel’s mouth and when it didn’t... and to make it me was even more shocking. Lucie’s power songson was in contrast to th the other contestants o on the show. Her performance and staging on th the night was careful carefully worked out, she told Norton. “The production was ver very stripped back. We made it very simple and I think that’s whywh it worked,” shesh said.
The chance to perform on Eurovision: You Decide was an easy decision to make for Lucie, despite her vow never to take part in another TV singing contest following her experience on X Factor.
“I never thought I would. I said I would never do another reality TV singing competition again...but then this came around. Eurovision is different. It’s amazing.
“It’s something that I’ve watched my whole life and as a singer you very rarely get the opportunity to represent your country. So I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
Lucie said she connected with the lyrics of her song, which she thought was “really beautiful”.
“Personally I would like the song to stay quite stripped,” she told Norton.
“There is still a little room for a bit of improvement with the production but I’m keen to stay away from the drums and the big ending to the song.
“Last night my song was so different; maybe that’s why we did so well. I’m keen to keep it similar.
“We’ve been working a lot on getting things right – working with the cameras.
“What the Eurovision audience expect from a song, how theatrical you can be. There’s still a long way to go with it,” she added.
Lucie said she had been working hard on her acting as well as her singing and she made her TV debut as an actress in Midsomer Murders in 2015.
The singer first found fame in X Factor in 2009, appearing alongside Olly Murs,”Stacey” Solomon and Jedward. She got through to the live shows, eventually finishing in seventh place.
Her departure from the show sparked a massive backlash, when judge Simon Cowell chose to keep twins Jedward in the contest instead of Lucie.
She is currently playing Maureen in the touring production of Rent – which comes to the Wales Millennium Centre from April 3-8 – and has had lead roles as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde and Molly in Ghost: The Musical as well as performing in Les Miserables.
Lucie is still performing in Rent at the St James Theatre in London.
Her head will be “back in the game” when she returns and she was excited to be reunited with the rest of the cast after her contest success.
She is staying with the tour and will be appearing in Eastbourne next week.
She will continue to perform in Rent while preparing for Eurovision.
Graham, who invited her to perform on his chat show in the weeks leading up to the contest, said he expected to see “a lot more” of the singer ahead of the main event.
“I just really hope people like the song,” said Lucie.
“Anyone could have won, it was a really open field. I did not expect to win. Really.”
Lucie Jones will be flying the flag for the UK in May at the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev, Ukraine