WELSH SINGER LUCIE GOES FOR GLORY AT EUROVISION
AS the nation gets ready to cheer on hopefuls at the 62nd Eurovision Song Contest tonight the UK’s entry Lucie Jones says she is excited ahead her performance.
The 26-year-old from Cardiff and former X Factor contestant was chosen to represent Britain by public vote and will be performing in Kiev tonight.
Lucie will be performing the song Never Give Up On You, a track penned by former Eurovision entrant Emmelie de Forest, The Treatment and songwriter Lawrie Martin.
The singer and actress, from Pentyrch, appeared on Ken Bruce’s Radio 2 show yesterday morning from Kiev where she described what it was like to be appearing at Eurovision.
She said: “It’s been a crazy time, we got off the plane and jumped straight in and it’s been go, go, go.
“It’s all really cool and exciting but so busy. It’s such a different world and nothing like I have ever done before.”
She added: “We had rehearsals on stage and rehearsals off site, lot of press events.
“We were at the red carpet ceremony with the longest red carpet I have ever seen. There were so many Eurovision fans and members of the press, it was an amazing experience.”
Lucie told the show that she had performed at the British Embassy in Kiev and had found the weather both hot and cold at times.
Speaking about her chances of winning the competition, she said: “There’s definitely something in the air. It feels really nice to be here and to have the respect of other delegations, the press and fans.
“I didn’t know what to expect because every year is so different but we’re having an amazing experience this year with the incredible staging.”
Meanwhile a former UK Eurovision winner reportedly took a swipe at the BBC’s championing of former X Factor contestants for the contest.
Katrina Leskanich, who won the competition 20 years ago with Love Shine A Light, claimed it meant the UK did not stand a chance of winning.
Leskanich told the Daily Telegraph: “A bunch of X Factor rejects? That just says it all. How horrible is that?
“Isn’t it just a colossal waste of money not to take it a bit more seriously, and try a little harder?”