I don’t think Ukraine will win again. They may still get some sympathy votes but I don’t think it will be the landslide of last year.
Plus assuming Loreen is representing Sweden (announced this weekend), she will surely stay the clear favourite going into the competition. It’s an amazing song giving very similar vibes to Euphoria.
Australian singer Andrew Lambrou will be representing Cyprus at Eurovision singing “Break A Broken Heart”. His paternal grandparents are from Cyprus.
Lambrou competed in Eurovision – Australia Decides in 2022 with the song “Electrify”. He also took part in the seventh season of The X Factor Australia in 2015.
Germany’s song
UK announced their song this morning. Mae Muller - I Wrote A Song
I’m SO excited to participate in Eurovision this year and represent the UK! I’ve loved watching Eurovision all my life, so to compete in such a massive music competition is simply brilliant. I’m a huge fan of so many of the artists that have found success at Eurovision, from ABBA to Måneskin!
— Mae Muller
Following an extensive search headed by 2023 partners the global music management and publishing company TaP Music, the BBC can confirm that singer-songwriter Mae Muller will be representing the United Kingdom at the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, set to be held in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine, in May 2023 with I Wrote A Song.
The news was exclusively revealed by Zoe Ball on the Radio 2 Breakfast show earlier today (Thursday 9 March) and tonight at 8.55pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, Scott Mills will have the first exclusive TV interview with Mae and the first televised broadcast of the official music video.
Mae was still working at a pub when she landed her first publishing deal. Within two years she’d released 3 EPs full of pop gems that stood out for their melodic hooks and lyrics that were feisty and unapologetic in their frankness. Stealing the attention of the industry, she supported Little Mix on their 2019 stadium tour, landed millions of YouTube views, and scored a top 10 US chart hit with her platinum selling single ‘Better Days’ which she performed on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Having signed to Capitol Records UK (part of Universal Music Group), Mae continues to stand out and in 2022 she was nominated at the MTV EMAs and VMAs. Since then her music has reached over two billion streams and 5.5m monthly listeners on Spotify.
Mae Muller co-wrote I Wrote A Song with Brit-Nominated songwriter Lewis Thompson (David Guetta, Joel Corry, and Raye - Bed) and Karen Poole, who has written for Kylie Minogue, Lily Allen, David Guetta and Alisha’s Attic.
Mae Muller says: ”I’m SO excited to participate in Eurovision this year and represent the UK! I’ve loved watching Eurovision all my life, so to compete in such a massive music competition is simply brilliant. I’m a huge fan of so many of the artists that have found success at Eurovision, from ABBA to Måneskin! Sam Ryder was so amazing last year and proved the UK can be back on the left-hand side of the leader board! I wrote the song I Wrote A Song a few months ago when I was going through a hard time and wanted to feel empowered about relationships, so for it to be chosen for this year’s UK Eurovision song is honestly a dream!”
TaP Music co-founders Ben Mawson and Ed Millett say: “We have always been fans of Mae for her voice, songs and star charisma, and when we heard I Wrote A Song, we were really taken by its impactful message - “songs as a form of therapy” (a great message for the biggest song contest in the world!) alongside its playful tone and up-tempo fun production. From the moment we met Mae, we knew she would be an incredible ambassador for the UK at Eurovision. Alongside her abundant talent, she has the most wonderfully warm and fun personality and expressed positivity and excitement about the opportunity to represent the UK. We are super excited to work with Mae, EMI and her management company Modest! on supporting Mae to get another great result at Eurovision.”
Jo Charrington, Co-President of EMI says: “We’re incredibly excited for Mae to be the UK’s entry for Eurovision. Mae is a standout talent with superstar quality, she’s bold, charismatic, fun and a mesmerising performer who has already amassed a global following through her music. Working alongside TaP, Modest! and the BBC, we feel hugely confident Mae will deliver an iconic moment for the UK at this year’s momentous show in Liverpool."
Rachel Ashdown, Lead Commissioning Editor for Eurovision at the BBC says: “We’d like to thank TaP for their extensive search for the UK entrant for Eurovision this year. Mae’s commitment and drive in representing the UK is undeniably clear and I am certain that she is going to be a brilliant ambassador with I Wrote A Song.”
Suzy Lamb, MD of Entertainment & Music at BBC Studios says: “BBC Studios are so excited Mae Muller will be flying the UK flag on home turf in this very special Eurovision year. We could see from the very first time we met her that she is a ball of positive energy and we can’t wait for the rest of Europe and beyond to fall in love with her and her fabulous song.”
Tonight on BBC One and iPlayer at 8.55pm, Eurovision 2023: Meet the UK Act will introduce Mae to the UK audience in an exclusive interview with Scott Mills. In the show, Scott will delve into Mae’s career and hear how Mae is preparing for the contest in Liverpool. It will also showcase the music video in the first televised broadcast.
The contest itself will take place in Liverpool in May. The UK are hosting on behalf of Ukraine, following the country’s victory at the 2022 contest with the song Stefania by Kalush Orchestra. The Semi Finals will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May at 8pm and the Grand Final will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer plus via BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds on Saturday 13 May from 8pm.
For the latest information on the United Kingdom at Eurovision 2023, follow @bbceurovision on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok and BBC Eurovision on Facebook.
The BBC One coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 is a BBC Studios Entertainment Production commissioned by Kalpna Knight-Patel, Head of Entertainment. The Head Of Delegation is Adam Wydrzynski, and the Assistant Head of Delegation is Lucy Youngman. Pete Ogden is the Creative Director for BBC Studios in the North. Suzy Lamb is the MD of Entertainment & Music at BBC Studios. The Lead Commissioning Editor for Eurovision for the BBC is Rachel Ashdown.
https://twitter.com/scott_mills/status/1633748950015672320?s=20
https://twitter.com/maemuller_/status/1633750923720773637?s=20
Sweden’s song
Must say I really like the UK song. Catchy! Not usually my type of song but I can’t get it out of my head. It should do well.
Not to well the BBC hope.
Hmm not loving it. I’m notoriously bad at picking the winner but I don’t see that winning, despite it currently being favourite.
How do you know they wouldn’t want to host again?
Multiple cities bid to host this year and accomodation around Liverpool booked out in days. The event is a big boost for local economies. The BBC has huge resources and didn’t appear fazed to put their hand up this year when they didn’t have to.
Plus they seem to be spending up to make it spectacular when they’re not really obliged to make it huge.
Sweden is red hot favourite with the bookies. So far in front it’s not funny. I honestly don’t get it. I think the song is way overrated.
All the hype amongst the fandom is because it’s Loreen, one of the most loved winners, and the epic staging and performance she gave at Sweden’s national selection, Melfest.
However she will not be able to have the same staging at Eurovision because the LED block that hangs above her from the ceiling in the national selection weighs 1.8 tonnes and won’t be permitted to be used at ESC. We will see if Sweden can come up with something just as good.
It will also be interesting to see if the casual audience that make up the majority of the voting public at the final will respond to Loreen and her song as strongly as the Euro fandom has.
Agree - think it’s pretty awful myself. Depends how much the voting comes down to the hardcore fans and those who know nothing of the contest till the night of the final.
Australia’s Voyager will perform last in the second semi final.
This has 100% winner vibes IMO. so I’m not surprised that it’s the clear favourite. Euphoria is one of the most popular winning songs and this seems like a very fitting re-entry for Loreen and gives me similar vibes. I haven’t checked out many of the other acts this year so not sure what the competition is like… but this is a very strong track that will be a tough one to beat.
Ukrainian and British stars, plus Eurovision legends, to perform in both Semi-Final live shows including a world-exclusive Rita Ora performance, Liverpudlian Rebecca Ferguson performing alongside Alyosha, Mariya Yaremchuk, OTOY, Zlata Dziunka, and more
As the weeks count down until Liverpool welcomes the world for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, the BBC announces the line-up of live musical performances set to star in the Semi-Finals.
Broadcast for the first time on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, both Semi-Finals offer entertainment for all audiences, whether new to Eurovision or an existing fan.
Semi-Final 1
To mark the start of the Eurovision Song Contest, Semi-Final 1 will open with host Julia Sanina performing part of ‘Маяк’ by her band The Hardkiss. Translating from the Ukrainian for ‘Lighthouse’, this performance – forming part of an incredibly powerful opening act – will symbolise in many ways how the UK is ‘United by Music’ with Ukraine through hosting the 2023 Contest on behalf of the 2022 winners.
Broadcast on Tuesday 9 May, Semi-Final 1’s interval sees global superstar Rita Ora deliver a show-stopping medley of some of her biggest hits. Holding the record for the most top 10 singles in the Official Charts by a British female artist and having accumulated 10 billion streams, Rita will also perform the world exclusive of her brand-new single Praising You to millions watching across the globe.
Ukrainian singer Alyosha – who represented Ukraine in Eurovision 2010 – will perform alongside Liverpool’s very own critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter, Rebecca Ferguson. Like many Ukrainian women in 2022, Alyosha was forced to leave her country and loved ones behind to seek refuge; Alyosha will share her personal journey through a new, haunting arrangement of British musical heavyweight Duran Duran’s ‘Ordinary World’. Creatively led and produced by Freckled Sky and TRI.Direction, in partnership with BBC Studios and UA:PBC, Alyosha and Rebecca will tell a story of hope, courage, and support for the people of Ukraine from across the world.
Semi-Final 2
Semi-Final 2, broadcast Thursday 11 May, sees two live interval performances.
‘Music Unites Generations’ explores the connection between generations of Ukrainians and the music they love. Mariya Yaremchuk, who represented Ukraine in Eurovision 2014, leads a contemporary montage of some of the most well-known pieces of music from the country. As we travel through time, the piece ends with a stunning collaborative performance from rapper OTOY, 14-year-old Ukrainian Junior Eurovision representative Zlata Dziunka, and Mariya. Together, they show that for generations of Ukrainians, music is the light that overcomes darkness.
Also in the interval, a performance called ‘Be Who You Wanna Be’ celebrates how Eurovision is a place for everyone – no matter who you are. Three extraordinary drag performers lead into a jaw-dropping routine of high-end pop performances along with a troupe of eclectic dancers. They represent the huge spectrum of fans – regardless of age, nationality, or background – who revel in being a part of Eurovision every year. With a medley of fabulous songs and incredible staging, it’ll be a performance that viewers remember.
Kate Phillips, BBC’s Director of Unscripted, says: “There won’t be a moment to miss during these very entertaining and very tense Semi-Finals.
“Good luck to all the countries involved as they compete for a place in what’s going to be an unforgettable Grand Final.”
Dan Shipton is Lead Creative Director, German Nenov is Creative Director for UA:PBC (Welcome To Our House and Music Unites Generations alongside Semi Final 1’s Opening Act ‘United By Music’), Jason Gilkison is Creative Lead for Be Who You Wanna Be.
The Grand Final live performances will be announced in due course.
