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Tonight, as 26 acts belt their souls out under the LED crucible of Basel’s St Jakobshalle, the UK is once again hoping — praying — that Europe doesn’t hate us too much. Enter Remember Monday, the UK’s all-female country-pop trio performing What The Hell Just Happened?, a question some might also apply to our Eurovision track record since the last UK win back in 1997.
Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull, and Charlotte Steele — three best friends from Farnborough with tight harmonies and even tighter tour schedules — are hoping to turn their viral fame and musical theatre roots into Eurovision gold. Or at least silver. Bronze? We’d settle for 14th and no memes.
From West End to wild card
The three met during performing arts studies at The Sixth Form College Farnborough, singing together on their Monday lunch breaks. That’s where the band name came from — no mysterious symbolism, just timetable logistics.
But these aren’t just mates with a mic. All three have West End credits to their names: Holly-Anne’s been in Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables, Lauren was Miss Honey in Matilda, and Charlotte once played Jane Banks in Mary Poppins before becoming a deputy head teacher at Artemis College.
In September 2023, they all handed in their notice. No more musicals. No more supply staff rotas. They committed to music full time. “We figured that if we didn’t fully commit now, we would always regret it,” said Charlotte.
The song: a hangover and a hug
What The Hell Just Happened? is a night-out anthem dressed up in Nashville glam. It was co-written with Eurovision hitmakers Billen Ted, Thomas Stengaard, and Julie Aagaard. But the lyrics are grounded in real friendship — the kind that involves crying in a toilet cubicle while your mate haggles for a taxi and someone else gets the chips.
“We’ve been friends for 14 years… at any time in our friendship when one of us has been down, the other two have picked her up — and often that ends in a night out,” said Lauren.
The staging, led by creative director Ace Bowerman — known for working with Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran — is slick without being soulless. You get harmonies, camaraderie, a bit of heel choreography, and possibly the only country-pop stomp in a year dominated by electro angst and Balkan wailing.
From TikTok to Turin… no wait, Basel
If you’re thinking “I know those voices,” it’s probably from The Voice UK. The trio made it to the quarter-finals in 2019 under Jennifer Hudson’s wing. That was their first taste of what full-time band life could be.
Then came the pandemic. Lockdowns. Empty car parks. And viral a cappella covers filmed on phones. Their version of Queen’s Fat Bottomed Girls ended up on Brian May’s Instagram. TikTok did the rest.
Now they have 600,000 followers and a fandom that refers to them simply as “the girls.” If Eurovision doesn’t work out, they’ve got the Summertime Ball and a headline UK tour lined up — including a gig at Shepherds Bush Empire.
“Nul Points”? No Panic
Let’s be honest: any UK act still braving Eurovision deserves a medal for sheer nerve. But Remember Monday aren’t pretending it’s easy. They know the risk. And they know the history.
“That’s why we do feel OK about the idea of nul points,” Holly told The Independent. “We don’t want it to happen, obviously, but if it does, we’ve got each other”.
Lauren credits Sam Ryder for shifting the narrative around UK entries. “Sam is now a national treasure. He said something like, ‘Don’t think about what you can get from Eurovision, think about what you can bring to it’. That was such a wonderful thing for us to hear”.
What’s next?
Whatever happens tonight, they’re not done. This year is already looking huge: festival dates, big-stage gigs, and a tour that’s “triple the size of the last one,” as Charlotte proudly shared.
“Our whole year has transformed since the Eurovision announcement,” she added. “It’s all just a massive ‘pinch me’ moment.”
