Sam Ryder has called for the BBC to send a more “diverse” act to next year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
In an interview with lowbrow rag ‘The Sun’, he explained: “The UK has such a diverse plethora of talent and all I can hope is that what happened this year has encouraged more people from those diverse genres and back-grounds of music to think, ‘Eurovision isn’t a career killer’. I would love it to be a fan of Euro-vision, who loves its history.”
Scoreboard
A few days ago, he spoke to Irish broadcaster RTÉ offering advice to any act thinking of entering the Contest: “First of all, don’t worry about the scoreboard. I know that’s more easily said that done but I think I’m in a position to say it given the UK’s history in the contest with the scoring.
“Eurovision is bigger than the scoreboard but because we are human beings, that’s what we focus all our attention on. That scoreboard is watched by 200 million people but what about the months leading up to it?”
He added, “You’re doing promotion and you’re meeting all the artists, the songwriters, and the performers . . . that’s crucial time and almost way more important than that final time at the end. Only enter if you’re a big fan of the Eurovision because then it doesn’t matter what the scoreboard says.”
Passing on the Eurovision torch
As to what role he might play in the Liverpool contest, he has said he could not “begin to presume” that he would have a role at the 2023 contest but he just wanted “to be there”.
While the contest has helped transition him from TikTok star to household name, the Essex native has said he won’t be putting himself forward for Eurovision 2023, and hopes to pass over the torch to a fellow fan of the competition.
“If I did it again, I’d have to ask myself, ‘What is the actual purpose? What am I chasing here?’ so no, I’d have to say it wouldn’t be in the stars for me to do it again.