Electro Velvet to represent the UK at Eurovision
Electro Velvet have been selected as the UK’s entrants for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
The BBC made the announcement this evening, debuting the duo’s ‘electro-swing’ song ‘Still In Love With You’ in a live broadcast fronted by Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills.
The duo are musicians Alex Larke – who also works as a Mick Jagger tribute artist – and former Voice singer Bianca Nicholas.
40 countries are set to compete in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, with the Grand Final taking place on May 23.
Alex Larke said: “I feel incredibly privileged and humbled to be representing the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, for this massively historic 60th anniversary event. We have a fantastic song and will work as hard as is humanly possible to bring the contest home and make our great nation proud. It’s time to get this party started! See you in Vienna!”
Bianca Nicholas said “I am so proud to have been chosen to be a part of the world’s biggest song contest. It’s such an honour to represent the UK, especially in its 60th year too! I have never been to Austria before, and I can’t wait to get out to Vienna and do my best, and I hope to make the UK proud!”
The broadcaster opted to select the act through a talent search headed by a panel of experts this year – with the public invited to submit potential entries in October.
The nation’s hopes will be on the band to reverse the UK’s fortunes at Eurovision – with no act placing in the top five since 2009, when Jade Ewen entered with a song written by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The UK last won the contest in 1997, when Katrina and the Waves took the trophy.
Last year’s winner, Austrian drag artist Conchita Wurst, will serve as a green room presenter and is also expected to reprise her winning song, as is Eurovision tradition.
Watch the clip below:
