Sophie Ellis-Bextor is reportedly top of the BBC’s shortlist of acts to represent the United Kingdom at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. 

This year saw rising star Mae Muller take to the stage with her Top 10 hit I Wrote A Song, which ultimately finished 25th out of a total 26 entries. 

Swedish star Loreen ultimately scored a historic win with Tattoo and as the show heads to Sweden for its next edition, Eurovision insiders claim work is already underway on the UK’s next entry. 

“At the moment there is only one artist on the BBC’s list for Eurovision 2024, and they don’t intend to add to it,” they told MailOnline.

“Sophie Ellis-Bextor is seen as the ideal fit for the contest – she’s a great singer and performer, and she is already known to audiences, both straight and gay, across Europe.”

Sophie was previously approached to appear on the UK’s Eurovision jury in 2019 but turned down the opportunity after recently becoming a mum to son Mickey. 

“I had a very small baby that I was still feeding, and they wouldn’t let me bring it along,” she told Radio Times. “I’m pretty sure the baby would have been impartial but, you know what, I think part of what I like about Eurovision is that it has very much got its rules… it’s kooky.

“We weren’t going to be allowed to speak while we were watching it either, and I thought, ‘I can’t watch Eurovision in silence’.”