Sam Ryder is keen for the United Kingdom to send a more “diverse” act to the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.
The UK will host the latest edition of the show on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine, with the Grand Final being staged in Liverpool, England.
Singer-songwriter Sam finished in second place with his hit Space Man – behind Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra with their song Stefania – and he’s shared his hopes for what the host country will bring to the latest edition of the Contest.
“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 of and backgrounds to think ‘Eurovision isn’t a career killer’,” the Tiny Riot singer told The Sun’s Bizarre column.
“I would love it to be a fan of Eurovision and its history.”
Prior to representing the UK, Sam had given up on his dreams of becoming a musician, opening a vegan cafe with his girlfriend and working on the side as a wedding singer. However, he began performing on TikTok, which led to him signing a deal with Parlophone.
Of his decision to take part in Eurovision, Sam – who recently released his debut album, ‘There’s Nothing But Space, Man!’, added : “The more I thought about it, the more I realised I was at the perfect point in my journey to throw all my chips on the table … I had to go for it”.