Mae Muller has been revealed as the UK’s representative at the Eurovision Song Contest in May.
She will be the first female entrant for the UK since 2018, as she takes to the stage in Liverpool to perform her track I Wrote a Song.
The news was revealed on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show this morning, but who is Mae Muller, the artist chosen by BBC bosses and global management TaP Music to represent the UK.
Mae said: ”I'm SO excited to participate in Eurovision this year and represent the UK! I've loved watching Eurovision all my life, so to compete in such a massive music competition is simply brilliant.
"I’m a huge fan of so many of the artists that have found success at Eurovision, from ABBA to Måneskin! Sam Ryder was so amazing last year and proved the UK can be back on the left-hand side of the leader board.
"I wrote the song I Wrote A Song a few months ago when I was going through a hard time and wanted to feel empowered about relationships, so for it to be chosen for this year’s UK Eurovision song is honestly a dream.”
Who is Mae Muller?
Muller, 25, was 19 when she wrote her first song, Close, which was produced by a family friend and “paid” for with wine in lieu of money.
THIS ONES FOR THE GIRLIESSSS ❤️ https://t.co/YD3WVT3OAt pic.twitter.com/Mi0Hlv9GqV
— Mae Muller 💃🏻 (@maemuller_) February 28, 2023
Muller’s early musical influences included Prince and Sade – while Gwen Stefani, Florence Welch and Lily Allen have impacted her in more recent years.
Her releases have so far explored “dysfunctional relationships and inconvenient emotions with wit and verve”, according to her record label Capitol.
In recent years, she has worked with chart-topping acts including girl group Little Mix, rapper Aitch and music producer and DJ Sigala.
Her 2021 single Better Days, featuring Neiked and Polo G, peaked at number 32 in the UK charts.
Muller has 126,000 followers on Instagram and more than 6.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Our UK artist for #Eurovision2023 is the incredible @maemuller_! 🎉
— BBC Eurovision (@bbceurovision) March 9, 2023
Here she is with the official video for her #Eurovision track, 'I Wrote A Song' 🥳 pic.twitter.com/ypzFj7edJt
In 2019, she supported Little Mix on their LM5 tour – their last to feature former member Jesy Nelson.
The north London-raised vocalist will be the first female entrant for the UK since SuRie competed in 2018 with Storm, coming 24th.
When is Eurovision 2023 and where is it being held?
Eurovision is set to take place in Liverpool after the UK was chosen to host the competition on behalf of war-torn Ukraine.
Tickets for grand final, which will take place at the 11,000-capacity Liverpool Arena later this year, went on sale on Tuesday and sold out in just over half an hour.
While some fans celebrated after they were able to secure tickets, others commiserated after experiencing technical difficulties when trying to purchase tickets through the Ticketmaster website.
Eurovision is set to air on the BBC and will be hosted by singer and Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon, Ted Lasso actress Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, as well as returning favourite, comedian and talk show host Graham Norton.
The semi-final evening preview kicks off at 8pm on May 8, with the grand final live show bringing the contest to an end starting at 8pm on May 13.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here