Belgian broadcaster VRT has announced that former X-Factor contestant Tom Dice will represent Belgium at Eurovision 2010.
VRT decided to select this year’s candidate internally rather than staging its annual Eurosong contest to let the public decide. Good thing. The public has made a series of bad decisions in recent years–including last year’s rep Patrick Ouchène with Copy Cat–and the country has not advanced past the semi-finals since 2004.
Twenty-year-old Dice has been singing since he was 8 and first started composing when he was 12.His second-place finish on the Flemish version of X-Factor propelled him to stardom, and led him to release a cover of Leona Lewis’ Bleeding Love.
In an interview with Eurovision.tv (below), Tom reveals that his many musical influences include The Kooks and Taylor Swift. He’s confident that appearing on the X-Factor will serve him well. “I had a great experience with the cameras and the coaches to help me sing great,” he says. And what’s his favorite Eurovision act of all time? “I mostly remember the Olsen Brothers because that’s just a beautiful song, Fly on the Wings of Love. I listen to it every week I think.”
Copycat, song from last year (2009), was not selected by the public. It was selected by the RTBF (national broadcaster of Wallonia). 🙂 Also “Sanomi”, “Le Grand Soir” and “Love Power” were selected internally by the RTBF.