She’s the Finnish diva who placed second in the 2016 series of The X Factor UK. But now it looks like another of Saara Aalto‘s big dreams might be coming true. She has revealed that the BBC has approached her to take part in the UK‘s Eurovision campaign for 2018.

Speaking to The Sun, Saara Aalto confirmed that discussions have been taking place.

There have been talks with the BBC, they really want me to do it.

I love Eurovision so I have been searching for the right opportunity to be part of it. It’s just whether I should do it for the UK or Finland or some other country. But the UK is my home now.

It would be quite fun, Eurovision has always been a dream of mine.

It wouldn’t be as simple as the BBC internally selecting Saara. She would need to enter and win the UK’s national selection, Eurovision: You Decide.

But there’s plenty of crossover between Saara’s UK X Factor fans and British Eurovision fans. If she brought the right song to the national final, she stands a good chance of winning the British ticket to Lisbon.

The only question is — how would Finns feel about it? Would it be 12 points to their home girl? Or a burning sense of betrayal?

Saara Aalto’s Eurovision dream

Saara has made three previous attempts at representing Finland at Eurovision.

In 2010, she missed out winning the online wildcard for Euroviisut 2010 with her song “Meant to Be”. The following year she won the online vote and made it to the live shows of Euroviisut 2011 with “Blessed with Love”. She made it to the superfinal and narrowly missed out winning to Paradise Oscar.

In 2016 Saara returned to Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu with “No Fear”. She made it to the grand final, but despite winning the public televote, she again finished in second place, thanks to the jury who prefered Sandja’s “Sing It Away”.

“No Fear” has remained a favourite of Saara’s fans and she regularly plays it in her UK gigs.

Wiwibloggs caught up with Saara last year on the eve of the X Factor final. William and Saara chatted about Eurovision, with Saara saying she wished it was May already.

William also asked Saara if she had any plans to return to the Finnish national final UMK. She said, “Well, maybe. Maybe sometime later, yeah.”

Regardless of her Eurovision plans, Saara is keeping busy in Britain. She’s recently signed to Warner Music and is working on her new album.

What do you think? Should Saara Aalto represent the UK at Eurovision? Or should she return to UMK? Share your thoughts below!

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Fairman
Fairman
6 years ago

Yeah take your point factotum, i can tell with what you wrote your a big fan of her but now her contracts have changed to warner, thier is little ties left hear in the uk contractually for saara….can see a move back to Finland oomimg also, no ties lett hear now…..But what a Fantastic contestant she was on the UK X Factor to which The uk showcased her talent demonstrating her versatility…This then actually made Finland Wake up to what they have missed out on for years by not giving her the support to become a famous star …it has… Read more »

Factotum
Factotum
6 years ago

Very Talented Sarra..is as we know, she wants to spread the Message of Love, she repeated how grateful she was week in and week out to the uk voting public supporting her getting though each week onto the finals of the x factor, she has stated she was missunder stood in finland and never was giving the break she worked for, so how does saara show her love back to the uk support of her to become a big star, she leaves sony music uk, keeps her ties with finland sony joins the finish x factor as a judge, and… Read more »

Lexus
Lexus
6 years ago

Why don’t the UK just send Big Shaq – Mans Not Hot?

Charli Cheer Up
Charli Cheer Up
6 years ago

I loved her on XF UK and I hope to see her on the You Decide. It’s great to see the national selection show attracting international names like Saara Alto.

Adriana
Adriana
6 years ago

No she shouldn`t ….She is talented ,great girl but not for the UK.

Liam Lindsay
Liam Lindsay
6 years ago

Hurts ft. Alexandra Burke and Saara Aalto.
Let’s make this happen

beccaboo1212
6 years ago

Nah. I’d rather she represent Finland.

Fatima
Fatima
6 years ago

“Speaking to The Sun … ” – the same paper which told us that Malta wanted Russell Grant to represent them.

Étoile
Étoile
6 years ago

I would have prefer her to sing for Finland. There are many good British artists so I think BBC should dig more to find these gems. But if she accepts the offer and wins You decide, well good luck for her and U.K at Lisbon.

Vanuatu
Vanuatu
6 years ago

UK always selects bad, so i guess Saara Aalto is the perfect fit.

Celeste
Celeste
6 years ago

Never liked her or her songs, so please UK be smart, and choose someone else.

AngieP
AngieP
6 years ago

She’s been trying for years, so if she really wants to do Eurovision, now it’s the time.

However, I believe she should represent Finland rather than the UK. There’s not much difference, she should compete in the NF either way, as both countries have national finals this year. But, if you ask me, she should represent her home country, Finland.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
6 years ago
Reply to  AngieP

Angie wrote: “There’s not much difference.” Well, firstly, the cultures are different. Finland’s UMK tends to have acts who want to go to Eurovision. Their music videos over the past years have been professional and slick. However, I unfortunately can’t say the same about UK process or the candidates. It’s almost the gig that no-one wants right now, so if Saara wants in, good for her. 🙂 Secondly, there is the psychology factor. Saara has previously entered the Finnish UMK THREE TIMES before and been rejected, whereas she hasn’t gone through the UK Eurovision process. Her experience on the X… Read more »

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
6 years ago

Saara just got a deal with Warner, so it’s as much about what they want as what the BBC wants. I’m sure Saara wants to do everything right now, so just wait and see what happens.
If Saara shows up at the UK National Final next year, I’m going to be very excited; I’m a big fan of hers. 🙂

Azaad
Azaad
6 years ago

Given how the jury was sorted out this year for UMK (let’s be honest, Blackbird was the best Nordic song this year), I say Saara has a better shot of winning especially given her fame. And she’d likely get 24 points from the British and Irish televote.

olvr20
olvr20
6 years ago

A burning sense of betrayal for me. As much as I want her to Eurovision, I don’t want her to do it for the UK. Now that she is a lot more famous, she could easily win UMK since the level of our NF is so low.

Erasmus
Erasmus
6 years ago
Reply to  olvr20

I don’t agree last year you had Blackbird, Reach out for the Sun, Arrows, Circle of Light… quite a strong selection I would say, but you certainly have a lot of novelty acts..

olvr20
olvr20
6 years ago
Reply to  Erasmus

Blackbird was good, but apparently not good enough since we didn’t even qualify. Circle of Light was a great song, but live, not that much… I’m sure Alva or Anni wouldn’t have made it to the final either.

Mark
Mark
6 years ago
Reply to  olvr20

I felt that UMK went for diversity in 2017 instead of quality.

Jane
Jane
6 years ago
Reply to  olvr20

I agree, Finland has been awful and boring.

Magpie
Magpie
6 years ago

Maybe she should take the offer if she really wants to. That way she doesn’t have to worry about participating in UMK at all.

The Orinoco Child
The Orinoco Child
6 years ago

PLEASE SAARA DO IT! Scrap the national final and just send Saara.

me ru
me ru
6 years ago

I have the feeling that she loves UK so much that she would take the worst offer from UK, instead the best offer from Finland. This doesn’t mean You Decide is a bad offer, I think she will do it and she will be like Lucie Jones. If she will fail…I don’t know if her career will be damaged. It depends if UK is cruel with ESC failures. Some countries aren’t.

Gobio
Gobio
6 years ago

I think she would represent Finland, obviously.

Steve
Steve
6 years ago

She is far too good for Eurovision. Will harm her career. She won’t do it for the UK.

AJB
AJB
6 years ago
Reply to  Steve

Agreed Steve. she needs to put that aside and focus on her music career in the UK and the fantastic opportunity her XFactor journey has given her. With Brexit looming, now is not the time for a Finn to represent the UK in Eurovision. It would harm her career.

Mark
Mark
6 years ago
Reply to  Steve

UK is a small country. UK is insignificant in the big picture.

Benny
Benny
6 years ago
Reply to  Steve

I am sorry, but how can entering a song contest harm a career? This is a highly negative comment towards other entrants who have entered this contest.

If anything entering the Eurovision would boost her career. It’s not like she has released any singles since being on X Factor, or if she has they have not been a huge hit in UK.

I don’t like it when so calls fans who love Eurovision, then diss it with illogical nonsense!!

Jo
Jo
6 years ago
Reply to  Benny

Yes, it’s pretty sad, but it’s true. In the UK, Eurovision might hinder your career, or your chances of getting one there. But it’s IN the UK, other countries have a different view of Eurovison, and some have none. Therefore, it’s not just bad, she could have a solid career across Europe, at the least.

Frisian esc
Frisian esc
6 years ago
Reply to  Steve

“harm her career” which career? She hasn’t done anything interesting musically wise the last year. If she achieves a good placing it will only enrichen her career.

Teo
Teo
6 years ago

I still can’t believe how the damn Finnish jury preferred the horrible, old fashioned, boring song from Sandja instead of Saara Aalto’s “No Fear”…

Mark
Mark
6 years ago
Reply to  Teo

Those juries went music professionals… As I am meant to believe.

Finn
Finn
6 years ago
Reply to  Teo

Yeah, our ”jury” in 2016 was a disaster. It was just random groups of people that had something in common, and only one of those was music professionals. I literally cried after seeing Saara getting robbed for the second time. But I wouldn’t mind her representing the UK, she has a lot of hate in here (despite the headlines). Finnish online forums are always belittling her, and I have started to dislike her to a certain extent. For example, in a concert she said ”Do you wanna hear some new music?” and then sang a cover from some lesser-known artist.