The rumour mill is hard at work in the UK as the BBC remains tight-lipped about their artist and song for Eurovision 2023. But amidst the whirlwind of rumours, one artist has ruled themselves out. Singer-songwriter Freya Ridings has confirmed she will not represent the UK in Liverpool this May.
Freya Ridings was one of the high-profile names on fans’ lips to fly the British flag on home soil at Eurovision. Many fans speculated she’d be singing “Weekends” for the UK in Liverpool. But alas, the “Castles” hitmaker is out of the running.
United Kingdom at Eurovision 2023: Freya Ridings denies participation
On Monday 6 March, Freya Ridings confirmed she won’t represent the UK at Eurovision this year.
Freya told Official Charts: “I’m not doing it! I’m really not!”
The 28-year-old Londoner recently performed “Weekends” on The Graham Norton Show, leading the Eurovision Nancy Drews to suspect this could be a spot of promotion ahead of her song contest debut. But Eurovision isn’t on Freya’s 2023 calendar.
She added: “I love Eurovision, me and my family watch every year but it’s not […] it was never my ultimate goal in life.”
“But I do massively respect it and you see [last year’s entry] Sam Ryder [doing so well] he’s stunning, I’m in awe of him. I’m actually really excited that people think that I’m doing it. But I’m not!”
Who will represent the UK at Eurovision 2023?
The BBC is yet to reveal the artist and song representing the UK at Eurovision 2023. Other rumoured names include Birdy, Mae Muller, Mimi Webb, and Rina Sawayama.
The UK entry is expected to be revealed by the end of the week.
What do you think? Who will represent the UK at Eurovision? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Its Rina
Nope. It’s Mae Muller. It’s all over the Internet. The news outlets are reporting it now.
since i this covered this band, i would love to see them somewhere bigger, and idk if eurovision is the right place for them, It’sThe Luka State. It would be crazy for me if it would happen, but it is just a dream of mine. But in the end if it happened this year it would be another band in esc23, like this year is full of bands. it would be funny.
Realistically i would love a female voice this year <3
since i discovered*
(sorry for my english and errors)
If I had a choice, it would be the super talented Rose Grey. Man, she slaps! Her songs ‘Ecstasy’ & ‘Swim’ are superb! Plus she’s unashamedly pop, but has a nice 90’s/early 2000’s sound to her music.
2nd choice would be Anna Straker. Another superb artist that deserves more fame.
I wouldn’t be mad at Rina Sawayama either. Superb vocalist that faultlessly delivers lice.
That was meant to read ‘live’, but im sure there are many people who wouldn’t complain if she delivered lice too lol
Lately, I’ve had this thought that PinkPantheress may be the UK’s representative and it disturbs me lol
Haha that did cross my mind also!
Can’t believe that you have all been taken in. Sophie Ellis Bextor has just released her new single. The BBC has been promoting it which is strange for an artist who let’s face it hardly sets the charts alive. I’ve never wanted to be so wrong in a long time.
I only remember her for performing once at Hoy (a Mexican morning TV show) XD
One thing I loved about music of the 2010s was the success of Birdy. Seeing her making a comeback would be delightful and Raincatchers in ESC is the perfect recipe for that.
Rina, Mimi or Birdy would be very good choices
Mae Muller would be a disaster?
You would have thought that with the UK hosting, the BBC would have made more of a thing of the act and the song. Perhaps not a national final, but perhaps an external song selection for internally selected act. They know what they’re doing tough, so I wait to be proved wrong.
Completely random but a song that’s been played quite a lot on radio 2 without much fanfare (as was spaceman before being officially announced) is “whistle” by Jax Jones and Callum Scott.
It’s exactly 3 minutes long too
Callum can sing live too.
Released 3 weeks ago
That would be great, love Callum, but I think I saw somewhere it would be a female representative?
If it were an established act, I sense that we would have heard by now. I think it’s very likely to be someone like Molly 2014, who was “popped up” for the purpose of the contest.
I think both Mimi Webb and Mae Muller would be a huge step back compared to 2022. Sam did well, because he and his song resonated with a huge variety of viewers and had something very unique. I don’t really see Mimi and Mae appealing to anyone outside of the TikTok demographic tbh. Also, their music is really just very beige radio mainstream pop, which rarely does work well at Eurovision. If Rina really is an option, then she is by far the best option for the UK imho. She is modern, her music balances well between alternative and mainstream,… Read more »
Well whoever the UK does choose then hopefully that representative does well as Sam Ryder did.
Today: Switzerland
8/3: Israel, Austria, Azerbaijan
11/3: Sweden, Portugal
Mimi Webb and Birdy could both do really well, and their styles could add something different to the songs we have this far for this edition of the contest.
I was hoping so much
I really don’t think it’s Rina, we’re in for a surprise. One established name that hasn’t been mentioned is Stefflon Don, she may be a bit too famous but I’d love the UK to finally tap into its pool of Dancehall/R&B/Grime stars.
Those 2 just released a collab with Sigala
These remaining countries that won’t even give us a date for when they will release their songs have better make them good ones. You build up expectation… you will be judged accordingly.
Yeah slay, say it louder
Does it have to be an established artist? Lets not rule out relatively unknown up and coming names. They can do just as well
Agree! Just look at Ireland’s CONNOLLY. An undiscovered artist who made their first song in their bedroom, and she would’ve done far better than Wild Youth at Eurovision.
If its either Birdy or Rina this could be the strongest big 5 in recent history and all 5 countries will be looking at top 15 at least
People will probably dislike this comment but I think Germany won’t make it to the top 15 :/ I don’t know how to explain but I don’t feel like Blood and Glitters will appeal that much people. Personnally I like the song without being a fan of it. However, I wish Germany a good result because they really need it.
For the other big 5 countries I agree. I see France, Spain and Italy all between 8 th and 13th. I hope UK will have the potential for a top 5 🙂
Spain is bottom 3
Top 3* (at least)
I think people who will like it will pick other songs to vote for, and Germany will end up below 20th place.
Proof of confirmation then?
“Raincatchers” is going straight to the top for me if that’s the one, though Rina would probably have broader appeal. I’m hoping for those two.
When you scroll through and see a username based on an old Rosicrucian book!
Mae Muller and Mimi Webb do absolutely nothing for me, they’re pretty bland.
I’m praying it’s Rina Sawayama or Birdy.
I’m rooting for Sonia. After all, it’s better the devil you know.
She’d give her heart and her soul
Many people say it could be Mae Muller with the song she released a snippet of on TikTok and Soundcloud. I very much doubt the BBC would allow the chosen artist to publish a snippet ahead of its official confirmation of being the UK entry (if she indeed is the artist). The BBC have very strict NDAs that would not be allowed to be breached
Sam Ryder released his song before the announcement last year, in a longer version. It can happen.
Lee Smithurst said on a Eurotrip podcast that they wouldn’t be releasing it onto the radio like last year.
That cancels out Birdy and everyone else mentioned, then?
I guess so, yes
Birdy really caught my attention lately because Raincatchers is so good. If she represents UK with that song (3 minute version obviously) it would be a landslide victory.
Read your comments and checked all of this … for me it’s birdy by a landslide !
Daz Sampson is ready.
They’re going to get him out of the nursing home so he can sing about hard your 20s are?
Guys, don’t fret, it’s YEDANI who’ll represent the UK this year
My guess is Mimi Webb with Freezing, but we really won’t know until they tell us lol.
I’m not sure why people thought Freya being on The Graham Norton Show was an indicator, when Eurovision acts have gone on the show in the past it’s been a couple of weeks before the contest and way after they have been announced as the act. I’m not mocking the people speculating from not much information, because we’re just desperate to know! It’s been refreshing to have this much excitement and more established names into the speculation this year.
It’s Paul McCartney.
It is either Rina or Mae Muller, but also Raincatchers by Birdy is also strongly suggested to be the song that could be selected. I think it would be interesting (a bit too Kate Bush like for me personally) but I think it would translate well live. Either way, if it is between Rina and Birdy, the UK will be in excellent hands!
Steps
Any chance it will be somebody Scottish, to make up for Glasgow missing out? Also that there has been no Scottish performer for about 50 years?
Wonder if Lulu has any “new material” to promote?
Remember when Kenneth McKellar represented the UK wearing full Scottish garb, including kilt and sporran? Something like that.
Maybe Lewis Capaldi can give a shot at ESC 2024 but I doubt he will ever go tbh.
Yes there has, “Rikki” Peebles in 1987. He even wore tartan. But that’s still a long time ago, so your point is valid.
Oh, I didn’t know about that. 36 years is still a long time.
It’s not mad muller, she ruled herself out earlier this. I’m almost certain it’s Jessie ware and pearls, they always play the Eurovision song the week or two before on radio 2 and she had a lot of exposure.
Well I’ve already put Frankenstein by Rina on my Eurovision 2023 Playlist so it has to be that 1 😉 l
According to a certain ball, it will be Birdy with Raincatchers and I think it could be a great entry for the UK, the song is really good and could get a great result in May for the UK on their homesoil. Birdy is already popular worldwide thanks to several hits and she has a massive amounts of followers around the globe, it can helps a lot in Eurovision imo.
I wish somebody would take a hammer to that ball.
Arff he is fun to follow that’s all, he just gives some little pieces of information about the esc world, he is only known and active in this small fandom that represents nothing, he doesn’t influence anything and hurt nobody at the end, nothing bad imo and it gives more life in this sleeping, predictable and boring fandom.
“hurtS”
They ruin surprises, and take away power from delegations and performers to control their own story and moment.
I get that for sure and I’m not here to defend him but at the end it has zero impact, this fandom is so small, and he just feeds the extrem eurofans, he satisfies their impatience. In the real world and for the general public it has no impact so he doesn’t really ruin the surprises. The Esc world is not the real world.
If you say that just because this account follows Birdy, reminder that they love to troll people with their follows. People were SURE Australia’s representative would be Chris Sebastian because of that. 🙂
We will see, we can’t really know with thus thing in crystal lol, but still, Birdy would be great imo.
So far he or she has been on point with their predictions. I’m guessing they must be an insider for the Swiss delegation or something considering where they’re coming from.
Who knows… but I don’t see why and how somebody from the Swiss delegation would get informations from the Ebu, and moreover some informations sometimes many weeks in advance, and without talking about all the leaks that were all relevant at the end. No imo this crystal ball is still a mystery and it makes the thing funnier. Maybe he is somebody from the Ebu who has the mission to animate the fandom who needs to be fed if not they become unbearable and toxic and it doesn’t give a good image of Eurovision, that’s my flawed theory lol.
I would add it’s not because his/her/their account Twitter is localized in Switzerland that it’s the true, you can write the locations you want and the Ebu is in Switzerland it’s so easy and it would be too blatant, this ball is enough clever to cover the tracks.
So glad it didn’t turn out to be Chris Sebastian
I cant remember any of her “hits” but I suppose 10 years is a long time ago. Hard not to think that this person is up for it because she has a new album to promote. A bit like Tyler in 2013.
Skinny love, Wings were hits in my country…. Birdy is a big name with maybe less success these last years but nobody can denies that, and nobody can ignore her talent.
The Birdy Song wasn’t her then. You could have said the same about Englebert Humperdinck. Honestly there are loads of contemporary artists, Mimi and Rina to name but two.
I love Birdy. Raincatchers is far too long for ESC though.
I saw that too but an Eurovision version would still be possible. For me this song has everything to be successful in a contest like Eurovision, it can please the young and the older easily because it’s classical and fresh enough at the same time and for Eurovision you have to take that in account. This song has big Kate Bush vibes, nostalgic vibes for the older it could help. Rina would be great too but maybe she would appeal to a smaller audience than Birdy, a younger audience.
That’s a shame because she seemed promising. REALLY hope it’s not Rina.
Why? Rina is a very talented artist and she is very fresh and modern. It would be a nice choice too for the UK, however there are insisting rumors saying that Rina is already out…so I don’t know.
Ellie Goulding has a new album out on 24th March. I smell Eurovision!
Why not 😉
Except she’s already shot herself in the foot by bleating “We’re not even in Europe any more.”
Japanese law forbids dual citizenship, so if Rina wanted to be a British citizen she would have to renounce her Japanese citizenship (she currently holds an indefinite leave to remain visa in the UK)
Citizenship is not necessary to represent a country, though.
Unless you are representing Luxembourg, Monaco or San Marino
France Gall who won for Luxembourg was french, Lara Fabian has represented Luxembourg too and she is Canadian and Belgian, Achille Lauro who represented San Marino is Italian, Severine Ferrer who represented Monaco is french, so no there are no specific rules from these countries I think.
My point exactly!
I didn’t know that but for Eurovision you don’t need to have the nationality of the country you represents so it’s still ok for her.
“you represent” without “s”
I actually never heard of her prior to Eurovision and she seems HIGHLY overrated. I don’t think she’d be a good representative for our people too.
Ok your opinion, maybe you’ve never heard of her before but since years she makes music that got millions of streams and views. She is maybe not the most famous but it’s just a matter of time I think, she has already many followers and her talent will do the rest.
Bore off