Eurovision: You Decide! Meet the contestants ahead of the BBC contest

Eurovision season is well and truly underway across the continent (and, inexplicably, Australia) with competing countries picking their combatants for pop music's answer to The Hunger Games. Now it’s the UK’s turn to shunt forward a tribute, as Mel Giedroyc and Eurovision champ Måns Zelmerlöw guide us through our choices for Portugal with Eurovision: You Decide!

And the good news is that the Beeb has actually pulled together a decent crop of performers, all capable of building on Lucie Jone’s solid 15th place finish in Kyiv last year. Excitingly, any one of them could win on Wednesday, and quite a few of them could ascend to the hallowed left-hand side of the leader board, should they triumph.

But who’ll grab that golden ticket? And how will they fare in Lisbon? We caught up with the 6 hopeful acts over a glass of Bucks Fizz and a couple of cheese straws (thank you BBC catering) to discover who knows their pastéis de nada from their Ne partez pas sans moi?

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No stranger to the contest, SuRie’s been a backing vocalist for two successful Belgian entries, finishing 4th in both 2015 and 2017. Experience counts on Europe’s biggest stage, but what sets "Storms" apart from everything else this year? Brace yourself…

SuRie: It’s a dynamic mix of piano ballad meets singer/songwriter that builds into a soulful anthemic pop party with a lot of classic Eurovision feels. That make sense? It’s got everything a Eurovision entry needs, and when you see it on Wednesday, I think you’ll appreciate how it works with the staging and styling - the performance will be beautiful and moving.

What’s your favourite Eurovision track of all time?

SuRie: I loved Guy Sebastian’s entry, Tonight Again [Australia, 2015] - he's such a great guy and that really came across in the number. I love Måns too. When I was out in Kyiv last year we were in the same hotel as Måns - so each morning I’m out there dying on the treadmill, looking like a troll, and he’s there, looking immaculate, doing his workout without a bead of sweat. He’s not human.

Quickfire Questions:

What’s your nickname? Squidge… I’ve always been tiny.

Describe yourself in 3 words: Small but mighty

Who won Eurovision with ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’? Conchita Wurst

…and with ‘Take Me To You Heaven’? …ooh, I want to say Bonnie Tyler, is that terrible?

What’s your favourite European City? Stockholm.

Bangers or Ballads? Ballads. I’m a softy.

Måns or Mel? Måns. Sorry Mel!

How’s your Portuguese? Negative.

What club does Cristiano Ronaldo play for? It’s Eurovision, COME ON.

What’s a ‘Pastel de nata’? A pasta del what now?

…and a Portuguese Man ‘O War? Huge Jellyfish.

Can you win in Lisbon? Yes. I will do us proud.

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With an impressive showreel of telly and musical theatre to wave about, it’s hard to believe that powerhouse vocalist Asanda is just 16 year-old. Surely she can’t be familiar with the works of Katrina, Bucks Fizz or even Precious, right?

Asanda: I’ve seen 4 or 5 Eurovisions over the last few years, and obviously there’s a lot of amazing stuff on YouTube. My favourite performance is from many years ago, Celine Dion [Ne partez pas sans moi, Switzerland, 1988 - 13 years before Asanda was born] - she looked good and the performance was amazing. I’d want to do that well.

How do you think Legends will stand apart from other entries if you get to Lisbon?

Asanda: It’s energetic with lots of different rhythms and vibes - it’s the kind of thing that the UK maybe hasn’t sent along before. Beyonce, Whitney, Rihanna and Anita Baker are my Legends, so I want to channel some of their fierceness on stage when I’m stomping about on Wednesday night.

What’s your nickname? Sandy.

Describe yourself in 3 words: Crazy. Energetic. Fierce.

Who won Eurovision with ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’? Conchita.

…and with ‘Take Me To You Heaven’? Errrrrrrrrrr?

What’s your favourite European City? Milan - I would’ve liked to have said Barcelona as I was supposed to go in Year 10 but I couldn’t go on the trip because I had exams that day.

Bangers or Ballads? Both. If you’re looking to let your heart out it’s gotta be a ballad, but it’s bangers for going crazy.

Måns or Mel? Mel!

How’s your Portuguese? Can I speak Portuguese? Hell-to-the-no!

What club does Cristiano Ronaldo play for? Portugal… Barcelona?

What’s a ‘Pastel de nata’? A what? Do I need to know this?

…and a Portuguese Man ‘O War? Noooooo - what even is that?

Can you win in Lisbon? Hopefully yes!

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Liam’s a seasoned West End performer, cut from the same cloth as Lucie Jones, and most likely act to deliver a compelling performance on Wednesday. With such a successful stage career, why’s Liam got his eyes on Eurovision?

Liam: I got hooked on Eurovision when I was 15 or 16. Coming from a multicultural background and growing-up with questions about my sexuality, Eurovision was always a huge beacon - seeing different types of people going out there on stage and being proud of who they are. That’s why I’ve always been fascinated with Eurovision. Jade Ewen’s My Time [UK, 2009] is one of my favourite entries.

What can we expect from your performance on Wednesday night?

Liam: I’ll be wearing an astronaut costume and…KIDDING! Ha! I can’t give away too much about the performance but it’s going to be something that people won’t necessarily expect. Last year, Lucie Jones was incredible - she sold the performance with her eyes. That’s something we’re able to do as actors. We’re story-tellers.

What’s your nickname? LiLi.

Describe yourself in 3 words: Equality. Passion. Peace.

Who won Eurovision with ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’? Conchita Wurst.

…and with ‘Take Me To You Heaven’? Oooh, um, I know this! Wait, no - I don’t.

What’s your favourite European City? Coventry.

Bangers or Ballads? Depends on the mood. Both are valid.

Måns or Mel? As a gay man, that’s an unfair question. Next.

How’s your Portuguese? Rubbish, but my mate who’s in Phantom is Portuguese and she’s gonna teach me some.

What club does Cristiano Ronaldo play for? Madrid.

What’s a ‘Pastel de nata’? Is it a dish? A foody thing?

…and a Portuguese Man ‘O War? A jellyfish.

Can you win in Lisbon? Of course I can!

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How many other Eurovision hopefuls can say they’ve had the chance to work with will.i.am on a project for NASA? Well, quite! The Voice contestant Jaz has his fingers in all sorts of musical pies, so in his opinion, what makes a stand-out Eurovision entry?

Jaz: My favourite entry from recent times is probably those Dutch girls from last year [O’G3NE - The ‘O’ stands for their mother's blood group, while ‘G3ne’ represents the genes that bind the three sisters, fact fans!]. They deserved to win. I tend to jump around the years and watch lots of entries on YouTube. Big fan of Måns’ Heroes too.

And what sort of impact can "You" have in Portugal?

Jaz: It’s a wildcard, I’d say. It’s not your standard Eurovision track but that might work in my favour. Salvador’s winning song from last year wasn’t obvious either but it worked because it was so off the chain. Presenting something different can work in our favour, and we’re due something different. I want to bring a bit of soul to Eurovision.

What’s your nickname? Jaz. I only hear my real name when I’m in trouble with my mum or dad.

Describe yourself in 3 words: Crazy. Bubbly. Loyal.

Who won Eurovision with ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’? No idea. [an audible gasp is heard from across the room, and I nearly drop my mic]

…and with ‘Take Me To You Heaven’? No idea.

What’s your favourite European City? Prague. Beautiful.

Bangers or Ballads? BANGERS! I’m a bangers kinda guys.

Måns or Mel? Måns.

How’s your Portuguese? I know “Obrigado!” [thank you], is that right?

What club does Cristiano Ronaldo play for? Brazil? No?

What’s a ‘Pastel de nata’? No.

…and a Portuguese Man ‘O War? That’s a Jellyfish!

Can you win in Lisbon? Yas!

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Having danced for Little Mix, sung backing vocals for Hurts, and appeared in ITV’s Mr Selfridge, Miss Showbiz herself, Raya, has nabbed a bop written by Icelandic Euro-diva Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir. What brings this energetic all-rounder to Eurovision?

Raya: I’ve been watching the show since I was a kid, and I’ve been to quite a few Eurovision parties, so I know exactly what I’d want to hear, and I reckon I can bring that to Lisbon. Crazy’s got a fresh sound - it’s a little bit urban, a little bit dancehall, and it’s very accessible. In fact, it’s the sort of electro-dance hit that, on the night, everyone’s ears are waiting for.

You seem to know your onions - so how are you going to win over the audience on Wednesday night?

Raya: Big. Impact. Performance. I’m gonna fill the stage and then bring the house down. Crazy is a stomper, or even a bop, as people say these days. My track’s got a great hook, and I want to give the audience a show. I will give it my all at You Decide.

What’s your nickname? Rach’.

Describe yourself in 3 words: Fiesty. Short. Friendly.

Who won Eurovision with ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’? Conchita Wurst.

…and with ‘Take Me To You Heaven’? Not sure

What’s your favourite European City? Lisbon - I’ve been loads of times, and there’s no where else quite like it.

Bangers or Ballads? Bangers

Måns or Mel? Måns but Mel’s a hoot!

How’s your Portuguese? I need to learn.

What club does Cristiano Ronaldo play for? Is it Milan? Is that close?

What’s a ‘Pastel de nata’? A pasta with tomatoes? Oh those custardy things in Nando’s - I LOVE them!

…and a Portuguese Man ‘O War? No idea.

Can you win in Lisbon? Absolutely. Hi-five!

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According to Wikipedia, Goldstone is a type of glittering glass made in a low-oxygen reducing atmosphere and often mistaken for a naturally occurring material - so why a girl band that’s DEFINITELY NOT BEEN ASSEMBLED JUST FOR EUROVISION would pick that as their name is anybody’s guess. Here’s Aimie (with her bandmates Helen and Rhiannon) to tell us how much she loves Eurovision…

Aimie: I’ve watched a lot of Eurovision over the years, and I guess you could say I’m a super-fan! I remember years ago when me and my mum threw a huge party because Blue were representing the UK - blue face paint, blue clothes. We LOVED Blue. I was also in a Eurovision themed musical called Eurobeat with Mel Giedroyc - so it’s weird how it’s all come full circle.

Can you win on Wednesday?

Aimee: Our track is powerful, catchy and upbeat and that should go down well, so yeah. We’re just excited now to get out there and perform live. Performance is what we live for. We’re huge pop fans and I hope that people can tell that we’re genuine friends too - I think that will all come across on Wednesday night.

What are your nicknames? Hell’s Bell, RiRi and Aimes.

Describe yourselves in 3 words: Fiesty. Joker. Powerhouse.

Who won Eurovision with ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’? Conchita Wurst

…and with ‘Take Me To You Heaven’? Charlotte Nilsson.

What’s your favourite European City? Venice. Barcelona. Berlin.

Bangers or Ballads? Bangers. Bangers. Bangers.

Måns or Mel? Mel. Mel. Mel.

How’s your Portuguese? Non-existent.

What club does Cristiano Ronaldo play for? Madrid.

What’s a ‘Pastel de nata’? Something foody? Food. Is it a food?

…and a Portuguese Man ‘O War? Like a squid thing?

Can you win in Lisbon? Of course we can!

All songs can be heard here.

Eurovision: You Decide airs on Wednesday 7 February, 19:30, BBC TWO.