Sam Ryder says younger audiences don't view Eurovision as 'cheesy'

"They're coming at it with an open-hearted attitude," the Spaceman hitmaker told ITV News arts editor Nina Nannar

Sam Ryder says today's younger audiences don't view Eurovision as 'uncool or cheesy'.

Britain's 2022 runner-up says the new generation of fans have a refreshing view of the song contest, long famed for its eccentricity.

More young people than ever are expected to tune in for the 2023 song contest, being hosted by the city of Liverpool on behalf of last year's winners, Ukraine.

The Space man hitmaker told ITV News arts editor Nina Nannar: "They're coming into this thing with no preconceptions about how it used to be deemed uncool or cheesy.

"So they're coming at it with an open-hearted attitude."

While there is no doubt that Liverpool is standing in for last year's winners Ukraine, President Voldomyr Zelenskyy has said that he would have liked the song contest to have been hosted somewhere closer to his home country.

He said: "I think my opinion from the very beginning is that if we cannot host it, it should be in one of the countries that share borders with us, like Slovakia or Poland. Or, some other state where our people can go and where it would be very close."

Ryder responded to his comments: "We live in an imperfect world, but what you can definitely tell from the atmosphere in Liverpool and beyond is that the intentions are pure and good - and that it is Ukraine's party and we're throwing it at our house."

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The singer performed at the infamous nightclub birth place of the Beatles, The Cavern Club, while in Liverpool for the contest, where the UK is this year being represented by Mae Muller.

Declining to give away his picks on who could come away with a win this year, Ryder applauded the courage of all the contestants as they prepare to play live in front of 160 million people watching around the world.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 The Grand Final is taking place on Saturday 13 May at 8pm at the M&S Bank Arena on Pier Head.

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