Mae Muller 'proud of everyone' after finishing second bottom in Liverpool's Eurovision
Mae Muller has said she is "proud of everyone" but it was "not the result we hoped for" after her second-from-bottom finish at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool.
The 25-year-old singer from London finished 25th in last night's grand final with I Wrote A Song, claiming 24 points.
Germany was the only nation to finish below the UK, on 18 points.
Posting on Twitter in the early hours of Sunday, Muller said: “I just want to say thank u x i know i joke a lot but we really put our all into the last few months, not the result we hoped for but so proud of everyone & what we achieved on this journey.
“Congrats to all the countries, I’ll never forget this journey and I love you all.”
The disappointment comes just 12 months after the UK finished second behind Ukraine when Sam Ryder wowed with his hit Space Man.
Sweden's Loreen became only the second person to claim the coveted trophy twice.
The singer, who previously triumphed in 2012, narrowly beat Finland’s Kaarija after the public and jury votes were combined.
She performed her anthemic dance-pop song Tattoo for the international voting public, singing from an illuminated enclosed space on the stage.
"Right now everything feels surreal, I’m seriously overwhelmed," she told a press conference after her win.
"One feeling that’s taking over it gratitude, I feel so thankful for all of you."
The Ukrainian entry, the brooding electronic duo Tvorchi, scored 243 points and came sixth.
The grand final on Saturday night featured a series of musical tributes to Ukraine, who would have hosted the contest this year had it not been for the Russian invasion.
The night opened with a pre-recorded video featuring last year’s winners Kalush Orchestra – and a surprise appearance from the Princess of Wales playing the piano.
They were joined by Ryder playing the guitar on the top of the Liver Building on the Liverpool waterfront, with Andrew Lloyd Webber on piano.
Former Ukrainian contestants Go_A, Tina Karol and Jamala, who won for Ukraine in 2016, performed in between this year’s hopefuls arriving for the flag parade.
But there was no appearance from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was barred from addressing the event.
As the show ended, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted: “Liverpool, you’ve done the United Kingdom and Ukraine proud.
“What a fantastic celebration for #Eurovision2023 Congratulations @Loreen_Talhaoui. Sweden it’s over to you.”
Saturday night's show has become the most-watched grand final in Eurovision history, the BBC has said.
The live broadcast saw an average of 9.9 million viewers and a peak of 11 million tune in.
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