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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Mark Brown

‘A thrill to watch’: how Sam Ryder turned UK’s Eurovision fortunes around

Sam Ryder United Kingdom Eurovision Scott Bryan Adele Michael Jackson TikTok Brexit Capital Radio
Sam Ryder, representing United Kingdom, performs on stage during Eurovision
Ryder was already the most popular British musician on TikTok, thanks to his home-recorded versions of songs by everyone from Adele to Michael Jackson. Photograph: Stefania D’Alessandro/Getty Images

Europe doesn’t hate the UK after all, it was just waiting for a decent song. This is what seasoned Eurovision watchers concluded after seeing Sam Ryder take a triumphant second place on Saturday night.

It was a runner’s up slot that felt like a victory, given it had been widely expected that Ukraine would and – in the wider scheme of things – should win the contest.

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