Mae Muller's chances of winning the Eurovision Song Contest have received a boost from bookmakers, just as she came clean about a 'technical issue' that blighted her second rehearsal on Saturday.
After she supported Little Mix on their Confetti tour last year, it was announced at the start of March that Mae would be the UK's act for Eurovision this year, after speculation had linked the likes of Birdy and Freya Ridings to the honour as well.
Mae already knows she has a guaranteed place in the final in Liverpool, with her not compering in either Eurovision semi final 1 on Tuesday, May 9 or semi final 2 two days later. The UK are always in 'the big 5' along with France, Germany, Italy and Spain, meaning they don't have to qualify for the grand finale.
READ MORE: Eurovision 2023 semi finals countries and running order as contest comes to Liverpool.
However, like every other act from the 37 countries involved, Mae has been in attendance at rehearsals this week, with her first turn in the spotlight provoking mass excitement from fans, who were particularly impressed with the striking staging for her performance of I Wrote A Song.
After being delighted with Mae's first rehearsal, Eurovision devotees were keen to see her in action again after her second rehearsal on Saturday; however, official footage failed to appear on the official rehearsal round-up video on Saturday night.
A video did circulate of vocals with vocals from a male backing vocalist overpowering Mae's, with Mae herself taking to Twitter to clear things up, replying to a follower to write: "TECHNICAL ISSUE HUNS THAT AINT WHAT IT SOUNDED LIKE IN REHEARSAL BRB."
After another Twitter user suggested the voice sounded like BBC host Rylan, Mae joked: "everyone i’m actually duetting with rylan this year change of plan."
Whatever issue Mae had in rehearsals has done no harm to her place in the latest Eurovision odds, with her leapfrogging Austria to be 9th favourite to triumph on Saturday night, on updated odds of 50/1.
Sweden's Loreen is still the favourite to win, but Finland are closing in all the time, with them now at 15/8, ahead of new third favourite France on 6/1.
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