Space Man singer Sam Ryder will be shooting for the stars tomorrow night as the UK’s best Eurovision hope in years.
But Ukraine and Sweden could bring him crashing back to Earth.
The singer, who will perform from an intergalactic igloo, is the bookies’ 6/1 second favourite to win in Turin, but he must overcome 2/5 favourites Ukraine and the Swedes at 7/1.
Many believe Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra will triumph as fans get behind the war-torn nation.
But experts say that while they may get the viewers’ vote, they could do less well with professional juries in the 40 Eurovision countries.
One said: “Sam brings the UK its best chance in years, but the path to victory is fraught with difficulties.
“He has the opposite problem to Ukraine in that he’s likely to do better with the juries but may struggle more in the televote.” At the climax of his song Sam, 31, launches into a frantic bout of air guitar.
“Viewers are going to love it or hate it,” the source said. “But this is the best position the UK has been in for years – if not decades.”
Having seen rehearsals, our source fears the Swedish entry may be Sam’s biggest threat as “Cornelia Jakobs has star quality and the song is superbly performed”.
But today, BBC One host Graham Norton said Essex boy Sam, who will perform 22nd out of 25 finalists, was the “perfect Eurovision contestant.” And Katrina Leskanich, who won the contest for the UK in 1997, said he has “credibility” and will get “loads of votes”.
