Sam Ryder is too "enthusiastic" about being the UK's 'Eurovision' entrant to "fear" the scoreboard.
Sam Ryder does not fear the Eurovision scoreboard
Despite the country's long history of scoring in the bottom half of the singing contest on many occasions and James Newman's failed attempt last year, the TikTok star does not wish to dwell on the past and is thrilled to get to compete with his single 'Space Man'.
He said: “I have made myself have a better relationship with fear.
“Going into 'Eurovision', I don’t want to have any fear around the scoreboard.
“As a UK artist, people say things like, ‘Are you scared of this?’ and the answer is no. I am so enthusiastic because I am such a fan of 'Eurovision' and my friends and family are such fans. So it’s an honour and a privilege to be included in it.”
The 31-year-old singer - who boasts 12 million followers on the video-sharing app - insisted he's not paying any attention to his competition as he wants to "enjoy" this time.
Speaking on the fan YouTube channel Wiwibloggs, he added: “I haven’t read or looked at anything. I told myself at the beginning, ‘I am not going to do that.’ I just want to enjoy the process.
“I don’t think that’s going to help elevate the feeling. I don’t need to read about it.”
The annual competition will take place Turin, Italy following the victory of Italian rock band Måneskin during the 2021 contest, which was held in Rotterdam.
The 'Tiny Riot' singer also explained that he will "do the best job [he] can" but knows that anything else is beyond his control and vowed to only remember his "gratitude" for the opportunity.
He said recently: "As long as I can go to 'Eurovision' and know in my heart of hearts I'm going to do the best job I can then everything else is out of my control. Music is about sharing and connection. The only thing I have in my power to do is remember kindness, gratitude for the opportunity and empathy.
Sam was chosen to represent the country after Tap Music - the company behind the careers of pop stars such as Dua Lipa and Ellie Goulding - came on board to find a new act to represent the UK after James received zero points for his song 'Embers.'
Tap representative Ben Mawson said: "We don't want to see 'Eurovision' as a boom or bust night for the artist. We want to see this as a platform for development for a career ."
'The Eurovision Song Contest 2022' will be broadcast live on Saturday, 14 May.