It's finally Eurovision week but did you know that the one and only Sophie Ellis-Bextor could have been a judge?
The 'Murder on The Dancefloor' singer told Radio Times that she had been approached to be part of the 2019 judging panel but in the end, she turned it down.
The singer-songwriter explained that there were two reasons why she refused the gig
Ellis Bextor has been a passionate fan of the annual contest since she was a child but two contest rules stopped her from moving from viewer to judge.
Why did Sophie Ellis-Bextor turn down being a Eurovision judge?
The singer explained in the Radio Times interview that it came down to a combination of having a young child and having to stay silent during the show.
“I had a very small baby that I was still feeding, and they wouldn’t let me bring it along,” the 43-year-old said.
“I’m pretty sure the baby would have been impartial but, you know what, I think part of what I like about Eurovision is that it has very much got its rules… it’s kooky.
“We weren’t going to be allowed to speak while we were watching it either, and I thought, ‘I can’t watch Eurovision in silence’.”
Eurovision has been a long tradition in her family since she was “tiny” and watched the programme with her parents as a child.
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READ MORE: Eurovision Song Contest 2022: How will voting work in Turin competition?
“My parents always watched Eurovision and I remember watching it during the eighties when I was in single digits and being pretty fascinated by what I saw,” she said.
The “political undertones” to Eurovision, and Britain’s famous lack of success, was “part of the fun”, she explained.
“We should probably brace ourselves for another ‘nul points’ score,” she said. “There have always been political undertones (to the voting), which again, is part of the fun. We quite enjoy that, I think.
“It’s part of the reason Britain treats it in an almost ironic way, and I don’t think it will ever lose that, but some of the songs that are good can have a life outside of Eurovision and be treated as legitimate hits.”
When is the Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Final?
The first Eurovision Semi-Final is to take place on Tuesday, May 10 where all the countries will take part except the Big Five (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom).
Each country will perform across the two semi-finals for a chance to win one of the 10 spaces in Saturday's final.
Audiences watch 17 songs compete and you can vote for your favourite song via the Official Eurovision Song Contest app.
All the details of how and when to vote will be revealed during the shows.
You will be able to watch the Eurovision Semi-finals on BBC Three with Scott Mills and Rylan Clark presenting live from Turin.
Eurovision Semi-Final one will be broadcast at 8pm on BBC Three.
The second Semi-Final will air on Thursday at the same time and place.
When is the Eurovision Song Contest Final?
TikTok star Sam Ryder, from Essex, is the UK entry for the 2022 contest and will be representing the country with the pop song Space Man.
The 66th Eurovision grand finale will take place on Saturday, May 14 and will be broadcast live from last year's winning country, Italy, on BBC One.
Viewers in the UK will be able to watch the programme from 8pm on BBC One.
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