From Katie Price’s ‘cringiest’ audition to boyband star savaged by OWN manager…. watch Brit celebs’ Eurovision flops

SUPERSTARS from Sir Cliff Richard and Lulu to The Shadows and Bonnie Tyler have all represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest.

This Saturday the nation will be rooting for Olly Alexander, the former frontman of Years & Years and star of the hit Channel 4 drama It’s A Sin.

Splash

The 33-year-old, who will perform the track Dizzy, has already weathered a technical blunder at the Eurovision semi-final when viewers claimed to be unable to hear him.

Explaining the difficulties, Olly told BBC Radio 2: “I did have a slight wardrobe malfunction in that my mic pack fell off in the second chorus, so I was confused and stressed by that.”

Later he explained on ITV’s Lorraine that he “had to improvise” and dismissed the problem, adding: “It’s live and it happens”.

Fans have rallied behind the star, writing online that he delivered “a ridiculously assured and confident performance” and “did incredibly well” to recover from the microphone issue.

While Olly managed to bounce back, things haven’t always gone so well for the household names who have flown the flag for the UK.

While some have gone on to have stellar music careers, others have had varying fortunes after their Eurovision flops.

Here are the stars you forgot auditioned for Eurovision.

Rita Ora

BBC

She’s a chart-topping singer-songwriter, actress, model and TV judge – but before finding fame Rita tried to bag herself a Eurovision spot.

The Hot Right Now singer was just 18 when she auditioned for Eurovision: Your Country Needs You, on BBC One, in the hopes of being the British entry for the 2009 competition.

Rita qualified but withdrew from the show after just a few episodes saying she wasn’t ready.

Her manager later said she thought Eurovision would hinder Rita’s chances of becoming a successful solo artist.

Rita, 33, has since performed at Eurovision, playing her hits during the semi-finals of the contest in Liverpool last year.

Kym Marsh

BBC

After finding fame with Hear’Say on Popstars: The Rivals, Kym left the band in 2002 and tried to carve out a solo career, releasing the album Standing Tall which hit number nine in the charts, as well as enjoying two top ten singles.

She entered Making Your Mind Up – a TV show to find the UK’s 2006 entry for the Eurovision Song Contest – with her track Whisper to Me.

I was offered a record deal to do Eurovision. I can’t sing that song now and I couldn’t even sing it then. It’s the cringiest thing

Katie Price

But she only managed fourth place in the competition which was won by Daz Sampson.

But her disappointment was short-lived as she landed the part of Corrie’s Michelle Connor later that year, which she played until 2019.

Her TV career has gone from strength to strength and Kym, 47, is now a regular presenter on BBC Morning Live, starred in the 2022 series of Strictly Come Dancing and plays Nicky Walters in Waterloo Road.

Katie Price

PA:Press Association

Model Katie hoped that Eurovision would boost her bid to become a pop star when she joined the competition to become the UK’s entry in 2005.

Wearing a hot pink latex catsuit whilst seven months pregnant with son Harvey, Katie’s performance of Not Just Anybody was panned by critics.

Javine Hylton was the winner and went on to represent the UK in Kyiv, coming 22nd with the song Touch My Fire.

Katie, now 45, is the first to admit her performance was lacking, saying: “I was offered a record deal to do Eurovision.

“I can’t sing that song now and I couldn’t even sing it then. It’s the cringiest thing.”

Michelle Gayle

BBC

BBC

Michelle had already proven herself as a woman of many talents when she launched a bid for Eurovision stardom in 2008.

She had played Hattie Tavernier in EastEnders from 1990 to 1993, before launching a successful pop and R&B career with seven top 40 UK singles, and then took to the West End stage as Belle in Beauty And The Beast.

Michelle’s song for Eurovision was Your Decision was Woo (U Make Me) which she also co-wrote, but she came second to X Factor runner-up Andy Abraham.

Unfortunately, Andy came last in the actual contest, scoring just 14 points with his song Even If.

Michelle, now 53, has continued with her TV and stage career, as well as becoming a novelist.

Samantha Fox

Alamy

The former Page Three model auditioned for Eurovision with her band Sox in 1995.

Sam, 58, had already enjoyed chart success, having released four studio albums and had a number one hit across the world with single Touch Me (I Want Your Body).

She had also been nominated for Best British Female Artist in 1988 at the Brits.

But her Eurovision bid, with Go For The Heart, failed when her band came fourth in the Song For Europe competition.

Anthony Costa

BBC

The Blue singer represented the UK at Eurovision with his bandmates in 2011, coming a respectable 11th place.

But this wasn’t Anthony’s first foray into Eurovision.

To be honest, he hasn’t got a career. There are times when an artist wouldn’t do this and wouldn’t need to

Simon Harrison on Eurovision hopeful Brian Harvey

In 2006 he competed to represent the nation as a solo artist with his song It’s A Beautiful Thing.

Like Kym Marsh, he too lost out to Daz Sampson, who went on to place 19th in Eurovision with 25 points.

Liz McClarnon

Alamy

The longest-serving member of Atomic Kitten looked a credible choice for the UK’s Eurovision entry in 2007.

After all Liz, now 43,  had enjoyed three UK number one singles with the girl band.

But her song (Don’t It Make You) Happy failed to impress the public, and they opted for pop band Scooch as the UK’s entry.

They eventually came 22nd in Europe with their song Flying The Flag (For You).

Brian Harvey

Rex

The 2007 race for Eurovision was a star-studded affair with the East 17 frontman also competing to be the UK’s entry.

The former boyband star was trying to resurrect his career with the single I Can.

And while some viewed Eurovision as a career low-point, Harvey’s manager Simon Harrison conceded he had nothing to lose.

He said: “To be honest, he hasn’t got a career.

“There are times when an artist wouldn’t do this and wouldn’t need to.”

Unfortunately, it didn’t give him the boost he needed as he was eliminated after the first round of voting.

Sinitta

Rex

She knows a thing or two about judging, after helping out her ex-boyfriend Simon Cowell on the X-Factor.

But back in 1984 she was an unknown when she auditioned in a Song For Europe, coming fourth with Imagination.

Despite missing out on Eurovision stardom, Sinitta, 60, went on to enjoy chart success with her hits So Macho and Toy Boy.