David May / © BBC
The BBC has appointed Sam Ryder’s manager David May to lead the search for the UK’s entrant for Eurovision 2027.
The UK has become renowned for a series of disasters in recent years, finishing bottom in three of the last seven contests and in the bottom half in the last 13 of 14 contests.
The only bright point came in 2022, when Ryder finished second with ‘Space Man’ and brought the contest back to the UK in 2023 on behalf of Ukraine.
May, who has overseen Ryder’s successful career to date, is now heading up the panel that will oversee the internal selection process for the next UK entrant.
“We intend to be represented by an outstanding current British act, backed up by the very best songwriting and production talent the UK music industry has to offer,” said May.
“We are looking for an act with tried and tested live performance experience and a song crafted in the UK by the very best home-grown talent.
“I saw first-hand in 2022 what one performance at Eurovision can do for an artist’s career. The opportunity is still very much there and it’s time the United Kingdom reached the top of the Eurovision scoreboard once again.”
A provisional timetable for the selection process has not been revealed, although Eurovision’s rules state that all entrants must be confirmed by March 2027.
