Which celebs came close to becoming the UK's Eurovision entry?

Many famous faces have tried their luck at representing their nation in Eurovision Song Contest over the years.

But before taking to the main stage, acts from each country must undergo a qualifying process to determine who is the best candidate for the job. While some countries do this through a public vote, others are selected internally by a broadcaster before being revealed to the public.

This got us thinking about the artists who weren’t picked and what could’ve been - in an alternative reality.

So BBC Bitesize have put together a list three surprising acts who were in with a shot of representing the UK at Eurovision.

Kym Marsh

Perhaps best known for her role as Michelle Connor in the soap opera Coronation Street, Kym Marsh was in with a chance of featuring in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest.

Before making her mark on the cobbles, Marsh had a music career, having auditioned for a talent show called Popstars in 2000. During this time, she was one of five singers who formed the pop group HearSay.

After two years, the band decided to go their separate ways and Marsh embarked on a solo career. She applied for Eurovision, despite telling a tabloid in 2006 that she had been warned by some people that it was ‘a bit cheesy’.

Marsh participated in the selection process and competed in the televised national final with a ballad called Whisper To Me. Among other UK hopefuls was former Blue singer Anthony Costa.

The performance landed Marsh fourth out of the six acts in a public vote. The winner of the selection process, Daz Sampson, went on to represent the UK in Eurovision in Athens, with the song Teenage Life.

Later that year, she told interviewers, “I thought it would be a bit of fun and it would have been a lovely thing to represent my country."

Rita Ora

Before g for Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation, Rita Ora fancied her chances at representing the UK in the annual song competition. An 18-year-old Ora auditioned as part of the BBC television programme Eurovision: Your Country Needs You.

One member of the judging , theatre producer and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, was particularly impressed by Ora’s performance.

But Ora later rejected the opportunity to compete in the 2009 UK selection. In a 2022 podcast with Idris Elba, she recalled the experience, explaining, "I was very excited, but I felt that it was not my time and that this was not my path in the music industry.”

Instead, the UK was represented by Jade Ewen with the song It’s My Time. Ewen reached fifth place in the Eurovision final and went on to the girl group Sugababes.

In the 2023 Eurovision in Liverpool, Ora performed a medley of her biggest hits in the semi-final, describing the opportunity as ‘a full circle moment’.

Bill Bailey

Stand-up comic and musical maestro Bill Bailey planned to throw his hat into the Eurovision ring not once, but twice. In 2008 Bailey got as far as writing and recording a song, but reported that he was put off by the ‘hoops’ he was asked to jump through in the qualifying stage.

Bailey described his entry as an eco-anthem, but explained his bid was rejected for being ‘too silly’.

“I was like, what? Too silly for Eurovision? […] It might have been too much of a ballad. I think they realised I was being slightly tongue in cheek,” Bailey told Virgin Radio.

The Strictly Come Dancing winner later renewed his interest in competing in Eurovision in 2022. He confirmed that he was writing a song to submit, after the UK received a total of zero points in the competition prior.

While he may have not been successful in his efforts, Bailey expressed his iration for the contest on a podcast that same year. He said, ‘I’m a bit of a Eurovision nerd only because I’ve watched it every year since I was a kid, I was obsessed with it slightly.’

This article was published in May 2025