Cautious optimism is revealing itself ahead of a hotly anticipated Eurovision final this Saturday, with hopes of a strong finish for the UK.
UK entry Sam Ryder carries the hopes of a nation to Turin, Italy, on Saturday, April 14 as he performs his Space Man song to millions of people watching on at home, across Europe and the world.
Last time out was another tricky night for Brit hopefuls, a second consecutive last place and also a nil points finish for James Newman.
The UK hasn't had a particularly strong finish in the quirky contest since Jade Ewen finished fifth in 2009 and Jessica Garlick's second-place finish in 2002.
Despite five wins in the competition, the UK hasn't won since Katrina and the Waves took the victory in 1997.
Ready to be watched by the UK and Graham Norton, TikTok star Sam told Metro: "I don’t feel pressure about it at all. I think it’s really cool because I think it shows there’s a certain attitude of positivity in the UK."
Maneskin's incredible performance of Zitti e buoni last year will be hard to top, but who will take the Eurovision crown in 2022?
Who is the favourite to win Eurovision?
Sam Ryder is currently listed as the third favourite to win Eurovision and is placed by Ladbrokes at 6/1.
He sits sit behind hot favourite Ukraine, who many believe will earn a high share of the vote due to the terrible situation in the country at the moment after Vladimir Putin sent his troops and tanks in and rained down missiles on innocent civilians.
The country, which has seen thousands of people killed recently and millions of people displaced, has been given odds of 8/13.
Their entry Kalush Orchestra will perform the song Stefania, written by band frontman Oleh Psiuk as a tribute to his mother.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: "Ukraine will very much be the ones to beat this year, as far as the odds are concerned - and while we've also seen a surprising amount of interest in Sam Ryder and the UK, Poland are also proving to be a popular pick as things stand, and have already seen their odds tumble from 50/1 to 33/1 since the start of the month."
Last year's winners Italy will be hoping to become the first consecutive winners since the Republic of Ireland won three in a row from 1992 to 1994.
Top odds to win Eurovision are as follows:
- Ukraine - 8/13
- Italy - 5/1
- UK - 6/1
- Sweden - 8/1
- Spain - 20/1
- Greece - 25/1
- Poland - 33/1
Could the UK win Eurovision?
The infamous 'nil points' score looms for a number of artists, but the odds of a repeat of James Newman's score from 2021 is at 50/1.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: "The odds suggest another nil points night is unlikely, but not impossible - and at 50/1, it would prove to be a costly night for bookies if Sam Ryder fails to pick up a single point."
Sam told Metro: "My initial reaction as a Eurovision fan was that this was a wicked opportunity and I’d love to do it.
"But then you think, ‘Yeah, but what if people think it’s cheesy? What if your career goes down the pan afterwards? What if you get nil points?"
The UK were often in the mix for the top spots in the contest and never had a finish with no points until 2003, when Liverpool duo Jemini picked up the unfortunate score. Since, four more UK performers have finished with nothing.
A last-place finish with points for the UK is currently priced at 20/1.
