It was amid the crushing disappointment of coming so close to the Eurovision crown (only to miss out on the very last vote), that Sonia ripped off her costume and stamped all over it.
As the 12 points poured for her catchy song Better The Devil You Know in the 1993 final the bubbly pop singer - already a star with a dozen top 20 hits - was sure victory was hers.
That was until Malta, the last country to declare its votes, awarded all their points to hosts Ireland, who leapfrogged her to first place at the very last moment.
The emotion was all too much for Sonia, whose secret dream of bringing the competition back to her hometown of Liverpool had also been cruelly dashed.
But 30 years later, that dream is about to finally come true as the city hosts this year’s grand final on Saturday… and Sonia wants her dress back.
The singer, 52, recalls: “I actually thought I had won, right to the end. When Malta gave their votes to Ireland I was devastated. I couldn’t snap out of it for ages, in fact I don’t think I’ve still snapped out of it.
“I was so close. I was so furious I stamped all over the costume and gave it to the BBC to take away. I was signed to Simon Cowell but I couldn’t bring myself to go out partying and drinking with him and the others. I was in such a mood I just went back to the hotel, put a movie on and ordered a bowl of soup and a roll and that was it.
“Then a few years later I was watching Stars In Their Eyes and some girl had my costume on pretending to be me. I’ve now found out that it’s been auctioned off, someone’s got the top half and someone else has the bottom.
“Now I just want it back, to be honest. Eurovision coming to Liverpool is just a dream come true and all the good memories are flooding back.”
Sonia, who laughs that she has never gone back to Malta since then, will be one of six past Eurovision acts who will be performing in Saturday’s interval, when they will be putting their own spin on a number of classic hits by Liverpool’s most famous contribution to music, The Beatles.
And she clearly can’t contain her excitement.
“I’ve been on cloud nine ever since I found out we got it. Back then I was determined that if I won it I would persuade the BBC to have it in Liverpool. I’m a very adamant person and I was going to do my darnedest.
“I just think Liverpool is the perfect choice. Obviously the musical heritage is second to none, and Liverpool people are so humorous and welcoming. They really have welcomed everyone with open arms.
“I’m sure they are going to do Ukraine proud, they really have pulled out all the stops.
“It’s unbelievable. I was in the arena the other day during some costume fittings, the stage looks incredible. There are 30,000 moving lights alone, just on the ceiling, it just took my breath away. And I went backstage and all the props are just incredible. It’s going to be the most amazing time. I’m just proud to be part of it all.”
Sonia has also filmed a cameo in a special Eurovision episode of Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, which is filmed in Liverpool. She performs Better The Devil You Know in The Dog pub.
She says: “It was amazing, we had such fun. I was nervous at first but it was just like being in a big massive family, and great to get back to acting again.
"It’s a great storyline. Scott gets a love interest, which I sort out for him, then I got to sing in the pub with Ross and Alex as my backing dancers.
"I’m a fan of Hollyoaks and Ross is a big Eurovision fan as well, so he was like ‘It’s you Sonia!’ Diane is a really good friend of mine from years ago, so it was really good fun.”
She also performed with the English National Opera before the first semi-final on Tuesday.
The singer, who had a number one with You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You and had become the first British female artist to achieve five top 20 singles from one album before entering Eurovision, says being involved in Saturday’s extravaganza has reminded her why she loves Eurovision.
“When I was a kid it was a big family event and a tradition in our house to have score cards and pick our winner.
“My favourite of all time was Bucks Fizz, and I remember how much I loved that song aged ten, when I was up and down the stairs with my hairbrush singing it away.
“That’s why I said yes as soon as I was asked to do it. Then a little thing in my mind went, ‘What if I come last?’. But I didn’t have anything to prove as I was already successful at that time so I just thought, ‘Oh come on Son, just do it.’
“It’s brought back lots of memories. The difference this time is that I’m not under any pressure, I can just relax and enjoy it and soak up the atmosphere. I can’t wait to be backstage, it’s going to be a fantastic buzz.”
Does she have any advice for the this year’s UK entry Mae Muller?
“You’ve just got to stay really calm and focused,” she says. “Be as natural as you can and enjoy it, but look down that camera lens because you’ve got less than three minutes to make an impact.
“I think she’s coming on late on, which can work both ways because sometimes people have already picked their winner by then.
“But I think Mae’s got a really good chance because she’s young and vibrant. Her song is catchy as well, my daughter’s only 12 and she loves it. It would be just fantastic and unbelievable if she won it.”
And talking of her daughter, Sonia reckons Gracie Rose - who has followed in her mum’s footsteps and who she thinks is a star in the making - might give her a second chance at Eurovision glory.
“She writes her own songs and plays the piano, she’s brilliant actually. She often comes on stage with me and sings in front of 15,000 people and she’s not phased whatsoever.
“People are amazed when they hear her. I’d say her voice is as good as Adele's, at the age of 12. When she gets home from school she’s straight on the piano, she doesn’t mess around on her phone or anything. She just lives to play the piano and sing.
“So you’ll definitely be hearing more from her, and who knows, they do a junior Eurovision, so maybe that will be soon. That would be another dream come true.”
Hollyoaks streams first on All4 and weekdays E4, 7pm, and Channel 4, 6.30pm. The Eurovision Grand Final is Saturday, BBC One, 8pm.
Ukraine may be over 1,700 miles away from Liverpool but for many Ukrainians in the city for Eurovision, it is like a second home.
In the EuroVillage there’s an area dedicated to all things Ukrainian - from arts and crafts and fashion and food and drink to workshops and exhibitions.
Mariya Suant is running a stall here selling items from Iamvolya.com - a curated online boutique of Ukrainian designers.
“I founded the boutique after the war because it was important people know we have a strong culture and fashion is very much a part of that,” she says.
The area is called Discover Ukraine and it is exactly that.
Ukraine UA is an interactive chalet to find out more “about the real Ukraine”, says organiser Anastasiia Gunchenko.
“We wanted to show that Ukraine can offer much more than what is happening right now,” she says.
One of the most popular stops is a food stall. Ukranian student Alex Gavryleshko recommends the Borsct - a beetroot broth soup.
“That is the most traditional Ukrainian dish you can have,” he says.
Friends Irene Doyle, 69 and Jill Coulduck, 65, are two Liverpudlians from the Walton area, who have really been enjoying the mix of cultures.
“The food looks delicious! We’re really annoyed because we have already eaten elsewhere in the village,” says Jill.
Irene adds: “We are the friendliest city so if Eurovision was going to be in the UK it couldn’t be held anywhere else but here! We’re doing the Ukrainians proud and ourselves.”
Jill agrees adding: “We are the best party city anyway so on Eurovision final night it will be off the scale. If you’re in Liverpool on Saturday you are going to have the best night of your life!”
Tanya Nymanova is a displaced Ukranian doing a great trade in delicious Varenkey - half-moon-shaped potato dumplings. But it’s about more than just dough to her.
“You don’t know how much all this means to me and my fellow Ukranians,” she says. “To be able to share our food. I have been so homesick but Liverpool has brought home to us. There are yellow and blue colours everywhere.”
Indeed outside the EuroVillage, the whole city is a celebration of Ukraine. The Displaced: Ukrainian Women of Liverpool photography exhibition is led by Olha Kruhlova and Anastasiia Sydorenko - and features women, like them, who came to the city last year because of the war. Other art installations fill the streets and the Ukrainian play Maria by Ulas Samchuk is running at a local theatre.
The acclaimed fine dining restaurant The Arts School has also created Ukrainian-inspired dishes, using real Ukrainian ingredients, including ‘Deruny’ Ukrainian potato cakes with beetroot and a morel mushroom cream and a dessert Nalesniki- layered gateaux of hazelnut, buttercream, raspberries, baby pinecones and pine honey.
Chef Patron Paul Askew says: “Hosting Eurovision has been very important to the city. It's a time to be incredibly proud and to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.”
The UK has not hosted a Eurovision Song Contest since 1998 - but before then we’d had the honour of hosting eight times...
1960: The fifth ever competition was at London’s Royal Festival Hall at the start of the Swinging Sixties. The show was presented by Katie Boyle who went on to set a record for the most Eurovisions hosted, and our entrant Bryan Johnson, came in second with ‘Looking High, High, High.’
1963: The BBC Television Centre in London was the venue - and all the songs were recorded in one room, while the audience were filmed in another which made rumours swirl that the contest was pre-recorded, but this was actually untrue. Denmark won with ‘Dansevise’ sung by Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann, which was the first entry performed by a duo.
1968: The 13th Eurovision took place again in London, this time at the ornate and lavish Royal Albert Hall. This is just as well because people across Europe were able to see it in all its glory as this was the first contest to be broadcast in colour.
1972: Edinburgh became the first Scottish host. It was held in Usher Hall and Luxemburg won with ‘Après Toi’ by Vicky Leandros which went on to sell millions of copies. In 2006 she tried to enter again for Germany, but only placed 3rd in their song selection process.
1974 : One of the most iconic Eurovision moments happened when Brighton hosted the contest in the Royal Pavillions - as this was when Swedish pop group ABBA won with ‘Waterloo.’ As if this wasn’t cool enough, four years before Grease, Olivia Newton-John was the United Kingdom entry singing ‘Long Live Love.’
1977: It was back in London again and at Wembley Conference Centre. It had been postponed for five weeks because the cameramen and technicians were on strike. Presenter Angela Rippon then struggled to find the right camera at the start of the broadcast and can be seen looking around as she welcomes viewers.
1982: Harrogate, Yorkshire, hosted at the International Centre, and the opening credits of the show included the question “Where is Harrogate?” in the languages of the participating countries. Germany won for the first time, beating the runner up by 61 points with Ein Biβchen Frieden performed by Nicole.
1998: Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena had the honour of hosting the last UK Eurovision. Israeli transgender singer Dana International stole the show with her winning song ‘Diva’ but Germany’s entry Guido Horn also commanded a lot of attention when he crawled about the stage during his act.
