Fans of the Eurovision Song Contest are expecting exciting news on Thursday morning, after the BBC confirmed the UK’s entry will be revealed on Radio 2.
The announcement, which was initially teased on air by Scott Mills, will be made by Zoe Ball on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show at 8.30am on March 9.
After it was confirmed on Twitter that the UK’s entry will soon be revealed, fans of the international song contest wasted no time speculating who might be the selected artist.
The UK's entry for #Eurovision2023 will be revealed TOMORROW on @BBCRadio2 with @ZoeTheBall!
It's safe to say that @michellevisage, @Rylan, @gregjames and Clara Amfo are fans already 👀 pic.twitter.com/673jPc2h7b
— BBC Eurovision (@bbceurovision) March 8, 2023
Possible suggestions from some Twitter users included Mimi Webb, Birdy and Rina Sawayama.
The reactions of Michelle Visage, Greg James, Clara Amfo and Rylan Clark to the currently secret song were also all filmed and posted to the official BBC Eurovision Twitter account.
Radio host and TV personality Visage said: “You kids are going to love this… This is strong.
“You are all going to freak out. I am so excited for the UK.”
While BBC Eurovision commentator Clark, who was filmed dancing along to the track in his headphones, said: “Oh my god. I love it.”
Last year saw Sam Ryder represent the UK, ultimately coming second in the competition after Ukrainian entry Kalush Orchestra were crowned the winners.
#Eurovision2023 news: INCOMING 👀 @Scott_Mills @ZoeTheBall @BBCRadio2 pic.twitter.com/6ERUVI4SRq
— BBC Eurovision (@bbceurovision) March 8, 2023
Essex-born Ryder, 33, rose to fame on TikTok after he began sharing videos of himself singing during lockdown.
His debut studio album, There’s Nothing But Space, Man!, hit number one on the official UK album charts when it was released last year.
Eurovision is set to take place in Liverpool after the UK was chosen to host the competition on behalf of war-torn Ukraine.
Tickets for the live shows, which will take place at the 11,000-capacity Liverpool Arena later this year, went on sale on Tuesday.
While some fans celebrated after they were able to secure tickets, others commiserated after experiencing technical difficulties when trying to purchase tickets through the Ticketmaster website.
Eurovision is set to air on the BBC and will be hosted by singer and Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon, Ted Lasso actress Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, as well as returning favourite, comedian and talk show host Graham Norton.
The semi-final evening preview kicks off at 8pm on May 8, with the grand final live show bringing the contest to an end starting at 8pm on May 13.