UNITED KINGDOM – Eurovision winner Sam Ryder has told ITV News that collaborating with Ukrainian champions Kalush Orchestra is “only a question of time.”
Ryder finished second with his song Space Man on Saturday night, delivering the UK its greatest Eurovision Song Contest result in more than 20 years and breaking the country’s two-year record of zero points.
When asked whether he and the band would collaborate in the UK or Ukraine, the singer, 32, answered, “whatever they want to do, I’ll do it.”
When Kalush Orchestra came home after the tournament, they were met by a swarm of loving fans.
On Monday, the band made numerous stops, the first of which was a meeting with Ukrainian border guards at a customs crossing between Ukraine and Poland.
Ukraine dethroned the United Kingdom as Ryder won the national jury vote with 283 points, defeating favourites Spain and Sweden.
The folk-rap ensemble won the popular vote with 439 points, finishing first overall.
Ryder, a TikTok star, also addressed the UK’s historically low Eurovision results, emphasising the need to reconsider the “negative reputation” surrounding our prospects in the competition.
“We all know there’s a negative reputation in the UK about Eurovision, and about Europe in general maybe not like us, and that’s why we do – or have done – poorly.”
“We’re not the only nation that’s done poorly,” the Maldon-born singer remarked, noting that Norway has lost 11 times yet is still “stoked” about Eurovision.
“In mine and my team’s experience, having travelled extensively over Europe in the run-up to this, we were treated with nothing but grace, friendliness, and welcome attitudes from everyone.”
“I believe it’s crucial,” the singer remarked of using his time in the media to relay the reaction he’s received.
“That bad stigma, in my opinion, does not exist. I believe it’s a cycle that we’ve been used to repeating in our daily discussion, and if nothing else, regardless of where we came that night or the performance, I hope we did our part to chip away at some of that negativity and replace it with optimism.”
When asked how he felt after a dizzying few days in the limelight, the musician replied, “over the moon,” before apologising for the pun.
an oikotimes original text
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