Exclusive - Rylan Clark-Neal thinks it will be harder for returning Eurovision 2021 contestants: “Newer acts already know their competition”
The Song Contest is back after a one-year break due to the coronavirus.
After a year's break, Eurovision 2021 is here. This year's show sees 26 acts from last year returning with new songs, and 13 new entries taking to the stage, who make up the 39 entries in the Eurovision 2021 line-up.
But while it might feel like the returning contestants, which includes the UK's Eurovision 2021 entry James Newman, might have a little advantage, as they've technically had an extra year to prepare, Rylan Clark-Neal who is part of the BBC's Eurovision presenting team thinks it could actually be harder for these acts.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, he said: "I think it's a bit of a disadvantage because of the sheer fact they've sort of had those odds if you like. In 2020, people were saying Iceland were fantastic or 'We love it. That's going to win it!' and then none of them songs became eligible, so it gave everyone else that opportunity to go, 'OK, so this is what people were liking from the show that never was. We either need to do something a bit like that, or stick to what we're doing and make it even better.'
"I even think for newer acts as well they've sort of got that advantage of already knowing their competition for certain countries."
While the presenter thinks the 2021 competition could be a little more intense than usual, he has high hopes for James Newman, who'll be performing Embers this year after being selected to sing My Last Breath in 2020. (You can discover all of the Eurovision 2021 odds here.)
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When asked who he'd like to see win the song contest this year, he said: "I'm always rooting for the UK! Obviously we can't vote for ourselves, but James is great and the song's great. You know, wherever we finish, we'll be happy because we're just happy to be a part of it.
"It's nice that we've sent a sort of upbeat track as well, which is really, really lovely and like I said, James is such a nice guy and I think he's going to get on with people, which is half the battle of Eurovision. It's almost as much about your track and performance, as it is about selling yourself and this is a really decent guy, and he's got a sense of humour, so I think he'll get on really well with the foreign [audience]."
Ryan Clark-Neal won’t be hosting this week’s Eurovision Song Contest semi-final coverage for the BBC after dropping out due to illness.
The Eurovision Song contest 2021 will air on the BBC this May. Check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision here. If you’re looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide.
