Our Eurovision entry may really have the X Factor this year – as he has held talks about signing with Simon Cowell’s record label.
Michael Rice, who was on the ITV talent show in 2014, met execs at the show boss’s Syco Music HQ recently.
The 21-year-old won BBC show All Together Now last year and was flagged up by veteran pop producer Pete Waterman, who is working with Cowell.
Michael, singing Bigger Than Us at Eurovision this weekend, said: “Pete Waterman spotted me after the Eurovision show, he came across the song. I got called into Simon Cowell’s office two days later. We played the guys Bigger Than Us and I said, ‘Do you want to hear my album?’.
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“So we’re in really big talks now to hopefully get signed.”
Michael, from Hartlepool, Co Durham, added it was “magical” to be in Tel Aviv, where he has had his first rehearsals for Saturday’s final.
But an industry source said: “Syco met [Michael] earlier in the year.
“Like any label, they do with so many prospective artists and have no current plans to work with him.
“They do though wish him all the best of luck at Eurovision.”
