Michael Rice will represent the United Kingdom at the 64th Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, after winning the BBC’s selection programme You Decide.
On Friday night, British Eurovision fans up and down the country had the power firmly in their hands to pick the next UK entrant for the annual competition.
After being crowned victorious, Rice performed his song Bigger Than Us again for the crowd.
Rice will not compete in the semi-finals, which take place on the Tuesday and Thursday of the week before, because the UK is part of the “big five” and are automatically through to the final alongside Germany, France, Italy and Spain. The host country, Israel, are also automatically through.
In a change from previous years, only three singers were up for the public vote towards the end of the show
Six acts started the process on the night but three were eliminated by the judges - Marvin Humes, Rylan Clark-Neal and Mollie King - after going head-to-head singing the same song.
There was also a performance from last year’s UK entrant SuRie, who had a memorable night last year after a stage invader stormed the stage.
The Storm singer was left shaken during her performance in Lisbon - in slot number nine - when the microphone was wrestled from her by a protester.
After he was bundled off stage by security, SuRie, real name Susanna Cork, continued her song to wild applause. She later declined the offer to perform again.
Speaking on This Morning shortly after her return from Portugal, SuRie told Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield that she was left with “bruises” after the altercation.
The 64th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Tel Aviv, Israel from May 14-18. The two semi-finals, in which countries compete to qualify for the final, will be shown on BBC Four with the grand final on BBC One.
