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Scottish Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Inside Eurovision's curse from fatal plane crash to drug addiction as string of artists' lives are ruined after contest
Read on to discover the string of artists whose lives have been ruined after the contest TRAGIC TUNES Inside Eurovision's curse from fatal plane crash to drug addiction as string of artists' lives are ruined after contest Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Eurovision song contest is known for its wacky performances, colourful costumes and cheesy song lyrics. But for some of its memorable contestants, life has taken a darker turn in the years since their big moment on stage. 7 Mae Muller is competing for the UK at the Eurovision song contest, held in Liverpool Credit: PA Aa girlband Remember Monday prepare to fly the flag for Brits tonight with a song titled What The Hell Just Happened?, we take a look at the bitter band break-ups, financial woes and unexpected tragedies that have hit Eurovision stars. Sandie Shaw Singer Sandie, now 76, went down in history as the first act to give Britain a win at Eurovision back in 1967 with her rendition of Puppet on a String. She was already a well-known singer when she entered the competition, with two number one singles under her belt. But her life hasn't been rosy since her triumph. 7 Sandie was the first British act to win Eurovision back in 1967 A year after her victory she married fashion designer Jeff Banks, but the pair divorced just over a decade later in 1978. Sandie accused her ex of blowing her fortune on his struggling career, leaving her and their daughter destitute to the point where they had to go and live in a caravan. The couple didn't speak for years, but in 2020 Sandie revealed she had forgiven Banks and they were talking again. She told the Person of Interest podcast: "When he was losing all my money without asking I thought that was part of being married. It was a real wake-up call to me that that's not how it is. "I was with my mother-in-law, in the caravan, with my daughter, and we used to sit and knit squares in all different colours. Rainbow colours as a sign of our hope, wishing for something to turn out OK." Sandie retired from music in 2013 and is now married to her third husband, psychologist Tony Bedford. Bucks Fizz 7 Bucks Fizz won Eurovision in 1981 before a bitter set of breakups years later Credit: Rex Former UK winners Bucks Fizz, whose track Making Your Mind Up was the favourite in 1981, were riding high on success until a horror crash in 1984. A bus crash in Newcastle broke the spine of band member Cheryl Baker, now 69, and put Mike Nolan, 68, in a three-day coma, causing life-changing injuries. Both were catapulted through the windscreen, and at one point Mike was given his last rites in hospital due to internal bleeding and head injuries that left him fighting for life. He pulled through, but developed epilepsy, lost 50 per cent of his vision in both eyes and became withdrawn, showing signs of personality change - though he's since claimed he's back to his old self. Jay Aston, 62, and Bobby G, 69, were also injured but less seriously. The group split a year later, with Jay announcing she was leaving following an affair with Andy Hill, the husband of the group's creator, Nichola Martin. In a bid to keep the group going, Shelley Preston was brought in as a replacement - but she left after just a year. David Van Day was later drafted in, but when he too left it triggered a court case over the name of the band and who could use it - resulting in Bobby G keeping the naming rights. Since then the group has had numerous members and now exists without a single person from the original line-up. Last year Jay revealed she was broke, leading to fans and former band members offering to help her out. It comes after she battled mouth cancer and her daughter was hospitalised with meningitis. Alexander Rybak 7 Alexander struggled with an addiction to sleeping pills and anti-depressants Credit: AP:Associated Press Norwegian winner Alexander, 36, set the record for the most points ever awarded in 2009 when he scored 387 for his song Fairytales. He made a second entry for the show in 2018 with That's How You Write A Song, but it didn't win. In 2020 Alexander revealed that behind closed doors, he was struggling with an addiction to sleeping pills and antidepressants. He wrote online: "I've been living with a secret. For 11 years I have been addicted to sleep medications and antidepressants. It started out harmless, but in the end, it almost ruined my life. "This January I started rehab (with good help from my doctors) and little by little I'm starting to feel like myself again. "During the past years, the pills made me weak and scared. It affected not only my brain but also my muscles and stomach. It destroyed my relationships to people, but most importantly it almost destroyed my will to live." He has since enrolled at Columbia College Chicago and is still releasing new music and updating fans about his life on social media. Niamh Kavanagh 7 Niamh gave up showbusiness following her husband's debilitating stroke in 2018 In 1993, Niamh clenched Ireland's second victory at Eurovision with her rendition of In Your Eyes. She returned to compete again in 2010 with It's for You but couldn't replicate her previous success - placing 23rd overall. Tragically, in 2018, Niamh's husband Paul Megahey suffered a debilitating stroke while she was performing on stage. It left him unable to speak, but he is slowly recovering, though doctors have warned he'll never regain all of his abilities. Niamh, 55, decided to quit fame and now works at Tesco as a customer assistant alongside her son. Speaking about Paul, she told the Irish Sun: "He's doing very well. His speech is still a little hesitant at times but that's part of who he's going to be I think. "It has taken a lot of his energy to recover from it and to make himself not to feel self-conscious." Örs Siklósi 7 Örs died from Leukaemia three years after the band appeared on Eurovision Credit: Getty Hungarian Örs was the lead singer of Eurovision entry AWS who performed in the 2018 competition. Tragically, three years later, his bandmates announced he had passed away aged just 29. They wrote online: "To say the unspeakable, to describe the indescribable. That is what we now have to do. In June, Örs was diagnosed with leukaemia and now we are deeply saddened to inform you that he passed away yesterday. "He wanted to open up about his illness last month, he had planned to release his fist solo record this spring and we were set to make the fifth AWS record and play shows again this fall. During this period his bravery and dignity were exemplary." The band is still performing and have a new lead singer. Alexandrov Ensemble Choir 7 The choir performed during a break with t.A.T.u when the contest was hosted by Russia Credit: AP One of the worst tragedies in Eurovision history happened on Christmas Day 2016, when the majority of the Alexandrov choir were killed in a plane crash. The group had performed Not Gonna Get Us with t.A.T.u during the song contest's interval in 2009, when the event was hosted in Moscow. The choir was travelling to a Christmas celebration with troops at a military base when the Russian military aircraft they were on crashed off the coast of Sochi while en route to Syria. All 92 people on board were killed, including around 60 members of the group. The choir is still going and currently markets itself as The Red Army Choir.
Scotsman
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Mae Muller: 'I was thrown to the lions during my Eurovision performance'
The singer has been candid in her discussions about the problems she feels Eurovision has with artists Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Eurovision Song Contest might seem like the happiest song contest on earth, however one former contestant thinks otherwise. Former UK entrant Mae Muller is taking the competition to task over a lack of support for contestant's mental health. She also revealed on social media that she felt as if she was being thrown to the lions during her live performance at the 2023 contest. While much of Europe eagerly anticipates the Eurovision Song Contest final this evening, one former contestant is speaking out about the competition's impact on mental health. Mae Muller, the UK's 2023 entry with her Top 40 hit, I Wrote A Song, has been candid on social media about her Eurovision experience, criticizing the contest for what she felt was being 'thrown to the lions' during her live performance. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 2023 Eurovision contestant Mae Muller has accused the contest organisers of not investing enough mental health support for those taking part in the finals. | Mae Muller 'Sorry, but they put me up there to sing a song which is meant to be sung with heavy auto-tune (just the vibe of the song) with no proper background vocals,' she explained, adding: 'I was nervous as hell, which didn't help, but like they fed me to the lions.' The 27-year-old singer, who earned 24 points when the UK hosted the 2023 competition on behalf of Ukraine, accused Eurovision organizers of not doing enough to protect performers' mental health. 'More needs to be done to protect the artists' mental health,' she stated, 'because it's not actually normal what they go through. The pressure is just too much, it's a shame cos I love performing and I love music but the fans were the only thing that made it enjoyable.' When questioned about performing a song live that required autotune, Muller replied, 'I agree with you,' acknowledging that she bore some responsibility for the issue. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Muller has been vocal about her experiences with the contest since shortly after it concluded. Two weeks after the event, she admitted the song was 'trash' and feared it would be the end of her music career. However, she is set to release new music soon, which she has informed fans will be a 'palette cleanser' compared to her earlier work. What are your thoughts on the Eurovision Song Contest and do you think that one bad performance could spell the end of a promising music career? Let us know your thoughts on Mae Muller's comments by leaving a comment down below yourself.
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Mae Muller fumes Eurovision 'fed her to the lions' in wild outburst
The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, comes to an end with the grand final on Saturday and ahead of it former act Mae Muller has reflected on the 2023 contest Mae Muller has fumed that the Eurovision Song Contest"fed her to the lions." The singer who competed two years ago also hit out, suggesting her song wasn't the "best choice" for the competition. Mae Muller, 27, represented the UK when the international contest was held in Liverpool, on behalf of Ukraine, back in 2023. She performed I Wrote A Song in the grand final on May 13 that year and ended up placing second to last. At the time, the singer-songwriter was met with criticism over her performance, though some viewers defended her. Mae told fans that she felt her vocals were "trash" after having been "nervous" on stage. She also admitted after the final that it was "not the result we hoped for" but shared that she was proud of herself and her team for their work. Mae had been chosen to represent the UK by the BBC and management company TaP Music, who collaborated that year. They had previously worked together to select Sam Ryder, who placed second at the contest in Italy in 2022. Now, two years on, ahead of this weekend's grand final of this year's Eurovision, Mae, who previously called for "more" to be done to "protect" the mental health of artists, has reflected on her time in the competition. She made posts about the experience on her X account yesterday. In one post she suggested that she had been "fed to the lions." She said: "Sorry but they put me up there to sing a song which is meant to be sung with heavy auto tune (just the vibe of the song) with no proper background vocals, and I was nervous as hell which didn't help but like they fed me to the LIONSSSS omfg." One fan said: "In hindsight, maybe a song that's meant to be sung with autotune was probably not the best choice for a contest that doesn't allow it." Mae replied: "I agree with you." Mae ended up second from the bottom of the leaderboard at Eurovision in 2023 with 24 points combined from the jury and public vote. Germany 's Lord of the Lost held last place with 18 points, whilst Sweden 's Loreen won Eurovision for a second time, topping the leaderboard with 583 points. This year, the UK is being represented by trio Remember Monday. The group - which consists of Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele - will perform What the Hell Just Happened? in the final in Basel, Switzerland, tomorrow night after showcasing the song in last night's semi-final. The group - who automatically qualified for the grand final as they are representing the UK - were among the acts in the second semi-final. They were met with both praise and criticism over their debut performance in the contest yesterday. One fan said: "Remember Monday are doing us SO proud! Defo one of the best songs/vocals this year, go girls." Another viewer wrote though: "Remember Monday - no doubt these girls can SING but by god, this song is horrific."
Metro
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Mae Muller says she was 'thrown to the lions' at Eurovision 2023
Mae Muller has confessed that she was 'thrown to the lions' for her second-from-bottom Eurovision performance two years ago. The London-born singer-songwriter, 27, performed her tune I Wrote A Song on stage in Liverpool, with the UK hosting on Ukraine's behalf that year. Sadly, Mae didn't get close to emulating Sam Ryder's runner-up position from 2022, finishing second-last on 24 points, only above last-placed Germany. I Wrote A Song went down well in the hall at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena, but didn't quite translate to the viewing public watching around the continent. Two weeks on from the Grand Final, Mae described her vocals on the big night as 'trash' and confessed later that she worried her career was over in the immediate aftermath. That proved to be very much not the case, with I Wrote A Song hitting the UK top 10 and her debut studio album Sorry I'm Late reaching the UK top 40. However, it seems she does still look back at that night with some regret over how things went, especially if her latest comments on social media are anything to go by. Speaking on X on Thursday night, Mae admitted: 'Sorry, but they put me up there to sing a song which is meant to be sung with heavy autotune (just the vibe of the song) with no proper background vocals. 'I was nervous as hell,' she added, 'which didn't help, but like they fed me to the lions.' In response, @FluffyPlayery argued that maybe Mae shouldn't have chosen to sing a song that required heavy autotune to complete the aesthetic and cap off the performance. However, instead of shooting back, Mae held her hands up and said: 'I agree with you,' prompting some fans to insist that Mae had still been 'great' on the night. @TweetMeRyan chimed in, saying, 'Remember the rehearsal where they made a man sing your backing vocals?' to which Mae sarcastically said she 'loved'. In later messages, Mae teased that new music was coming and that any new tunes from her should be considered as something of a 'palate cleanser'. A year after her Eurovision performance, she slammed the competition, accusing it of not doing enough to protect each performer's mental health. When asked why she doesn't engage much with Eurovision anymore, she responded: 'The pressure is just too much, it's a shame cos I love performing and I love music but the fans were the only thing that made it enjoyable. More Trending 'More needs to be done to protect the artist's mental health,' she added, 'because it's not actually normal what they go through'. Her post received thousands of interactions. Aiming to finish in a higher place than Mae and 2024 entrant Olly Alexander are vocal trio Remember Monday, who are bringing their song What the Hell Just Happened? to the contest for 2025 as it takes place in Basel, Switzerland. The running order was announced on Friday, with the three girls set to take to the stage in eighth position. The last winner to perform eighth on the night was Israel in 1998. View More » The Grand Final of Eurovision 2025 airs tomorrow night on BBC. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Katie Price reveals her biggest regret over failed Eurovision Song Contest bid MORE: Who is in the Eurovision 2025 final? Full list of countries and favourites to win MORE: Eurovision fans 'beg' Rylan and Scott Mills to stop an annoying habit
Scottish Sun
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Former UK Eurovision star SLAMS song contest in savage swipe, ranting ‘I was fed to the lions'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FORMER UK Eurovision star has slammed the song contest in a fiery rant on social media. The singer claimed they were 'fed to the lions' during their performance which led to a humiliating defeat. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 A former Eurovision star has slammed the song contest in a fiery rant on social media Credit: Splash 5 Mae Muller claimed they were 'fed to the lions' during their performance Credit: AP Mae Muller was the UK's 2023 Eurovision entry and her song I Wrote A Song, bagged her a Top Ten single. Ahead of this year's Eurovision final (May 17), the singer took to X to speak on her experience. Mae penned: 'Sorry but they put me up there to sing a song which is meant to be sung with heavy auto tune (just the vibe of the song) with no proper background vocals, and i was nervous as hell which didn't help but like they fed me to the LIONSSSS omfg.' After performing last and closing off the show, her performance scored just 24 points once the jury and public votes were tallied together. This meant that Mae placed second to last with only Germany's Lord of the Lost scoring less. Fans took to the comments underneath the post to agree with the singer, one user said: 'In hindsight, maybe a song that's meant to be sung with autotune was probably not the best choice for a contest that doesn't allow it.' To which, Mae said she completely agreed. Another said: 'Mae, at least you got up & done it! & smiled the whole god damn time! give yourself credit fs!' 'I remember at the time thinking the sound was off & the visuals were swamping song was awesome & I still play it regularly,' chimed a third. Born Holly Mae Muller in London, Mae is a singer and songwriter. Eurovision fans spot huge technical blunders in UK entry Remember Monday's performance ahead of final She has enjoyed chart success both here and across the Atlantic and worked with some of the biggest stars in UK music including Little Mix, Aitch and Sigala. Mae's 2021 single Better Days, which featured Neiked and Polo G, peaked at No. 32 in the UK charts and No 23. Mae's big break came in 2007 when she was just nine-years-old and landed a leading role in the music video for Mika's No1 single Grace Kelly. Eurovision 2025 is well underway with the song contest returning to Switzerland, where the very first of its competitions was held way back in 1956. The contest's grand final will kick off tomorrow night. This year Girlband Remember Monday are flying the flag for the UK with their song, What The Hell Just Happened? The country-pop trio are made up of members Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele are hoping to take home the Eurovision trophy. 5 Mae Muller was the UK's 2023 Eurovision entry Credit: AP 5 Mae placed second to last with only Germany scoring less Credit: Splash
