Rina Sawayama will not represent UK at Eurovision 2023 despite rumours
The Japanese-British singer, who performed on Strictly last year, was rumoured to be competing in Eurovision 2023
With the UK hosting Eurovision this year on behalf of reigning champion Ukraine, fans of the legendary song contest have been buzzing with excitement since Liverpool was confirmed as the 2023 destination – and rumours have been circulating as to who may be performing for the nation.
While there's a while to go until the UK's act is officially confirmed, fans have speculated that BRIT nominee Rina Sawayama could be succeeding runner-up Sam Ryder, pointing to a Eurovision-shaped gap in her touring schedule.
Although the This Hell singer would be an excellent pick for Eurovision, unfortunately RadioTimes.com understands that Sawayama won't be representing the UK in the song contest this year.
A source has confirmed that the gap between March and June in the pop star's touring schedule is not to make space for Eurovision rehearsals and that any overlap with the song contest is purely coincidental.
Fans recently took to TikTok with rumours that the Hold the Girl singer could be heading to Eurovision this year, highlighting the gap between 27th February and 16th June in her upcoming European tour which coincides with rehearsals for the May song contest.
Sawayama is also set to appear in John Wick: Chapter 4, which arrives in cinemas in March, and recently released her second album, Hold the Girl.
Earlier this month, she received a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2023 BRIT Awards alongside Sam Ryder, who represented the UK in Eurovision last year and came in second place.
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Next week, Rylan Clark and AJ Odudu will be presenting the draw to determine which countries will be participating in Eurovision's semi-finals, with Clark telling Radio Times magazine: "I feel like I don't need to prepare for it."
The BBC is yet to confirm who will be presenting the final, with Graham Norton ruling himself out as the host last year.
The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest Handover and Allocation Draw will air live from Liverpool on Tuesday 31st January on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer – listen to all of last year's Eurovision songs on TIDAL, while the full album of tracks is available on CD and vinyl now.
You can also 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 and Streaming Guide.
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