On the eighth day of rehearsals for Eurovision 2022, we experienced the second rehearsals of the Big Five countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Next to rehearse today was the UK, represented by Sam Ryder.
Sam Ryder’s second rehearsal
Today we got to watch Sam Ryder’s second rehearsal from the online press centre. We got an in-depth preview of how his performance will look on TV on Saturday 14th May, when he performs in the Eurovision Grand Final. You can watch an excerpt of his second rehearsal here!
What did we see in the UK’s second rehearsal?
Sam’s jumpsuit has been changed from plain black to one embellished with silver, and he’s created his own world within the giant cage structure, complete with dynamic camera movement. Sam has delivered vocally on each runthrough, and there is set change at the end of the performance that kicks it up another level. Some camera tweaks to work on, but otherwise ready to go for Saturday night.
What happened in Sam Ryder’s first rehearsal?
After Sam’s first rehearsal, Rosie gave her initial thoughts on the snippet that we saw. You can hear how she felt about the UK’s first rehearsal by checking our TikTok here:
@thateurosite #stitch with @eurovision @Sam Ryder has just had his first rehearsal on the #eurovision stage! Here’s what @tiktokwithrosie thought of what we’ve seen so far. #esc #eurovisiontiktok #uk #unitedkingdom #samryder #spaceman ♬ original sound – thateurosite
About Sam Ryder
Sam Ryder is no newcomer to the music scene. However, he experienced his greatest rise to fame during the first Covid lockdown. In 2020, Sam was the most viewed UK artist on social media platform TikTok. To date, he has amassed over 16 million followers on the platform. His latest release prior to his UK Eurovision entry was “More.”
The United Kingdom’s Eurovision journey
Despite a recent slump in results, the UK is historically one of the most successful countries at the Eurovision Song Contest. Debuting at the second edition of the contest in 1957, the United Kingdom has won the competition on five separate occasions. The most recent win for the UK was in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves singing “Love Shine A Light.” The UK also holds the record for the number of second-place finishes – currently 15.
In 2021, James Newman represented the UK with his song “Embers”. However, the performance impressed neither juries nor televoters, and finished in last place with zero points.
What are your opinions on Sam Ryder’s second rehearsal? What changes would you make? Let us know in the comments or on social media. Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
News Source: EBU
Photo Source: EBU/Andres Putting
Tim J 
Jazzi Dibben
[…] Relief, three stars of the Contest in the UK have joined forces to call on donations. Sam Ryder, who finished second in Turin last year, will be joined by Lulu, co-winner of Eurovision 1969 and commentator Graham Norton. Norton is also […]