The Euro Trip’s James Rowe gives us his thoughts on Eurovision 2023

Written by Lewis Bassindale on 10th May 2023

Eurovision 2023 is less than two weeks away now, So we at Spark decided to ask North East Eurovision expert James Rowe for his thoughts on the 2023 edition.

SP: Who do you think will win Eurovision this year?

JR: So I think the big favourite this year is Sweden. They’re going to be represented by a singer called Loreen. She won Eurovision back in 2012, arguably one of the best winners of all time.

She’s back this year 11 years after winning for the very first time and a lot of people are saying that this song that she’s got for 2023, called ‘Tattoo’ is even better than her winning song 11 years ago.

So probably going to be Sweden with Loreen, Finland in the mix. Maybe France in the mix as well. Maybe for a little bit of an outside shot, maybe Spain.

Credit: James Rowe

SP: What do you think about the UK hosting Eurovision this year?

JR: It’s incredible that it’s in the UK. Like just to think back even two years ago, to have been told then that the UK host Eurovision.

Yeah, I wouldn’t have believed you because the UK went through a pretty horrid run for the last, I don’t know, 10–20 years. And just out of nowhere Sam Ryder came along and brought home a second place.

Of course, we’re hosting it on behalf of Ukraine who won it last year and for obvious reasons can’t host it. But just this turn around over the last few years now we’ve seen this whole new generation get on board with Eurovision, and we just see the amount of cultural events that are taking place in Liverpool.

The amount of TV and radio coverage that we’re seeing as well from the BBC. It’s just a total turn around and a great turn around for that matter as well.

James’s four Picks for Eurovision

1) Sweden- Loreen, Tattoo