Alex Larke has shared his candid thoughts on this year’s Eurovision Song Contest’s British entry.
Mr Larke, who represented the UK in 2015 as part of swing duo Electro Velvet, said this year’s British act, Look Mum No Computer, faces an unpredictable competition.
Speaking exclusively to GB News, the former contestant said of this year’s entry, Eins, Zwei, Drei: “I think it’s all right. I don’t know if it’s my cup of tea, but that’s okay, everyone’s entitled to their opinion.
“It’s had a lot of positive reactions, but with Eurovision, you just don’t know.”
Look Mum No Computer, whose real name is Sam Battle, is a British electronic music producer and YouTuber.
His Eurovision entry was created entirely using his custom Kosmo modular synthesiser format.
Despite the track being praised as “The best entry we’ve had in years” by The Times, it is the repeated German refrain, “Eins, zwei, drei”, that has caught many listeners off-guard, given that the entry is representing the United Kingdom.
The phrase, which translates simply as one, two, three, forms the backbone of the chorus and is repeated throughout the song.
The song also appears to take a swipe at elements of British culture.
In one part of the song the lyrics read: “Counting in English doesn’t cut the mustard. So sick of munching roly-poly with custard. I’m so bored with it, bored with it.”
The song leans into the German counting theme, with the chorus declaring: “Eins, zwei, drei. Darlin’, I need something salty. Eins, zwei, drei. With a slice of pepperoni.”
The unusual linguistic choice is even acknowledged within the song itself, during an interlude where Mr Battle sings: “Ah, if only there was a language that I can count in that would make me feel better.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- The Odyssey inaccuracy row erupts as fans pick apart distracting feature in Matt Damon trailer
- David Haye confirms plans to SUE ITV for ‘more than £10m’ over I’m A Celebrity ‘editing’ row
- Fawlty Towers legend dies aged 89 as tributes pour in
Drawing on his own experience, placing 24th out of 27 acts in 2015, Mr Larke stressed that staging and connection with viewers at home could be the deciding factor on the night.
“One mistake we made was not engaging enough with the camera,” he explained.
“A lot of acts perform directly to viewers at home, and that makes a huge difference.”
He added that the UK’s chances of securing a top result remain uncertain.
“The ones you think will do well don’t, and then the ones you don’t expect end up doing really well,” he said.
“It’s such an odd thing, you just cannot call it.”
Mr Larke suggested that while this year’s entry has generated buzz, it may lack the standout “magic” needed to push it into the top tier, something he believes was present in Sam Ryder’s runner-up performance in 2022.
“Sam had a little bit of magic in that song, and I think we all felt it,” he said.
“I’m not quite feeling that this time, but I’m by no means the best person to judge.”
From his own Eurovision journey, Mr Larke recalled how multiple rehearsals in the days leading up to the final can shape an act’s performance, but don’t always translate into success on the night.
“You run the performance several times before the final,” he said.
“We always felt our rehearsals were stronger than what we delivered on the night.”
He also addressed the long-standing debate over whether politics plays a role in the results.
“I don’t think anyone’s ever fully figured it out,” he said. “There are so many factors at play.”
The musician continued: “I always would have said, keep politics and entertainment as two separate things, and I do, I do strongly believe that.
“But I think the countries are entitled to make a point based on what they believe. And I think I think that’s fair enough.”
Mr Larke continued: “They’re just singers, you know…Let politicians make their arguments in different ways about how things should or shouldn’t be handled, and let musicians and singers just sing and do their job.”
Despite the uncertainty, Mr Larke remains optimistic about the spirit of Eurovision and its enduring appeal.
“It’s still a brilliant show,” he said. “It’s a huge platform, and anything can happen.”
Our Standards:
The GB News Editorial Charter