Bonnie Tyler: 'I did my best at Eurovision'

Bonnie Tyler ended up with 23 points - an improvement on the UK's 2012 tally

Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler has said she "did the best that I could do" at the Eurovision Song Contest after her UK entry came 19th out of 26 countries.

"I'm sure a lot of people will be disappointed on my behalf but I have really enjoyed my Eurovision experience," she said in Malmo, Sweden.

"I did the best that I could do with a great song. I don't feel down and I'm ready to party."

Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won the contest with her song Only Teardrops.

Denmark finished with 281 points, followed by Azerbaijan with 234 points, while Ukraine were third with 214 points.

Emmelie de Forest had been the overwhelming favourite to win

Tyler, who found global fame in the 1980s with hits such as Total Eclipse of the Heart, garnered 23 points for her song Believe In Me.

"The songs at the top of the table totally deserve to be up there," the 61-year-old star said afterwards. "Of course I would have liked to bring it back to the UK but it's been a night to remember."

She added: "I'm so glad and so happy that I did it because it was an incredible experience. It was like the Grammy Awards all over again."

Her result was an improvement on last year when the UK's entrant Engelbert Humperdinck came second from last with just 12 points.

Overnight viewing figures show that an average of 7.7 million people tuned into the contest on BBC One in the UK, reaching a peak of 9.2 million between 22:45 and 23:00 BST (21:45 and 22:00 GMT).

There was disappointment for Ireland's Ryan Dolan, who came last with just five points.

Johnny Logan, the three-time Eurovision winner who represented Ireland, said the UK's entries had not been strong enough in recent years.

"I think over the years it's been slated so much in England and Ireland that the best writers don't take part in it any more. That's the reality," he said.