Eurovision 2023: Sam Ryder reflects a year after coming second

Sam Ryder came second to Ukraine in the 2022 grand final

The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Liverpool in May, after the UK's entrant Sam Ryder came second to Ukraine last year. The singer reflects on the year he has had since competing.

I feel incredibly grateful for every single little door that clicked open since Eurovision for myself and the team.

I knew that something like Eurovision was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I knew that I didn't want to be nervous for it, it felt like a waste of energy to be nervous.

I purposely didn't listen to any of the songs up until the night of the final. I didn't want to feel like I was competing against anyone.

For me, it's impossible to compete in artistic expression, but you have to have this element of the show to create this buzz with the audience. As a singer you can't put your validation in it or you're doomed.

I'm a musician first, and a participant in this glorious thing that I love, second.

In Turin as the UK started to get points from across Europe - eventually coming second to Ukraine

It's given me so many blessings. I'm able to spend time on tour to playing to actual people.

They come to the shows now - there used to be no-one and that's all because of this thing we're a part of.

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Myself and my tour manager, and everyone else involved, we're all old friends. This has all happened to us together and that is so wonderful.

When you're spending time with those people you don't finish a day and think "I need a break" - you're with the people who give you the sense of that break, rest and recuperation.

Performing at Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee last June

We toured Europe at the end of last year and the UK this year, and then we go into festival season.

This leg in the UK is out of this world.

We did the Hammersmith Apollo and I used to go and see some of my favourite bands play there.

To have that sold out just gives me an enormous sense of thankfulness.

On Stage at Hammersmith Apollo in London

I had my granddad up there 91 years old and watching. Him seeing where this has led to, from him dropping me off to practice and telling me to "plough your own furrow and focus on your work".

I went to see Bon Iver play there a number of years ago with my partner. We were sitting way back, looking down at the size and scale and thinking "imagine being able to play here", and both of us took the time to remember that moment during the soundtrack.

It's given me so many blessings.

These words were taking from Sam Ryder's interview on the BBC's Eurovisioncast Podcast.

All the build-up, insights and analysis is explored each week on a BBC podcast called Eurovisioncast.

Eurovisioncast is available on BBC Sounds, or search wherever you get your podcasts from.