Mae Muller: The UK's Eurovision entrant says her dad 'will be shaking like a leaf'
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Mae Muller wrote a song, now she's singing it at Eurovision.
The 25-year-old is the UK's representative in Liverpool, a year after Sam Ryder reversed the UK's fortunes by coming second.
Muller was born in 1997 - the year the UK last won Eurovision - and has previously supported Little Mix on tour as well as working with artists like Aitch and Sigala.
Her track, I Wrote A Song, is an almost unfairly catchy dance-pop anthem about screwing over your ex by revealing all their misdemeanours in a song.
One of this year's most-streamed entries, it will also be the last number performed at this year's grand final.
We caught up with Mae as she prepared for the last day of rehearsals to discuss the story behind her song, her supporters in the arena, and why she's had to resist being a chatterbox.
Catch up with our other Eurovision interviews
I'm a little worried. Aren't you supposed to be on vocal rest?
I am, but for you I'm breaking it. After this, no more talking, which is really hard for me because I really love talking.
Did that make it hard to keep the secret before you were announced?
It was hard for sure. But I did tell my parents because I thought I can't give them that much of a big shock on the announcement day. So it was nice to be able to talk about it with them.
During an interview with the BBC, a choir burst into song with her Eurovision entry, I Wrote A Song
Before your name came out, people were speculating it would be Rina Sawayama or Mabel or Mimi Webb. Did that make you nervous?
Do you know what? Any single one of those girls would have absolutely smashed it. And it highlights how much amazing talent there is in the UK right now.
I mean, it kind of killed me because I was like, "I want to get involved in the conversation!" But I was under strict rules!
What was it like when the announcement happened?
It was the busiest, most manic, most beautiful day. It was just zero to 100, but I enjoyed every second of it.
Mae met the Queen and King when they unveiled the set in the arena last month
I heard Sam Ryder got in touch...
He actually sent me a message before it all happened - so he must have heard through the grapevine!
What did he say?
He just said congratulations, and then he sent me a few voice notes saying, "It's a whirlwind, but try and enjoy every step".
It's pretty good advice, actually, because you tend to just whizz through things and now I make it a point every day to take a breath, take it in, and say, "This is happening".
Do you think you would have said "yes" to Eurovision if Sam hadn't done so well last year?
That's a good question. Sam definitely did change the way people in the UK view Eurovision. So obviously he made a big difference, and probably made it less of a scary decision, because there's so much positivity around it. But even without that, the experience alone is just so incredible, so I think I still would have wanted to do it. It's just a one in a million experience, isn't it?
Tell us about the song. Who broke your heart?
A lot of a my songs have come from a place of heartache and pain but on this one, I kind of wanted to broaden it out.
So it's more about the feeling of going through a heartbreak, or falling out with a friend, or having a rubbish time at work.
How do we navigate that? How do we get through those negative emotions? And how do we end up empowering ourselves through that? I never wanted it to be about one specific person.
So there isn't someone sitting at home going, 'Wait a minute?'
Oh, probably! There'll be a few people saying, "Hang on, is that song about me?"
Mae Muller, pictured in rehearsals, is flying the flag for the UK this year
Where did the spoken word section come from?
I actually wrote the song before I was offered Eurovision and, at that point, that section wasn't in it. So when I found out I'd be doing the competition, I thought, "You know what? I need to revisit this song and make sure that I'm giving it everything".
So I put my little Eurovision hat on and I went back into the studio three or four times to write that spoken word part.
I thought to myself, "This is the biggest music platform in the world, and this would be a great way to create an intimate moment with 200 million people," so I really wanted to get it right.
I had to go in and do a few nips and tucks, but it was worth it. It's got to be right.
How do you think you'll feel on Saturday night?
When I walk on stage, I'm going to have to take a second to really centre myself because those three minutes go really fast.
Every time I've performed it's been like, "What just happened? Is it over?"
The singer will perform last at Saturday's grand final
Who will you be looking out for in the crowd?
My dad is coming so he'll be in the crowd, probably shaking like a leaf. He's always been like one of my biggest supporters so I'll try to spot him out in there somewhere.
Do you think he'll be the loudest?
Oh, 100%. And he'll be filming the entire thing. Whenever I do a show he has to film it, but he's also like, "I want to make sure I see it with my own eyes" so he holds the phone above his head. I'm sure he'll have everything documented!
And afterwards, no matter what happens, you can finally relax and enjoy the party.
Oh, on Saturday night, I'll be partying. You'll see me and Rylan in Euroclub until the early hours of the morning.
Who are the best contestants to go out and party with?
The French girl La Zarra knows how to have a good time, for sure. I love her. I'm gonna take her out in Soho when this is all done!
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