A singer from Stevenage is set to compete in BBC’s Eurovision: You Decide in a bid to represent the UK in the notoriously outlandish song contest.
Aimie Atkinson, who grew up in Stevenage and was a pupil at Collenswood School, is part of girl group Goldstone – along with Helen Kurup and Rhiannon Porter – and will compete against five other acts on Wednesday, February 7, in a bid to be chosen to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in May.
Aimie’s love for the performing arts first began when she was 13 years old, when she was drafted in to play the leading role in Cinderella at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage because the original actress had been in a car accident.
Since then, Aimie has won the prestigious BBC Voice of Musical Theatre award and gone on to star in musicals such as Dirty Dancing, Legally Blonde, In The Heights and The Wizard Of Oz.
Goldstone will be singing ‘I Feel The Love In My City’ and said: “We adore our song. It’s just so hopeful and, with everything that is happening in the world right now, it really hits home. It makes you feel positive about the future and its message is that it doesn’t matter who you are, who you love or where you come from, we can always band together and unite.”
Aimie said: “I am so excited to be a part of BBC’s Eurovision: You Decide. It’s always been a big dream of mine to represent the UK and now I might have a chance at making that a reality.
“My mum and I would watch the Eurovision every year, and fingers crossed she can watch me this year.”
In 2016, singer Cara Beard – who went to John Henry Newman School in Stevenage – took part in BBC’s Eurovision: You Decide as one half of country-pop duo Darline, but lost out to music act Joe and Jake.
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Lisbon, after Portugal won the competition in 2017 with their song ‘Amar Pelos Dois’, which translates as ‘Loving For Both Of Us’.
The 63rd Eurovision Song Contest will see 43 countries send one musical act each to Lisbon, where the winner will be chosen through two semi-finals - held on May 8 and 10 - and a grand final on May 12.
The UK is one of six countries which automatically pre-qualifies for the final. The remaining countries will take part in one of the two semi-finals. From each semi-final, the best 10 will proceed to the grand final, bringing the total number of finalists to 26.
BBC’s Eurovision: You Decide will be on BBC2 at 7.30pm on Wednesday, February 7, live from Brighton Dome.
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