| Eurovision Song Contest 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participating broadcaster | British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) | |||
| Country |  United Kingdom | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Internal selection | |||
| Selection date(s) | 9 March 2023 | |||
| Selected artist(s) | Mae Muller | |||
| Selected song | "I Wrote a Song" | |||
| Selected songwriter(s) | Holly Mae Muller Lewis Thompson Karen Poole | |||
| Finals performance | ||||
| Final result | 25th, 24 points | |||
| United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
| ||||
The United Kingdom was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, with the song "I Wrote a Song", written by Holly Mae Muller, Lewis Thompson, and Karen Poole, and performed by Mae Muller herself.[1][2][3] The British participating broadcaster, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), internally selected both the song and the performer, in collaboration with record label TaP Music and their management company. In addition, the BBC was also the host broadcaster and staged the event at the Liverpool Arena in Liverpool on behalf of the winner of the previous edition, the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC).
As both the host country and a member of the "Big Five", the United Kingdom automatically qualified to compete in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Muller performed in the second half of the Eurovision final, closing the show in position 26.[4] She finished in twenty-fifth place with 24 points.
An average of 10.237 million people watched the final on BBC One, with a peak viewing figure later reaching 11 million, the highest UK viewing figures for the contest in history.[5][6][7] The semi-finals also reached record viewing figures, being broadcast on the BBC's flagship channel alongside the final for the first time ever, with the first semi-final averaging 2.541 million viewers and the second semi-final averaging 2.496 million viewers.
- ^ "Eurovision 2023: Mae Muller announced as UK act for song contest". BBC News. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ^ "United Kingdom: Mae Muller to Eurovision 2023". Eurovoix. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ^ "Mae Muller will represent the UK in Eurovision 2023!". ESCUnited. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ^ Jiandani, Sanjay (13 March 2023). "United Kingdom: Mae Muller to perform #26 in the Grand Final". Esctoday. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (10 May 2023). "United Kingdom: Peak of 3.4 Million Viewers For Eurovision 2023 Semi-Final One". Eurovoix. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ^ "Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Grand Final scores douze points for the BBC as it becomes the most watched Grand Final ever". bbc.co.uk (Press release). BBC. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ^ "Most viewed programmes". barb.co.uk. BARB. Retrieved 24 May 2023.