'We competed at Eurovision for the UK and Graham Norton left us speechless'

Electro Velvet have revealed the blunt comment they received from Graham Norton, just hours after their Eurovision stint more than a decade ago.

Alex Larke and Bianca Nicholas represented the UK in Vienna back in 2015. The duo only managed to earn five points overall, with only three acts placing beneath them. Graham, who commentates for the BBC during the final, delivered his blunt verdict after meeting up with the pair once the show had wrapped.

The musical pair have been discussing the event ahead of the 70th song contest this weekend, where UK fans will be hoping for better fortunes as Look Mum No Computer takes to the stage. Last year, Remember Monday finished joint-bottom with hosts Switzerland, after both nations received zero points from the public vote.

Electro Velvet have been reflecting candidly on their experience, which reduced Bianca to tears. Alex recalls one moment in particular which has stayed with him. Speaking to Betway, he said: "We actually spent a lot of time with Graham in the build-up and even performed on his chat show," reports the Mirror.

"One memory that really sticks with me is Graham giving me a parting comment at the hotel bar after the show had finished. He asked what our plans were next, and I said we were thinking of releasing another song.

"He just said, 'Nah, I wouldn't bother, it's over for you.' I remember thinking, 'Cool... thanks, Graham'."

When asked whether there were any peculiar rules artists must adhere to, Alex revealed: "They made us delete all our social media apps from our phones in the run-up. They didn't want us to see any of the negative comments because they worried it would put us off.

"I think they do that with every contestant because even positive comments can be distracting, as you can get an inflated ego and think you're a shoo-in to win."

The duo notably secured five points, and placed 24th out of 27 acts. Speaking about her devastation after learning the result, Bianca admitted: "I was in tears."

She added: "I was speaking to one of the PR team recently, who reminded me that he found me in the dressing room. I was insisting I wanted to change because I wanted to disappear. I felt my career was ruined. I was so scared of the backlash after our result.

"I definitely had moments where I thought, 'I don't want to do this anymore,' but I'd never have been brave enough to pull out. There were so many other people involved, and I wouldn't want to spoil it for them. Alex and I were like chalk and cheese throughout, as I was actually pretty terrified, whereas he stayed very positive. That said, there were some amazing experiences along the way, and we had a lot of fun."

Alex and Bianca also shared their advice for Look Mum No Computer, aka Sam Battle, who will represent the United Kingdom with the song Eins, Zwei, Drei this weekend. The track, characterised as a blend of his distinctive synths and electronic-bass, explores the concept of breaking free from nine-to-five life.

"Enjoy yourself, but go into it with your eyes wide open," Alex warned. "If it doesn't go well for you, you need to have a backup plan. We didn't. The BBC were really keen that we didn't have management, but we probably should have done. You need to be well represented."

The second Eurovision semi-final will air at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer on Thursday, May 14, ahead of the grand final at 8pm on Saturday, May 16