Essex’s Sam Ryder finishes second in Eurovision as Ukraine win

Singing star Sam Ryder has finished second in Eurovision with his entry for the UK.

TikTok star Sam was one of 25 acts vying for the top prize during the climax of the week-long contest in Turin, Italy.

The singer, 32, performed his uplifting pop song Space Man, 22nd in the running order, in front of a crowd of almost 7,000 fans at the Pala Olimpico arena.

Sam co-wrote his track with Grammy-winning songwriter Amy Wadge, who has previously worked with Ed Sheeran and Max Wolfgang.

His entry picked up 466 points.

The winning song was Ukraine’s Stefania by folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra.

It received 631 points from the public.

At the halfway point after the jury vote the UK was at the top of the leader board with 283 points.

Ryder was selected in a new collaboration between the BBC and global music management company TaP Music, which also revamped the promotional campaign.

The new strategy included ensuring Ryder’s single, Space Man, got played on BBC Radio 1 instead of Radio 2, and targeting smaller countries such as San Marino, Serbia, Croatia and Malta, which have the same voting powers as larger countries such as Germany.

He took to the stage in a dazzling one piece encrusted with planets, moons and stars made of beads and pearls.

Ryder was the 22nd act to perform in the grand final, playing the guitar mid-performance.

Concluding his set, he said: “Shine brightly my friends. Thank you all.”

Graham Norton, who is once again anchoring the contest on BBC One, said: “What a powerhouse performance. You can’t ask for much more than that.”