Eurovision 2022: Who is Sam Ryder, when is the final, and how to watch

The Eurovision 2022 final is almost here. Could this year be the year for the UK?

International song contest Eurovision is just a few days away and the UK entry is surely warming up their vocal chords.

Being hosted in Turin, Italy, this year, the competition has its first semi-final on Tuesday (May 10), and second semi-final on Thursday (May 12) ahead of the grand finale.

Luckily, as one of the biggest financial contributors, the UK is already straight through to the final alongside France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

TikTok star Sam Ryder has been announced as the UK's Eurovision entry for 2022. Photo: Elektra Music Group.

Here’s who the UK’s Eurovision entry is and how to watch the competition in 2022.

Who is UK Eurovision entry Sam Ryder?

TikTok star Sam Ryder has been announced as the UK entry for the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest.

Ryder rose to TikTok fame during lockdown. Photo: Elektra Music Group.

The singer-songwriter will perform the track Space Man at the grand final in Turin, Italy, in May.

Ryder found fame covering songs on TikTok during lockdown and has so far accumulated 12 million followers, making him the most followed UK music artist on the platform, according to the BBC.

"Having been a fan of Eurovision since I was a kid, I am so honoured to have been presented with the opportunity to sing at an event alongside some of Europe's most talented creatives, performers and songwriters,” said Ryder.

"I hope to sing my head off in a way the UK can be proud of, and to showcase a song I wrote with my friends last summer makes the whole experience even more special. See you in Turin, legends!"

The singer co-wrote the song Space Man with Grammy-winning songwriter Amy Wadge, who has previously worked with Ed Sheeran, and Max Wolfgang.

When the world went into lockdown in March 2020, Ryder began uploading covers to TikTok which caught the attention of global stars including Justin Bieber and Alicia Keys.

He later signed to the Parlophone record label, part of Warner Music Group, and released his debut EP The Sun's Gonna Rise in 2021.

Singles from the record, Whirlwind and Tiny Riot, enjoyed great success and he has also recently completed his first UK tour.

Ryder was selected to compete for the UK in a collaboration between the BBC and global music management company TaP Music, which counts Lana Del Rey and Ellie Goulding among its clients.

"The Eurovision Song Contest is truly a cultural phenomenon and an amazing opportunity - with 200 million viewers - for the right performer,” said TaP Music co-founders Ben Mawson and Ed Millett.

"As well as Sam having an amazing voice, Space Man is an instant song that we're confident will really connect. Not to mention he's also an extremely likeable and engaging character - as evidenced by his TikTok following."

Who won Eurovision 2021?

The 2021 competition was held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, after the show was cancelled in 2020, and won by Italy's rock band Måneskin with their song Zitti E Buoni.

The UK was handed a crushing defeat as singer James Newman was the only one to score zero points from both the jury and public vote, coming bottom on the leaderboard.

How to watch Eurovision 2022

The Eurovision grand final will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer and on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.

It’s scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 14 at 8pm.

The first Eurovision semi-final took place on Tuesday, 10 May.

The second semi-final happened on Thursday, 12 May.

Is Russia competing in Eurovision 2022?

Producers announced earlier this year that Russia will no longer participate in this year's contest, following the invasion of Ukraine.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said in a statement the inclusion of a Russian entry at the contest would bring the contest into "disrepute".

Is Ukraine in Eurovision 2022?

There is a Ukraine entry in Eurovision 2022. Ukrainian hip-hop band Kalush Orchestra will be performing their track Stefania.

They are the bookies’ favourites to win the show, with odds giving them a 49 per cent chance of winning (at the time of writing).

Additional reporting by PA.