Sam Ryder joined by Queen’s Roger Taylor during Eurovision performance

Sam Ryder has been joined on stage at the Eurovision Song Contest by Queen drummer Roger Taylor.

This year’s instalment of the contest took place in Liverpool, following the ongoing political conflict taking place in Ukraine. Ukraine won the competition last year, with Ryder coming in second place.

Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra opened this year’s Eurovision song contest with an emotive rendition of their 2022 winning song, ‘Stefania’.

The opening also saw the band joined by musicians and famous figures from afar. It cut to clips featuring Ryder playing guitar on the song from on top of Liverpool’s Liver Building.

Other contributions via video included ones from Joss Stone, Miss Banks, Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Princess of Wales, who played piano on the song.

Ryder later returned to the stage to perform his latest single ‘Mountain’ and it featured Taylor on drums.

Ryder last joined Queen on stage for a rendition of ‘Somebody To Love’ at the Foo Fighter’s Taylor Hawkins tribute concert. 

You can watch the moment here:

The UK's entry from last year, Sam Ryder, gracing the Eurovision stage once more with another anthemic song #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/TblEAbZ23B

— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) May 13, 2023

I'd climb a mountain for Sam Ryder #Eurovision2023 pic.twitter.com/TxgF4wfC34

— BBC Eurovision (@bbceurovision) May 13, 2023

Roger Taylor on drums at Eurovision – CREDIT: Getty

Just before Ryder’s performance, Mae Muller closed this year’s contest with the UK entry.

Sweden is currently favourite to win with Loreen’s song ‘Tattoo’, which has odds listed as 4/9 on bet365. If she were to win, she would become the first ever woman to win Eurovision twice, following her victory in 2012 with the track ‘Euphoria’. Hot on her heels and listed as the second most likely to take the crown for the 2023 instalment is Finland

Represented by Käärijä with the song ‘Cha Cha Cha’, Finland remains second place in the final odds, coming in at 5/2 according to bet365. Ukraine follows up and remains with an 8/1 chance, while France is at 14/1, Israel and Spain are on par for the fourth spot – all listed as 14/1.

Muller, as per bet365, currently stands in in the top ten, with odds of 40/1 on winning.

Keep checking back on nme.com for more Eurovision updates 

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