Before Eurovision 2022, Sam Ryder acknowledged that the scoring had made him think carefully about representing the United Kingdom. Speaking on This Morning in March, he said his love of singing and the contest outweighed those concerns.
Ryder took Space Man to Turin after building a large audience through his online performances. The chance to meet listeners who had followed him from home was part of the appeal.
The result was a second-place finish in the grand final. Eurovision's official record puts it as the UK's best placing since 1998, a very different outcome from the doubts discussed before the competition.