UK rank outsider for first Eurovision victory in 21 years

With automatic qualification for the final secured, UK entrant SuRie will take to the stage in eight days in Lisbon to perform her track Storm.

With just two top 10 finishes in the past 21 years, SuRie, whose real name is Susanna Marie Cork, will have to beat odds of 100/1 to take European music's biggest crown.

However radio DJ Scott Mills, who is part of the BBC's Eurovision commentating team, labelled the track the "most Eurovision-friendly song the United Kingdom's had in years".

"It's got all the ingredients of a classic Eurovision song," he added.

SuRie will have to beat off competition from a former X Factor runner-up as Saara Aalto is set to perform her track Monsters for her native Finland.

The competition's semi-finals will take place on Tuesday and Thursday evening before the grand final next Saturday night.

Current favourite for the title is Israel at 2/1, according to bookies Coral while France and Norway are at 6/1.

Coral's John Hill said it looked like the UK was facing another "bleak year", adding: "It looks very unlikely that we will end our 21-year wait for the trophy once again."

The last time the UK won Eurovision was in 1997 with Katrina And The Waves' Love Shine A Light, and the UK has not finished in the top 10 since 2009 with Jade Ewen's It's My Time.

Last year, former X Factor star Lucie Jones helped the UK achieve its highest points haul in eight years, 111, for her performance of Never Give Up On You in Kiev, Ukraine, coming in 15th place.

- The Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals will air on May 8 and May 10 on BBC Four at 8pm, and the Eurovision Song Contest final will air on May 12 on BBC One at 8pm.