A Waitrose worker will be taking part in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest for the Lithuanian entry.
Nicola Lambrianos, who works at the upmarket retailer’s Buckhurst Hill branch in Essex, will be joining entrant Monika Linkyte on stage as a backing singer, performing the song “Stay.”
The contest, which as of today (11 May) is undergoing its second semi-final, will broadcast from Liverpool Arena on Saturday 13 May for the grand final.
According to reporting by the BBC, Lambrianos met Linkyte through a mutual friend, who is also a vocal coach.
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“I was at an open mic night and my friend said they wanted to introduce me to a Lithuanian pop star and it was Monika Linkytė – if you’re a massive Eurovision fan like me, you’ll remember her from 2015,” Lambrianos told the BBC.
Eight years ago, Linkyte represented Lithuania at the contest and finished in seventh place.
She added: “I cheekily asked if she could get me a ticket to the show in Liverpool, and the following week she messaged saying I’d inspired her to compete and asked if I’d like to watch her perform at the first heat in Lithuania.
“Afterwards, she said, ‘I know you sing – I think you need to be on stage with me’, and that was it.”
