UK's Eurovision act to feature special 'mega synthesiser'

The UK's Eurovision entrant says it's been "a lot of work" to get ready for the contest, promising a "mega synthesiser" for the occasion.

Look Mum No Computer, real name Sam Battle, will take the stage in Vienna, Austria, to perform his song Eins, Zwei, Drei in front of millions this week.

Speaking to the Press Association ahead of the semi-finals, Battle said he was "really excited" to take part – but admitted it was "a lot of work" given he's just become a dad.

He joked that if he were not gearing up for Vienna, he would be "probably changing my newborn baby's nappy".

"I'm really proud of what we've pulled together and can't wait to put it into practice," Battle added.

"Working with (choreographer Fredrik Rydman) has been brilliant; he's a really cool guy and has been pushing the boundaries of what we want to do up on that stage.

"It's going to make for a really interesting live performance."

Battle also promises a "mega synthesiser" built especially for his performance, although he added some of his plans did not come to fruition, as he did not think the BBC "trusted my welding".

"I don't want to give it all away, so you'll have to tune in to see me when I perform on the Eurovision stage for the first time at Thursday's semi-final," he said.

Who is Sam Battle?

Since beginning his YouTube career in 2013, the Lincolnshire-born musician has amassed more than 85 million views and 1.4 million combined subscribers and followers across all social media platforms.

Battle has become known for his videos about making and playing unusual electronic music equipment, having made an organ out of Furby toys, fused a synthesiser with a Raleigh Chopper bicycle, and made a triple oscillator synthesiser out of Nintendo Game Boy consoles.

He has won the support of long-time Eurovision host Graham Norton, who told the BBC: "The song is different to anything else we've ever entered, and I can really imagine the whole arena getting behind it."

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But does it stand a chance of winning?

"Never say never," Norton joked, noting that the UK last won the coveted competition in 1997's Love Shine A Light by Katrina And The Waves.

This year's edition of the song contest – the 70th anniversary – has seen controversy, though.

Last year, Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia all announced their withdrawal from Eurovision 2026 over Israel's participation in the competition.

It came after a vote on whether members were happy with tougher new rules introduced in November – following claims of Israeli government "interference" in last year's contest. The majority agreed the changes were enough and Israel's place was confirmed.

Israeli national broadcaster KAN described attempts to remove them as a "cultural boycott".

Battle will represent the UK at the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest this week, with the final set to take place at Vienna's Wiener Stadthalle on 16 May.

The semi-finals will take place on 12 and 14 May.

(c) Sky News 2026: UK's Eurovision act to feature special 'mega synthesiser'