Austria’s 2018 Eurovision representative, Cesár Sampson, would feel “obliged” to represent the UK if he ever came back to the contest. 

Sampson was speaking exclusively to The Euro Trip moments after ESCZ, the Czech Republic’s national selection, where he was acting as the country’s international advisor to its Eurovision delegation. 

Asked if he would ever return to Eurovision as a performer, Sampson said: “Never say never. 

“Going to Eurovision was just a reconfirmation of going back to being a recording artist, opposed to being just a producer or a writer. 

“Now I don’t need that confirmation anymore. I don’t know what would have to happen for me to go back.

“I have one last debt which is to the BBC, because originally I was going to go to the BBC.” 

Sampson was invited by the BBC in late 2017 to compete in the UK’s national selection for 2018, Eurovision: You Decide. Having accepted the invite from the BBC, Sampson later rescinded it after his home country’s broadcaster, ORF, confirmed it wanted him to represent Austria at the contest. 

He justified walking away from the BBC because he had been in discussions to represent Austria before the BBC invited him to its national selection. 

“If I would come back, I think I would feel obliged to go for the UK,” he said. 

Sampson went on to secure an outright victory in the jury vote of 2018’s Eurovision Grand Final on his way to finishing third place for Austria with the song Nobody But You. 

Before this, Sampson performed at the contest in 2016 as a backing vocalist for Bulgaria’s Poli Genova, finishing in fourth place. He reprised his role the following year, this time helping Kristian Kostov to second place.

Featured image – EBU / Andres Putting