Bonnie Tyler to sing for Britain at Eurovision

After years of holding out for a hero, Britain has chosen Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler as its entry to the continent-wide Eurovision Song Contest.

The 61-year-old Tyler, whose 1980s hits include Total Eclipse of the Heart and Holding Out For a Hero, will represent Britain at the contest in Malmo, Sweden, in May.

Tyler said Thursday she is “honoured and delighted” to represent her country with the song Believe in Me.

The contest, which sees bubblegum pop acts vie for national glory, is a kitschy fixture on the European cultural calendar, watched by more than 100 million people.

Britain has not won since 1997. Last year’s UK entrant, septuagenarian singer Engelbert Humperdinck, came second-last.

British viewers like to blame geopolitics, rather than talent, for the country’s poor showing.