Katrina and the Waves star dishes her advice for Mae Muller ahead of the Eurovision finale

Eurovision legend Katrina Leskanich has dished her advice to this year’s UK hopeful Mae Muller as she prepares for the grand finale on Saturday night.

The singer, 63, stormed to victory in 1997 with her band Katrina and the Waves and their song Love Shine A Light.

And now, 26 years after her epic win, Katrina is giving her guidance to Mae as she takes to the stage in Liverpool, advising her to simply ‘Kick some a** and have a f**king good time!’

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Katrina went on to encourage the 25-year-old to have fun and let her hair down during the contest as people will notice the nerves, stating: ‘I’m serious, what else is more important? 

‘Because the audience will see if you’re really nervous or your stumbling or you have a dry mouth.

Go girl! 26 years after her epic win, Katrina is giving her guidance to Mae as she takes to the stage in Liverpool, advising her to simply ‘Kick some a** and have a f**king good time!’

‘Have a couple of drinks backstage and get out there and have a f**king good time, because that’s your three minutes! 

‘That’s your three minutes, you may as well make the most of it – you might just win!’

Meanwhile, the Walking On Sunshine hitmaker went on to heap praise on the I Wrote A Song singer, remarking that she likes that Mae’s ‘outspoken’ rather than just ‘cutesy cutesy’. 

She shared: ‘I love Mae. I think she’s a cool girl. She’s outspoken, I like her song, I love that she wrote from a personal experience. 

‘It’s a vendetta, it’s a revenge song but that’s fun. A lot of women can relate to that. Shaft your a**, I prefer that rather that cutesy cutesy. 

‘Those days are gone and let’s go women, let’s go for it. Let’s step up!’

The Eurovision Song Contest was last held in the UK back in 1998, with Birmingham acting as the host city following Katrina and the Waves’ win the previous year. 

And the American hitmaker admitted that she never thought she’d see the contest back in the UK in her lifetime following countless years of disappointment. 

Success: The singer, 63, stormed to victory in 1997 with her band Katrina and the Waves (pictured) and their song Love Shine A Light

Kind words; Meanwhile, the Walking On Sunshine hitmaker went on to heap praise on the I Wrote A Song singer, remarking that she likes that Mae’s ‘outspoken’ rather than just ‘cutesy cutesy’

Big fan: ‘I love Mae. I think she’s a cool girl. She’s outspoken, I like her song, I love that she wrote from a personal experience’ 

She told MailOnline: ‘I gave up on the concept that the UK would ever win again because we’ve been choosing some absolutely dreadful acts.

‘But since Sam [Ryder, who came runner-up in 2022], we’re back on track. They’re using a really good company. They’re using TAP music.

‘What took them so long? And who was choosing? I got so much stick for saying “who is choosing these songs?” Come on, come out and make yourselves known! 

‘And they were absolutely schtum. They wouldn’t say anything about it.

Honest: The American hitmaker admitted that she never thought she’d see the contest back in the UK in her lifetime following countless years of disappointment

Turnaround: ‘I gave up on the concept that the UK would ever win again because we’ve been choosing some absolutely dreadful acts. ‘But since Sam [Ryder, who came runner-up in 2022], we’re back on track’

‘You took the vote away from the general public and then one little dweeb sitting in an office is like “uhhh yeah I’ll choose that one or whatever”. It was so wrong for so long.’

Katrina went on to give her verdict on whether attitudes towards Eurovision has changed since Sam’s near victory, explaining: ‘100% since Sam the UK’s attitude towards Eurovision has changed, and thank God. 

‘Because it brings joy, everybody’s smiling and having a good time. The beauty of it is it’s got a back catalogue, it’s kind of like a really really famous person who’s got hundreds of hit records.

‘Somebody like me who did it in on 1997 can come back and it still feels fresh.’

On being back in the UK, she added: ‘Every experience is completely fresh. 

‘Every time it’s like singing it for the first time, only it’s easy, so you’re never having to try and prove something. If you write a good enough song.’

The grand final will see Muller finally take to the stage. After months of preparation, the 25-year-old singer from north London will finally perform her track, I Wrote A Song, for the international voting public.

Muller is hoping to continue the success of last year’s UK entry Sam Ryder, who finished second behind Kalush Orchestra.

But the UK’s entrant will need to beat the odds if she hopes to take the win.

She is currently 10th favourite to win with odds of 40/1. Sweden are favourites, followed by Finland and Ukraine. 

Muller said she had also been moved seeing ‘just as many Ukrainian flags in the streets as British ones’.

‘This is what Eurovision is about, it’s about people supporting each other,’ she added.

Twenty-six acts will be performing, as well as appearances from the UK’s previous Eurovision winner, Katrina Leskanich of Katrina And The Waves.