With hyperlinks to Celine Dion and Olivia Newton-John, Delta Goodrem is among the best-connected contestants at this 12 months’s Eurovision Song Contest.
She’s additionally one of the vital profitable members, because the award-winning Australian singer-songwriter has offered over 9 million albums and topped charts in eight nations.
Goodrem is representing her house nation on the planet’s largest stay music occasion, which takes place this 12 months in Vienna. Even although it’s method outdoors of Europe, Australia has been invited to compete since 2015.
In the Nineties Goodrem, who was a former star of Australian cleaning soap “Neighbours,” wrote a monitor known as “Eyes on Me” for Dion, who received Eurovision representing Switzerland in 1988.
She was additionally mentored by the late Newton-John, one other world famous person who took half within the tune contest on behalf of the United Kingdom in 1974, though not as efficiently.
“Growing up, Olivia Newton-John and Celine Dion were two of my greatest loves in music,” she said. “I don’t think I would be the musician I am today without my influence from the two of them. And they have both been a part of that stage from different countries.”
Goodrem additionally has a hyperlink to the entry representing the tiny nation of San Marino. Boy George, who seems on SENHIT’s entry “Superstar,” was a choose and rival alongside Goodrem on Australia’s hit TV expertise present “The Voice.”
“I’ve got my eyes on him. I’m watching him,” Goodrem joked. “I was so excited and couldn’t stop laughing … it’s so playful that Boy George was like, ‘I’m coming to Eurovision!’”
The Associated Press spoke to Goodrem in London about competing together with her energy ballad “Eclipse” within the Eurovision Song Contest.
This dialog has been edited for readability and brevity.
AP: When was the primary time you ever heard about Eurovision?
GOODREM: It’s been a bit omnipresent the place you type of heard it within the air. And I suppose clearly Australia’s been in for 11 years. So we grew to become much more actively like Team Australia. But rising up, you all the time had been, you understand, enamored with this unimaginable iconic stage and it’d all the time discover its solution to us.
AP: I really feel such as you’ve been representing Australia your complete life.
GOODREM: I really feel that as nicely and I’ve all the time been very patriotic and really true to the love I’ve for Australia and it seems like they’re all celebrating, we’re all type of there collectively on this journey.
AP: How aggressive are you?
GOODREM: Oh you understand, I’m undoubtedly right here to offer it my absolute all, sure.
AP: Did you watch final 12 months?
GOODREM: So (final 12 months) I used to be doing my couple of exhibits right here (in London) and I had type of acquired to expertise the power of Eurovision on the bottom and I simply thought it was palpable, it was unimaginable and I used to be watching all of the applications and it was actually thrilling and someone had requested me, ‘would you do Eurovision?’ And I stated, ‘I’m all the time open’ … You by no means know the place your path’s main, simply if it feels proper.
AP: While Eurovision tries to maintain out politics, it’s all the time crept in. What do you consider the boycott this 12 months?
GOODREM: I actually am a real believer that all through my profession, coming to my present, I’m about unifying — music for me is a second the place we’re all singing the identical tune. And I imagine in that, and I’ve my complete life, that it’s very therapeutic, music has an actual energy.
So I type of give attention to the ability of music being a unifying area and a spot that may wrap round individuals’s lives and their soundtrack and that’s the place it sits for me.
AP: What did you consider the news that they’re doing Eurovision in Asia?
GOODREM: The extra music the higher. I believe that’s so thrilling. That means I get to immerse myself within the music in September for Eurovision Asia.
AP: I must ask you about staging. I see the video for this entails quite a lot of sand.
GOODREM: Yes, you’re pondering I ought to deliver Australian sand, you understand, that’s very patriotic. I begin slightly seashore on stage, lookup on the moon for “Eclipse.” I undoubtedly am actually excited to deliver it to life.
AP: If you win, can Eurovision go to Australia?
GOODREM: Sure. Yeah, yeah!
AP: Is it extra seemingly that it’d be a co-host?
GOODREM: Look, I don’t know these logistics but however I’m open to the dialog … If you wish to vote for me then I’m comfortable to speak about if we may like have it right here or if, you understand, I’m comfortable to do a deal.
© Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This materials will not be revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.