Hot Press were among the media invited to the RTÉ Television Headquarters in Donnybrook yesterday afternoon, to meet the six Eurovision hopefuls ahead of their performances on the Late Late Show Eurosong Special tonight.

First up was a chat with host Patrick Kielty, who was snazzily dressed and in good form. The Co. Down native diplomatically answered some questions about the sound quality not being good enough last year, and whether or not the Eurosong spectacle would be better in front of a larger live audience.

“The team that put the show together here, and every department in here, I think they're world class,” he told reporters. “Sometimes, when you go to big arenas, you can have as much of a problem with the sound as you have in a smaller venue.

“Last year we got someone to the final. It was Ireland's best performance in years so I think the Late Late is the perfect platform for Eurovision. As for lacking a live crowd, just wait until you see the crowd we have coming in here tomorrow night.”

The Late Late Eurovision Special Media Day on February 6th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring

After our chinwag with the host we met Norwegian singer EMMY, who’s entering with her song ‘Laika Party’ - a hyperactive Eurodisco ode to the cosmonaut dog who was sent to space (and her demise) by the Soviets in 1957.

“We did this songwriting camp in Norway for the Eurovision circus, and a songwriter flew from Ireland to camp,” Emmy explained, touching on her decision to represent Ireland. “I got in a group with her and since the song is partly Irish, it was very natural for us to send it here. Because you guys are the king of Eurovision with the most victories. We don't have to talk about Sweden right now…”

The Late Late Eurovision Special Media Day on February 6th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring

Next was Galway’s Reylta, who was feeling confident ahead of the big night.

“I’m not nervous about the performance, I'm nervous talking to you guys,” she told reporters. “Getting up on stage, performing, that's what I do.”

Her galloping entry, ‘Fire’, exudes a strong Celtic feel, and is said to be about those electrifying moments when you first meet someone.

“I am working on getting a version in Irish,” she revealed, hinting at integrating some Gaeilge into her performance if she were to make it to Basel in May.

“I definitely would use the language that way. But I want to make sure I'm making a good piece of culture, not something I can directly translate through Google. It's about getting the feeling and the meaning and the right rhythm and notation, so it feels more powerful than the English version.”

The Late Late Eurovision Special Media Day on February 6th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring

Donegal native Adgy, meanwhile, will be looking to improve on his last Eurosong outing two years ago.

“I learned a lot from that experience,” he revealed. “Did it help my career? Probably not. I don't think it did any bad either. It helped me grow as a person. I think when you put yourself on a platform where you're choosing to be criticised, critiqued and judged, [you have to] just develop a thick skin and come back stronger."

This time around, he has the added support of being joined by his sister Jennie who’ll be taking up violin duties on their trad-infused ‘Run Into the Night’.

"Mum was the one that highly encouraged us to do music," Adgy shared. "She helped us stick through those parts when you're trying to learn the notes and piano and what not. I used to force my siblings to sit down and watch me perform and if they got up or if they laughed they got to sit back again. So they suffered enough. After 10 years I got good and now we're here performing on TV."

The Late Late Eurovision Special Media Day on February 6th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring

The unofficial prize for 'best dressed' went to Limerick’s NIYL, who’ll be treating us with his song ‘Growth’ this evening. Looking like a character from the Dune films, he described the aesthetic as “Pagan Druid Cyberpunk.”

“Paganism has always been something that I've been really inspired by,” he said. I used to think I was a witch and have runes carved into my doors. My parents were worried!

“When I was putting together the performance and with the song being inspired by old roots, I really wanted to make something that had an impactful stance that looked modern and avant-garde as well.”

As a queer artist, NIYL said he took encouragement from Bambie Thug’s showing last year as a means of amplifying LGBTQI+ culture in Ireland and beyond.

“Eurovision is a celebration of differences and the other,” NIYL reflected. “It's a platform for people who don't necessarily feel like they fit into the mould to profile themselves,

“Bambie was definitely a moment that inspired me to enter this year, but I've been watching Eurovision for so long, so to me, the different and the other were always represented, just not by Ireland. Ireland needed to catch up.”

The Late Late Eurovision Special Media Day on February 6th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring

Bobbi Arlo, who was a finalist in Hot Press’ A New Local Hero contest last October, is being pegged by some as the favourite to wave the Irish flag in Switzerland.

“It really adds a level of nervous poos to the situation,” Arlo noted, somewhat jokingly. “But it feels really good to be honest with you. I can't believe the support that I've gotten. Every time I get sent a poll or get tweeted that I'm still winning or whatever, my brain doesn't compute it.

"I went through a break up two years ago that was really tough and I completely lost my confidence," she continued, describing the background to her assertive, energetic and empowering bop 'POWERPLAY'.

"The day that I wrote it, I had just finished a therapy session, I believe, so I think it was fresh in the brain. I got the beat, wrote it straight away, and then I was like, 'this slaps'. It hasn't really changed much since I wrote it"

The Late Late Eurovision Special Media Day on February 6th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring

Samantha Mumba - as evident with the number of press lining up to grab a quick photo with her afterwards- enters as the most high profile act with her rousing ballad ‘My Way’. She first rose to prominence in 2000 as a 17-year-old with her hit ‘Gotta Tell You’, and now resides in Los Angeles with her family.

“She's more proficient in Irish than me,” Mumba said, referring to her daughter, who’s keen to keep in touch with her Irish roots. “She's learning Irish on Duolingo and she's all about Dublin and Ireland. She never wants to go home [whenever we visit]. If I told her we were moving here tomorrow she'd be delighted with herself.

“I get home probably about two or three times a year, but I would love to get more of a permanent base.”

Mumba's entry, as many will be aware, shares its name with a classic Frank Sinatra song.

“I initially had actually called the song 'Flawed’,” Mumba said. “I felt it didn’t embody it. I did of course think of Frank Sinatra immediately, but it very much signifies me doing this. I'm being independent and literally doing it my way”

The Late Late Eurovision Special Media Day on February 6th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring

There was, inevitably, a controversy-shaped elephant in the room following the fallout from Israel’s participation in last year’s competition. As well as preventing acts, including Ireland’s Bambie Thug, from showcasing pro-Palestinian imagery, there were concerns raised about the wellbeing of contestants, after some participants alleged that they were being harassed and non-consensually filmed by the Israeli delegation behind the scenes.

“I think we all have to be careful with what we say with the EBU rules,” said Bobbi Arlo. “I am a person of peace and I come from a peace-keeping country. So I'll be spreading my message as much as I can that I don't agree with war.

“I think Eurovision shouldn't have been made political but unfortunately it is, it's the climate that we're in at the minute. I think if we didn't send an act to Eurovision we would be one less peacekeeping country in the mix."

“It's so important for any conglomerate or larger agency to be looking after the welfare of people,” added NIYL. “Hearing about the way people were treated is slightly nerve-wracking, but hopefully they've made amends to that now and I think there's new policies in place to make sure that the welfare of artists are being looked after because at the end of the day, it's about creating beautiful art.

“I think it's an important thing to not de-platform yourself,” he continued, when asked about the scrutiny which comes with being involved in such a large-scale event. “If your message is of unity, of love or peace or anything that's a positive message, you need to push that message out.

“I write music to tell those stories and to represent stories of people who feel different. That's why I got into music and that's the way I write so I'm prepared for the scrutiny.”

Host Patrick Kietly was also asked about the contentious issue of Israel's participation, saying it was a matter for the competition's participants and organisers.

"Look, I think, with these things, people are really entitled to their opinion," he said. "There's huge emotions and big issues that are involved. What happened in Israel was horrific. What's been happening in Gaza is heartbreaking. Things are out there and people can have their opinions. It is a music show. It's an entertainment show. It's up to the acts, I feel, and I think it's up to RTÉ and to the EBU. I'm not hosting Eurovision, I'm hosting Eurosong.  So, it's wee bit of a step further down the line."

• The Late Late Eurosong Special airs Friday 7th February, 9:35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.