She stunned Aussies on Saturday night with an emotional performance, and now it’s been confirmed Kate Miller-Heidke will represent Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest.
The singer, 37, will take to the stage for the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv, Israel, after winning the top spot in the first ever televised live decider on SBS.
Fans were given the chance to vote for their favourite song and artist – with Kate beating nine other musical acts in what host Joel Creasey described as “a historic moment”.
Kate gave a dramatic performance as she showcased her pop hit ‘Zero Gravity’ – a song she recently revealed was inspired by her past personal struggle with depression – while wearing a huge lit-up tiered dress and giant crown-like tiara.
She told SBS shortly after: “I’m totally overwhelmed! This has been a peak experience already, and I’m dying with excitement at what’s to come.
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“Thanks to everyone who voted, and to all the other artists who provided such a brilliant, eclectic and stiff competition. I’ve had a ball, and I’m so grateful and thrilled that I get to represent Australia at Eurovision.”
Kate is perhaps best known for her 2008 song ‘Caught In The Crowd’ and was one of the more well-known faces taking part in the decider this year.
Previously speaking about her song ‘Zero Gravity’, she revealed it’s about coming out of depression – something she herself touched on following the birth of her son.
“Well, it’s a song about coming out of depression and it tries to capture that feeling of transcending a long period of feeling low,” she told SBS.
“For me, after the birth of my son, Ernie, I went through a long period of feeling like I’d lost my identity and feeling very sort of foggy and down in a lot of ways, and it took a couple of years after he was born for me to feel like I was regaining my strength and clarity and motivation and regaining a sense of who I was as well.”
Read more: Jess Mauboy fails to crack top 10, as Israel wins Eurovision
It comes after Jess Mauboy failed to crack the top 10 at last year’s Eurovision, with Israel’s very eccentric singer, Netta, taking home the gold.
Despite the singer putting on a stellar performance and giving it her all at the song contest final in Portugal, she came in at number 20, right behind the Netherlands and Serbia.
However, SBS Commissioning Editor Josh Martin has predicted 2019 could be the year Australia wins the contest.
“Kate’s performance tonight was quite simply breathtaking and the response from the Australian public has been overwhelming,” he said.