There was a lot of buzz around Mae Muller before she crashed out of the Eurovision Song Contest last year.
The London-born songstress, 26, represented the UK on home soil with her track I Wrote a Song and carried the nation's excited expectations on her shoulders. However, on a disappointing night for the Brits in Liverpool, she ended up coming 25th - out of 26 entrants.
Mae was fairly philosophical about her Eurovision experience, tweeting after the results: "I know I joke a lot, but we really put our all into the last few months," she said, "Not the result we hoped for but so proud of everyone and what we achieved. Congrats to all the countries, I'll never forget this journey and I love you all."
Tonight, Olly Alexander will be representing the UK in Sweden with his track, Dizzy. So as we wish him well before the brilliantly bonkers show kicks off, here's what happened to Mae Muller...
There was a lot of buzz around Mae Muller before she crashed out of the Eurovision Song Contest last year (AFP via Getty Images)Releases album which reaches no. 33 in the charts
After her Eurovision disappointment, Mae released her album, Sorry I'm Late, which reached no. 33 in the charts. She did have some reasonably successful singles in which her vocals were pasted onto tracks by DJs such as Sigala and Marshmello. However, Mae said the style was at odds with her personality, telling the Independent: “I was being put on these big dance tracks. I think they’re great songs but it’s not what I started this for and it’s not who I am as an artist. You get lost in that rat race label mentality."
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In a lengthy message, on Instagram in December, Mae said she was taking stock of where she was as a singer, sharing: "I have done some incredible things and I am so proud of my achievements, and while I've been taking a break for the last couple weeks I have been reflecting on where I am and who I want to be as an artist.
"Despite my achievements, at times I've felt like I lost sight of what I was doing this for and why I started music in the first place. the pressure of chasing hits for so long (which many signed artists can relate to) wore me out, which caused me to make decisions which didn't sit well in my gut personally or creatively. music went from being my passion to becoming a job churning out songs to try and impress exec' or get a playlist spot for radio, which is not why I started doing this. I started it because I love it and I want to get back to that."
'T*t comes out' at Pride performance
In May last year, Mae suffered a 'wardrobe malfunction' when her right breast was briefly exposed while she was peforming on stage in Birmingham.
Handling the mishap like a pro, she still carried on with the set while bursting into laughter before grabbing hold of her chest and quickly readjusting herself. Taking to Instagram after the performance, she poked fun at the gaffe, posting: "Birmingham pride u were STUNNING! THE BEST CROWD EVER! And my entire t*t came out on stage! She was jumpin' around without a care in the world but u know what it’s Pride so it’s fine."
'Splits from record label'
In February this year, it was reported Mae had split from her record company. Despite bagging a Top Ten single in the UK charts and releasing her debut album Sorry I'm Late, it was claimed the singer had parted ways with Capitol Records UK.
Her debut album was called Sorry I'm Late (EMI Records)A music insider told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column: "Everyone hoped that Eurovision would be the thing to propel Mae into the mainstream and make her a big star. It certainly raised her profile — but not for all the right reasons and it has been a very tricky year for everyone involved."
The source added: "The label really tried to support her with her album but she struggled to muster up a hardcore fanbase and had to cancel her tour in the autumn because the demand wasn't there. She feels like she compromised her artistic integrity for the label. But they feel like they did everything they could to turn her into a star, so it became clear the time was right for Mae to leave the label." Mae's reps were contacted for comment at the time.
Acting debut
Putting music on the back burner for a while, after the "most intense year of my life", Mae has decided to become an actor. She appeared in director George Amponsah’s Gassed Up in February, which is a gritty thriller about teenager, Ash, played by Boiling Point’s Stephen Odubola. Mae plays Ash’s love interest Kelly, a pretty, smooth-talking and outspoken “It-girl” who lives nearby.
She's now an actress (WireImage)
Speaking about the singer's move into acting, a source said: 'Eurovision was known as a career killer for years but Mae has proved it can be an amazing springboard' (Mike Marsland/WireImage)Represented by top talent agency, Independent Talent, Mae announced she'd become an actor in December. Taking to X, she tweeted: "SHE’S AN ACTRESS!!!" One fan commented: "OMG you are a complete super star so proud of you." Another added: "She can act, she can sing and she can dance. Congratulations." While a third penned: "IM SO PROUD OF UUU CANT wait to see it."
Talking about her recent gig in Gassed Up, Mae explained the role was a gift for a Londoner like her. Speaking about playing Kelly, she told the Independent: “She’s a young girl from London, she doesn’t take s**t, she doesn’t take messiness from people and she knows who she is." Mae added: “I was like… ‘I can do that! I can play a mouthy girl from London!’ I can just improvise it the whole time, you know?”
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Reflecting on the singer's move into acting, a source told The Sun: “Eurovision was known as a career killer for years but Mae has proved it can be an amazing springboard, even if things don’t go your way on the night. Her profile has skyrocketed this year and there’s some huge opportunities on the horizon.There are interesting offers on the table for her in both music and film, so there’s lots to think about and she is keen to get cracking."
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