Tyler hoping for Eurovision success

Veteran singer Bonnie Tyler will represent the United Kingdom at this year's Eurovision competition.

The singer, whose hits include Total Eclipse of the Heart, will perform a track called Believe In Me at the event in Malmo, Sweden.

She said: "I am truly honoured and delighted to be able to represent my country at Eurovision and especially with such a fabulous song. I promise to give this everything that I've got for the UK."

Katie Taylor, BBC controller of entertainment and events, said: "Bonnie Tyler is truly a global superstar with a fantastic voice and we are delighted she will be flying the flag for the UK in Malmo."

The competition on Saturday May 18 will be broadcast live on BBC1 and BBC1 HD with commentary by Graham Norton, and on Radio 2 with commentary from Ken Bruce.

Tyler's career was almost over before it started when in 1976 she had surgery to remove nodules from her throat.

But the singer, who was born in South Wales, credits the operation with helping develop her trademark husky vocals and later that year scored her first hit when her second single, Lost In France, made the top 10.

Other hits included It's A Heartache and Holding Out For A Hero.

Tyler will be hoping she improves on last year's performance by Engelbert Humperdinck who scraped into last-but-one place in the contest. He opened the show in Baku, Azerbaijan, with ballad Love Will Set You Free, but seemed to have been forgotten by the time voting started, 25 songs later.

The singer, nicknamed The Hump, scored a total of 12 - ending up just one position above Norway.