Girl group STAND UNIQU3 to represent the UK at The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with song Back To Life

[p"The Junior Eurovision Song Contest was a real spectacle and success for us last year and we’re very happy that we have a new calendar moment for fans of Eurovision and a brand new girl group for audiences to get behind. We have a great song and high hopes for our brilliant trio, STAND UNIQU3, and we want families everywhere to cheer on Hayla, Maisie and Yazmin and watch them represent the UK in the competition across BBC Two, CBBC and iPlayer"[/p]

— Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children’s and Education

Three young singers have been chosen to represent the United Kingdom at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Nice, France on Sunday 26 November.

Following an extensive audition process, Hayla, Maisie and Yazmin have been chosen to form a new girl group STAND UNIQU3. The three were brought together after producers spotted their chemistry as a group. It’s the first time a group has represented the UK at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

Revealed exclusively this morning on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, the song Back To Life is by songwriters Sky Adams, Jakke Erixson and Jack Hawitt, who have written for artists such as Jason Derulo, Lauren Spencer Smith, Kylie Minogue and Ava Max. Back To Life is about facing your fears.

The trio’s first interview will be with Scott Mills this afternoon on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds. In the run up to the live Contest in France, they are set to perform on Blue Peter, Saturday Mash-Up, Strictly - It Takes Two and BBC Children in Need.

The Contest is a BBC Studios production and will air on BBC Two, CBBC and BBC iPlayer at 3pm on Sunday 26 November.

12-year-old Hayla from Liverpool has an interesting family history when it comes to the Eurovision Song Contest: her grandfather was a backing dancer for the 1987 UK entry.

Hayla herself is a big fan of Rihanna who she describes as being her biggest inspiration. As well as music, Hayla enjoys football and plays as a striker. Hayla’s ideal day would involve eating chocolate, watching movies and spending time with her brothers.

13-year-old Maisie from Essex loves to sing, dance and act on stage, as well as enjoying clay pigeon shooting with her grandad. She also loves to chill and she collects crystals.

12-year-old Yazmin from Newcastle is no stranger to performing in front of crowds, she enjoys Latin and Ballroom dancing. Yazmin loves cuddling up with her chihuahua Tinkerbell, writing stories, and shopping.

The three singers found out they had been chosen to represent the UK when they were surprised by BBC Radio 1’s Dean McCullough. They went to a central London dance studio under the pretext of attending one more audition when Dean broke the news that all three of them had been selected to go to France in November.

The BBC has confirmed that Lauren Layfield and HRVY will once again act as the UK commentators.

Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children’s and Education, says: “The Junior Eurovision Song Contest was a real spectacle and success for us last year and we’re very happy that we have a new calendar moment for fans of Eurovision and a brand new girl group for audiences to get behind. We have a great song and high hopes for our brilliant trio, STAND UNIQU3, and we want families everywhere to cheer on Hayla, Maisie and Yazmin and watch them represent the UK in the competition across BBC Two, CBBC and iPlayer.”

Suzy Lamb, MD of Entertainment & Music at BBC Studios, says: “BBC Studios are once again excited to have led the song and artist search for Junior Eurovision after a successful debut year for the BBC in 2022. STAND UNIQU3 are a really fresh girl band who had immediate chemistry during the audition process. With an infectious pop song written by hugely successful writers, matched with STAND UNIQU3’s incredible vocals it promises to be another exciting year for the UK in the Junior contest.”

Last year, the Junior Eurovision Song Contest was broadcast on the BBC for the first time in the competition’s history. Freya Skye represented the United Kingdom with the song Lose My Head at the contest in Yerevan, Armenia, winning the public vote, and coming 5th overall.

The contest for youngsters aged between nine and 14 will take in Nice, France following Lissandro’s winning performance in 2022 with his song Oh Maman!

The winner will be determined by national juries and global online voting. Voting opens on Friday 24 November and everyone can vote for three countries. Unlike the main Eurovision Song Contest, people will be able to vote for their own country. Visit junioreurovision.tv for updates.

Commissioned by CBBC and simulcast on BBC Two, CBBC and BBC iPlayer, the BBC’s coverage of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest is a BBC Studios production. It is commissioned by Patricia Hidalgo, Director BBC Children’s and Education and Sarah Muller, Senior Head of BBC Children’s Commissioning 7+. The Executive Producer and Head Of Delegation is Lee Smithurst. Suzy Lamb is the MD for BBC Studios Entertainment and Music. Pete Ogden is the Creative Director for BBC Studios in the North. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Melissa Hardinge with Nick Hall as Commissioning Executive.

This autumn, a half-hour documentary on CBBC and BBC iPlayer will follow the journey of STAND UNIQU3 to the live contest.

For the latest information on the United Kingdom at Junior Eurovision 2023, follow @CBBC and @BBCEurovision on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. To watch the music video from STAND UNIQU3, visit the official Junior Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel. Follow STAND UNIQU3 on Instagram and TikTok.