Brooke Scullion reveals Eurovision gave her huge boost as she debuts new single Heartbreaker

The bubbly performer, who has just released a new single called Heartbreaker, has landed shows all over Europe as well as an Australian tour.

Brooke (23) also tells how she is moving to Dublin for five months to work on a TV project.

However, the rising star from Bellaghy, Co Derry, admits that she was left devastated in the immediate aftermath of her Eurovision result at last May’s event in Turin, Italy.

“When I didn’t get through to the final I was sad for 30 minutes. My hopes were definitely built up that I was going to get through. I was really devastated when that didn’t happen. I really did think they were going to call Ireland.

“But I picked myself up when I watched the performance back again and I couldn’t believe how good it was. I went straight back out and met all the fans and they all lifted me back up again. It’s just one of those things, you have to pick yourself back up and use the experience to your advantage

“All my family were there and I stayed for a few days after as well. Now I look on it as the perfect experience, there’s not one negative, I wouldn’t let it be a negative experience.

“Eurovision is the catalyst for all the work that’s coming my way now. It was the perfect shop window for what I do. And work gets work…when people see me perform they book me.”

One of the highlights of Eurovison, Brooke says, was the fact that her two grandmothers made the trip to Turin to see her performance.

“My Granny Peggy and Granny Sheila both got to go to Italy and see me in Eurovision…that’s crazy. They are never going to get a wedding from me, so that’s a much as I can do, that’s their day out.”

You’re not marriage material? “No, I’m not. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I’ve got a cat and I give him all my love and attention.”

Brooke says her grandmothers are now famous in their own right after all the publicity they attracted. “They still get stopped every single day. My grannie Peggy loves it,” she laughs.

Brooke says that the experience of representing Ireland in the Eurovision was “like a little university for what I do.”

She says: “I had a very professional of people around me and they put their heart and soul into it. We rehearsed that performance for six months to do three minutes on the stage at Eurovision.

“I learned so much about myself and my confidence was raised ridiculously. That was due to the whole process of the pre-Eurovision tours. I would not have been able to do that Eurovision performance without that tour. We were in London, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona…all over the place. It was just brilliant to get the opportunity to travel and perform, which are two things I love.”

Brooke was also a contestant at The Voice UK 2020 where she finished third. Her coach was the American superstar Meghan Trainor, who was among the first to congratulate her on being chosen for the Eurovision.

“I didn’t get anything from The Voice except free tuition from experienced vocal coaches that worked with the likes of Mariah Carey,” Brooke says. “The Voice was also invaluable in terms of experience.”

Brooke’s new single, Heartbreaker, is, she says, written from a personal experience.

“I wrote the song ages ago,” she tells me. “It was more of a friendship than a relationship, but I knew that the person was going to be devastated.”

Brooke wrote Heartbreaker to tell the individual involved that she was breaking up. “I played the song and they didn’t get it, unfortunately,” she adds. “So a week later I had to say the words. I was trying to come across as most compassionate, but these things are just never easy regardless of how you approach them.”

BROOKE’S new single, Heartbreaker, is out now.