Michael Rice felt "touched" by the incredible reaction to his performance at Eurovision in Concert.
The 21-year-old singer – who is set to represent the United Kingdom at the ‘Eurovision Song Contest’ 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel next month – appeared in Amsterdam for their annual AFAS concert, which sees all the artists perform their chosen tracks for the much-anticipated show.
And Michael admitted it was "weird" walking out in front of a crowd because he had been practising his song ‘Bigger Than Us’ on an empty stage, but he had "so much fun" because he got to see Eurovision fans at the front waving their Union Jack flags.
Speaking at the London Eurovision Party at nightclub Cafe de Paris, he exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "It was so much fun, it was just crazy – I wasn’t expecting a reaction and everyone there with the lights.
"At the sound check it’s just empty so when you go on the stage I just wasn’t expecting all those people. It’s been mad.
"It was weird because everyone was on the front row and they’re all screaming and I was like, ‘It’s only me, I’m only Michael Rice from the north!’
"They were stood there and you could see all the England flags and the Union Jacks and it was so touching, really. I just wasn’t expecting it."
The former ‘X Factor’ contestant – who won the show ‘Eurovision: You Decide’ with his track ‘Bigger Than Us’ – also admitted the event was a good way to meet all of the contestants, and said he seems to be always "eating" when he meets people.
He added: "It was nice to meet everyone, I just met Bilal [Hassani] for the first time.
"I had my waffle in my hand and everything. Good introduction, always eating.
"There are times someone sees me and I’m constantly eating and I don’t eat that much to be fair, everyone just sees me with food."
Michael Rice ‘touched’ by pre-Eurovision gig reaction
