“I always thought I’d go to Europe for a nice, relaxing holiday,” says this year’s Australian Eurovision entrant, Isaiah Firebrace, just after he was announced as the Australian entrant.

Isaiah’s first public singing appearance came during a school assembly when he was in his early teens. He said:

When I got up there, everyone knew I could sing. That sparked this whole journey off.

Firebrace was forced to keep his Eurovision selection secret from family and friends weeks before the big reveal.

I’m the kind of person who likes to tell everyone about my singing, where I’m singing.

He has also remained quiet about what his Eurovision performance will look like, but he has let slip his preferred outfit for the occasion.

“I’ve heard sequins are a maybe for me, but I’d like to wear a really nice, white suit,” he said. “It will be something really cool and different, eye-catching.”

The head of the Australian delegation, Paul Clarke, has said that the performance will be intimate and built around the contestant’s vocal ability.

With Isaiah we have an artist who has a unique ability to cast a spell with his voice. It literally gave me tingles to hear the song completed. We can’t wait to present it on the stage in Kyiv.

Isaiah Firebrace will represent Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song Don’t come easy. He will perform in the first half of the first semi-final on Tuesday 9 May.