Sam Ryder looks back: ‘I thought I should put a smile on my face, no matter how I felt’

<p>The singer-songwriter on growing up as an outsider, the arrogance of youth and his Eurovision odyssey</p><p>Born in Essex in 1989, musician Sam Ryder found fame covering hits on TikTok during the 2020 lockdown. In&nbsp;2022, he represented the UK at the Eurovision song contest, finishing second to Ukraine with his hit Space Man. The following year, he&nbsp;was nominated for best new artist at the Brit awards. Ryder headlines the Ovo Arena, Wembley, on 6 November, and his new single, OH OK, is out now. He lives in Essex with his partner, Lois&nbsp;Gaskin-Barber.</p><p><strong>This was taken at </strong><strong>The Underworld in&nbsp;Camden</strong>, north-west London, when I&nbsp;was in a band called the Morning After with my friends from school. The&nbsp;gig was probably awful – but what we lacked in tightness, we definitely made up for in enthusiasm.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/aug/24/sam-ryder-musician-looks-back">Continue reading...</a>