UK's Eurovision 2026 hopeful Look Mum No Computer: "We've gone for a different tactic with this one"

This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.

Could this be the year the United Kingdom wins Eurovision for the first time since 1997?

Sam Battle, professionally known as Look Mum No Computer, is a 37-year-old electronics enthusiast and is heading to Vienna with some unusual tactics hoping for douze points all round.

How did the opportunity to represent the UK at Eurovision come about?

Around a year ago my manager and I contacted the BBC. We were like, “Wouldn’t it be funny if we tried to go for Eurovision?” but we didn’t think it was possible. They said to give it a go, just try and write something. Skip forward to January, I found out. I was flabbergasted.

You’ve said before you’re a huge Eurovision fan. Has this always been a dream of yours?

I never really thought I would possibly have a go at it. But it has been a lot of work getting the song sorted out and then being taken seriously.

Your musical creations, like a Furby organ and a Raleigh Chopper synthesizer, are unique. When did you start making them, and why?

I’ve been building things my whole life. When they did the Radio 2 announcement [for the UK’s Eurovision entry], they called my mum live and she said, “The first time we bought him a truck, he just turned it upside down and tried to take it apart.” Trying to take things apart and make things seems normal. I learnt the guitar when I was 12 and then, after a few years, I kind of merged that and tried to make musical instruments.

Do you have a favourite creation?

I do – a flame-throwing Henry hoover. It’s by far my favourite. I need to rebuild it because I got really excited and used it too much and it’s melted his body. I built it not really thinking Henry’s made of plastic…

Your song – Eins, Zwei, Drei – is the first UK entry for a Eurovision song not exclusively sung in English. What was the reason?

I think I’ve probably spent more time in Germany than any other country except for the UK, be it working on music, meeting people or playing shows. So it’s certainly inspired by spending a lot of time there. I had the chorus and then came up with the verses and it was like, “How do they merge together?” Nothing really worked, and I thought if only there was a language I could count in that would make me feel better on a Eurovision stage. It just made sense.

What sets your act apart from other UK Eurovision entries?

There’s a different style to the music. We’ve always had a run of very good pop songs but sometimes they haven’t translated well to points, though they’re still very good songs. We’ve gone for a different tactic with this one. It’s different because it’s just a little bit more tongue in cheek.

Do you think that will help? Does the UK need to be a bit silly when it comes to Eurovision?

Maybe. I don’t know, that’s what we’re trying. It’s not silly, but let’s see what happens.

How are you feeling ahead of the big live performance?

Apprehension and excitement. I’ve got a lot to do. It’s a big responsibility, I’ve done a lot of work already, but there’s plenty of stuff to come. I’m building a lot of the set myself because it needs to look like the things that I use, the musical machines that I make.

And finally, how much do you want to win?

It would be nice to win, of course. I won’t be horrified if I don’t win – there are a lot of very good acts that we’re playing with. I’m going for the experience, and regardless of the outcome, I’m going to try my hardest, be myself and have a lot of fun.

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The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will air from 8pm on BBC One on Saturday 16 May 2026.

You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.

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