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Former Love Island contestant Antigoni Buxton is set to enter the world’s stage as she represents a country in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest after years of trying

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A Love Island star is set to take to the stage at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in a huge move that could boost her singing career. The reality TV contestant will become the first from the hit ITV2 dating show to perform in the competition.

Antigoni Buxton will perform for Cyprus at the contest, which takes place in Vienna in May. She failed to find love back in 2022, but has instead focused on her music career.

The hard work has certainly been paying off for her as she revealed her huge achievement. Antigoni said: “My dream came true today. My Cyprus I will do you proud.

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“I am so humbled, honoured & grateful. Thank you God.” The singer was chosen to represent the country by the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation.

She also shared the sweet moment she told her grandparents the exciting news as she added: “The fact they are here to see me represent the country that taught me to love and be proud means more than anything.”

Antigoni’s music has been described as “a vibrant fusion of pop, hip hop production and traditional Greek Bouzouki – a genre-bending mix that feels both contemporary and timeless.” She even learned to sword dance for her recent video as she pursues her music career.

Peforming at Eurovision won’t be Antigoni’s first time in front of an impressive crowd, however. Just a few days ago, she sang alongside Hollywood A-lister Jason Momoa at his London bar Rex Rooms.

Jason was on the bass while Antigoni did her thing at the intimate venue’s wild afterparty. She has also performed eight dates at London venue Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

“Thank you to every person at every show for being so welcoming and showing so much love,” she said. “Feel so blessed to have connected with so much beautiful energy all over.”

It seems like Eurovision is a long time coming for Antigoni as she even told the Mirror about her plans back in 2022. She had applied to represent Greece in the 2023 competition, which was hosted in Liverpool after Ukraine had to step down as host.

Antigoni, whose mother is presenter and restaurateur Tonia Buxton, revealed she submitted three songs and was waiting to hear back. Opening up about her application, she told us: “Fingers crossed. It would be a dream come true.

“I remember being a kid and watching Greece win the Eurovision in 2005 and I’ve always been in awe of that and proud of my Greek Cypriot roots. My whole music style is like a combination of UK sound and Greek sound so it just feels like it would be the most perfect thing for me to do.”

She added: “I submitted three songs that were written for the purpose of Eurovision so now it’s up to the decision-makers and we can hope for the best. I feel like I have a massive opportunity to represent my Greek culture because it’s here [in the UK] and because of the platform I have now I feel like I could do a really, really good job. So fingers crossed it comes through!”

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Prince William had a very quick response when he was asked about the ongoing scandals surrounding the Royal Family during an extremely rare interview in Brazil

Prince William faced a grilling over the scandal engulfing the Royal Family. During a trip to Brazil for the final of The Earthshot Prize, the heir to the throne spoke about the cause, but had a very quick response when probed about his family by CNN star Christiane Amanpour.

In recent weeks, the House of Windsor have found itself at the centre of a storm due to the man formerly known as Prince Andrew. It was announced today that King Charles had stripped his younger brother of all royal titles, including Prince and Royal Highness, after issuing Letters Patent.

William, 43, has spoken openly about the changes the monarchy will face when he ascends the throne after his father’s death. This is said to include a slimmed-down monarchy, with only a handful of working royals.

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But during an interview with CNN, he faced an intense grilling by reporter Christiane Amanpour ahead of the COP30 Climate Summit. “So you know that you’re somebody that people all over the world look to, they follow your every action and every word … including some of the stuff you’ve been doing recently, Amanpour said.

She added: “I’ve been watching with great interest the encounter you had with the great writer and producer Eugene Levy. You talked about a lot of things, and it looked to me like you were humanising the monarchy, and I was very interested to hear where you focused.

“But something that drew a lot of interest was when you said to Eugene: ‘I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda, change for the good. I embrace and I enjoy that change, I don’t fear it.’ You went on to say: ‘I want to make sure that this is a job that impacts people’s lives for the better, I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do.'”

Christiane continued: “Given the fact that there has been a lot of change in your own family recently, talk about that a little bit. Where do you see the change, what do you think needs to happen?”

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William was quick to respond and shut down any comments about what was going on in his family at the moment. The Prince of Wales said: “I think The Earthshot Prize is a classic example of change. Rather than talk about it, we’re doing it, and that’s where I want it to be. These people in here are the true action heroes of our time, and change will come by backing them, not by what I do. And so I want to surround myself with people who want to make change and do good in the world.”

Following a brief applause from the audience, William went on to add: “It’s really important, you have to provide a leadership and a vision that there’s good things to come, and it’s not all negative. For my children, especially, knowing the planet is going to be in a healthier, better state because of the brilliant people in this room. It’s something I love to tell them when they go to bed.”

Fans of the future King instantly took to social media to praise him for his swift response to the intense grilling. One said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “She thought she could prod Prince William with a question that nodded to all the royal scandals and family drama. But she quickly realised – he wasn’t playing that game. Unlike Harry, William doesn’t air the family laundry in public.

“He pivoted immediately, redirecting the conversation to his causes and what he hopes to offer the world: a better future for the people of Earth. Say what you will, but that’s the posture of a statesman. A leader.”

Another penned: “He’s spent his entire life in front of the camera, with every word watched and weighed by both the press and the public. To say he’s media-trained doesn’t quite do it justice. He’s exceptionally media-trained. From the moment we first saw William in his mother’s arms on the hospital steps, he became part of so many of our lives.”