Entertainment
Eurovision 2021 favourite Destiny competed on Britain’s Got Talent four years before representing Malta
Malta is one of the big favourites to win the Eurovision Song Contest this year, and British viewers may recognise their entry.
Destiny, 18, is set to represent Malta with her empowering bop Je Me Casse, four years after competing on Britain’s Got Talent.
Then 14 years old, Destiny Chukunyere blew the judges away with her powerful rendition of Aretha Franklin’s Think on the 11th series of BGT in 2017.
The Maltese teenager appeared very nervous and timid as she explained to the judges that she had previously won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, with a surprised Simon Cowell saying: ‘I didn’t know there was one.’
Destiny said that when she starts singing she’s a different person – and when she opened her mouth and started belting out Aretha, she proved that.
Destiny got a standing ovation from all four judges, with David Walliams saying: ‘You are clearly born to sing.’
Alesha Dixon added: ‘For me, that was knockout. That is one of the hardest songs to sing and you are 14 and you killed it’, while Simon said they had found a star.
Destiny went on to perform in the live semi-finals, singing Aretha Franklin’s Respect, but missed out on a place in the final, coming sixth in the semi.
Her time on BGT came two years after she won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest aged just 12 for Malta with her song Not My Soul, at the time earning the most points ever won at the contest.
In 2019, Destiny made her first appearance at the main Eurovision Song Contest as a backing singer for singer Michela, who competed in the final with her song Chameleon.
However, being in the background wasn’t enough for Destiny and the same year, she competed in The X Factor Malta for a chance to represent Malta herself at Eurovision.
She won the competition and was chosen to represent Malta in 2020 with her song All Of My Love – but as we all know, last year’s event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, Destiny is back with Je Me Casse, and is currently the favourite to take the whole contest.
She is currently rehearsing for next week’s semi-finals (Malta competes in the first semi on Tuesday May 18), and in her first performance in Rotterdam, Destiny donned a hot pink costume which received some flak online.
The singer wrote on Instagram: ‘The dress I wore in the 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹 has defined exactly what empowerment is all about.
‘Let me start by saying again, I loved it as it makes me feel comfortable in my own skin. Maybe I am not the size six society is used to, maybe the dress or image is more important than an artist’s performance, but I am here to do my job.
‘This is no gimmick. This is my real life story.’
Destiny has now changed her costume to a sparkling silver dress, and she is feeling herself just as much, telling fans: ‘Feeling comfortable in my own skin, again ❤️.’
Malta has never won at Eurovision, and while they have ranked in the top three on four occasions, they have been unlucky in recent years, failing to qualify on five occasions since 2010.
The Eurovision grand final airs on May 22 on BBC One.
