Inside Sam Ryder’s romance with stunning ‘hippy’ girlfriend who helped him go from jobbing builder to Eurovision starGrant RollingsThe Sun

WHILE the nation bit its fingernails as the final Eurovision votes came in, our hero contestant Sam Ryder was laughing and joking around with his girlfriend.

Even being on the verge of becoming the first Brit to win the contest for a quarter of a century didn’t faze this hippy from Essex during Saturday night’s memorable competition.

APSam Ryder came close to winning Eurovsion on Saturday night with his song Space Man[/caption]

InstagramSam relaxing with his girlfriend Lois[/caption]

Numerous setbacks have not quenched the 32-year-old singer’s two-decade long ambition to make it in the music industry.

And he sees coming second on Saturday night to favourites Ukraine as a springboard to chart success. 

A few years ago, Sam’s dreams of stardom seemed to have ended. He had spent time working as a builder and then later running a juice bar with his girlfriend Lois Gaskin-Barber.

But then he posted videos of himself singing Britney Spears songs in his mum Geraldine’s kitchen during lockdown and he became a viral sensation.

Jewel of a girlfriend

By his side in the Eurovision green room in Turin, Italy, offering hugs and support on Saturday night was his girlfriend Lois.

The pair support each other in all their endeavours and Lois has been posting images of them together in Turin on her Instagram page Lone Wolves Creative, where she sells her own jewellery.

The couple owned Lone Wolves Organic juice bar in Coggeshall, Essex, from 2017, before closing it two years later.

Lucy Long, who now runs the cafe that replaced it, said: “They were a pair of hippies.

“With Sam you always felt as if you were among friends. He is horizontal, that man, he is so chilled.”

That is reflected in Lois and Sam’s life too. They love snowboarding and surfing, and would reportedly put up a sign up in the shop saying ‘gone surfing.’

A star is born

Ahead of the competition, Sam said:  “I didn’t get involved in this with any expectation. I started out singing Britney Spears in my mum’s kitchen as high as I could I had no idea that it would snowball.”

His powerful voice impressed stars such as Justin Bieber and Alicia Keys, who liked the clips Sam posted on TikTok.

Sam now has 12.7million followers on the platform, more than any other British musician.

He signed to the Parlophone record label and released a debut EP called The Sun’s Gonna Rise last year.

But it was the Eurovision entry Space Man that he penned with Grammy-winner Amy Wadge that has turned him into a European sensation.

Before the weekend, the ambition was to get more than nul points, like the UK’s previous entrant James Newman.

So when Sam was top of the leaderboard following the jury vote, hopes of a victory became all too possible.

Grinning and showing peace signs as the crucial public vote came in, Sam said: “We were sat there in the green room and absolutely engulfed in the energy of that arena, it was like being in a church because there was so much joy.”

Fans lapped up long-haired Sam’s chilled, fun-loving attitude during Eurovision.

He wore a glittering, flared 70s style suit for his big performance and landed at London’s Heathrow Airport wearing a pink hat, which was a nod to the Ukrainian act which beat him to top spot.

After coming second he said: “Everyone was a credit to themselves and a credit to what Eurovision is all about – unity, peace, love, togetherness, inclusivity and expression.”

Heavy metal school days

Born Sam Robinson, from Maldon, Essex, he has wanted to be a rock star since he was aged 11.

Listening to British heavy metal act Iron Maiden and then seeing rock band Sum 41 live gave him the singing bug.

He said: “Me and my friends went to see Sum 41 when we were in year 7 and that really fired us up. 

“We wrote a ‘10-step plan to getting signed’ in the back of our science books and everything.”

Jemma Coleman, Sam’s former teacher at St John Payne Catholic School, said: “My colleague and I used to help organise the school talent shows and musical events and we remember him also from his band – The Morning After – although not all the members were from our school. 

“Even then he was developing into a great showman.”

When This Morning After broke up Sam joined a few North American bands that didn’t work out.

He then went solo and started doing cover songs, while working in construction, sometimes with his builder dad, Keith.

He never gave up hope though, and said: “I was in the corner of my shed singing into my phone all day, every day, and it was people sharing those videos that got me here.”

On Saturday his song Space Man received 283 points from the jury and 183 points from the public.

That was enough to secure second – Britain highest place for more than two decades. Now Sam wants to be number one.

He told Zoe Ball on Radio 2 Breakfast Show about his plans: “Tons of festivals this year, tour dates just gone up around Europe, I’m sure there’ll be more news for the UK very soon.

“Single, as well, working on the mix of that now. There’s tons of stuff.”

BBCSam in the Green Room at Eurovision[/caption]

InstagramSam and Lois together in Italy before Eurovision[/caption]

InstagramThe pair were described by pals as a ‘pair of hippies’[/caption]

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