SAMANTHA Mumba has joined the race to represent Ireland at Eurovision with a brand new tune.
Today, the 00’s pop star announced she would be performing in the Eurosong final on The Late Late Special this February 7.
Samantha recently admitted how much she wanted to do Eurovision on Westlife star Nicky Byrne‘s podcast.
When Nicky asked her if she’d want to take part in the competition, she replied enthusiastically saying: “In a heartbeat. I’ve been wanting to do it. I would love to do it.
“Every year when Eurovision comes around…. and as you know, people ‘stan’ for Eurovision – every single time I’m always getting the tweets like, ‘Why aren’t you doing Eurovision?’.
“And I’ve just never been asked. Obviously I am a songwriter, I would love to have an input in the song but I would love to.
“It just looks like the best bit of craic.”
So with the Eurovision excitement in full swing, let’s take a look back at Samantha’s colourful career over the past two decades.
EARLY LIFE
Mumba was born in Dublin, Ireland on January 18, 1983 to her parents Peter and Barbara.
The singer‘s dad is originally from Zambia and was a former aircraft engineer.
RISE TO FAME
At just 15, Samantha was discovered on the hit RTE talent show Let Me Entertain You by Irish music executive icon, Louis Walsh.
Walsh was immediately impressed by the young teens talent and she signed to Polydor Records in 1998.
Mumba decided to drop out of school that year to focus on her music career and admitted she found the balance “too difficult”.
Two years later, Samantha’s first single, Gotta Tell You, was released and shot to the top of charts in Ireland and New Zealand.
The hit tune landed at number two on the UK charts as well as reaching the top twenty in several countries across Europe.
Mumba went on to release her debut album, Gotta Tell You, at just 17 and it reached the top 10 in both the UK and Ireland.
CAREER FUMBLE
The Dublin beauty moved seamlessly into acting where she starred in a rang of productions including The Time Machine, Spin the Bottle, Shifter, Johnny Was and most recently, Harry Wilde.
In 2002, Mumba released the catchy track I’m Right Here and the song became her fifth top five single in the UK and Ireland.
However, rumours later circulated that the due to poor sales of the lead single for her second album, the star was dropped from her label.
Later on, in an interview on The Late Late Show, Samantha explained that there was “never a second album”.
Inside Samantha’s comeback to music after 10 years away from the spotlight
In June 2013, Samantha made her comeback to the music industry after not releasing a single since in over 10 years.
In 2016, the star appeared on the RTE competition series, The Hit, where contestants showcased their songs to established artists.
The song for Mumba was titled Somebody Like Me. The song peaked at number five on the Irish Singles Chart, marking her first hit single in 11 years.
The noughties legend went on to perform at a variety of Pride festivals across Ireland and the UK.
Including Dublin, Birmingham and London, with her performances described as a “fierce glam altogether”.
This summer Samantha will be headlining the Mighty Hoopla festival in London alongside huge artists such as Jade, Daniel Bedingfield and Una Healy.
LOVE LIFE
Samantha found love with LA police officer, Torray Scales back in 2009.
Torray popped the question in June of 2011 and the lovebirds finally tied the knot February 2012 in a secret ceremony.
Mumba became a step-mother to Torray’s first child, 10-year-old Mason.
But, the pop star craved a baby of her own as she told the Irish Independent: “I would love to see myself with a little bambino or two in the next five years. Marriage was a huge adjustment but I’m really enjoying it.”
Fortunately, in 2014, the happy couple announced they were expecting their first child together.
TERRIFYING ACCIDENT
However, just days before her due date, Samantha found herself in a three-vehicle car crash in Los Angeles.
The mother-to-be and her unborn daughter were unhurt, but the incident acted as a “serious reality check”.
In a statement posted to Instagram at the time, the star penned: “So yesterday was a bad day. Three car crash that we got the brunt of. My poor car written off a week before the baby is due.
“Clearly God was protecting us….just so grateful that our little girl is OK and this wasn’t any worse. Serious reality check.”
STAR SLAMMED
Following the crash, Samantha posted a picture of herself in a stretcher being wheeled onto an ambulance.
RTE star Jennifer Zamparelli, who was also heavily pregnant in 2014, slammed Mumba’s picture in her former Sunday column in The Irish Sun.
Jen wrote: “How did it even enter her head at that point that this would be a good time to tweet? It’s so bizarre to me.”
Samantha quickly defended herself saying the photo was taken for “insurance purposes”.
The singer then hit back at Zamparelli, as she told The Irish Sun: “I would have presumed anyone with half a brain, never mind another pregnant woman, would have already known my only concern at the actual time was my baby.”
She continued: “To the best of my knowledge, we have never met so i definitely don’t expect empathy from her. I wish Jennifer well with the rest of her pregnancy.”
