Brian Harvey was formerly a member of the hit boyband East 17. Two years ago he suffered an almost life-threatening car accident, and thought his carear was over. Now he's bidding to represent UK at the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest! He spoke to oikotimes.com earlier:

Brian- how are you?
I’m feeling really good. It’s taken about two years for me to get over the accident. I thought I’d never walk again, but I’ve come through it all.

How does it feel to be in ‘Making Your Mind Up’?
I’m a bit scared of the attention to be honest! I’ve waited ten years for this, and have learnt a lot of hard lessons. The accident seemed like the end of it all, I thought I’d be spending the rest of my life in a wheel chair, but I’ve been given a second chance.

How did you get to this stage in the national final?
The BBC was ringing around the record companies, and they contacted my agency ‘Mission Control’ about getting an entry.

What’s the song like?
It’s a killer song! It’s by a great songwriter (Connor Reeves) too. As soon as I heard the song, I wanted it. The lyrics are quite apparent to my life, but universal in that anyone who listens to it can find things that relate to their own lives as well. It’s got what it takes to win, and be a number one hit.

You said it could be a #1 hit, so if you didn’t win the national final, would you release the song anyway?
I think so, because between 10 and 15 million people watch the show, and that’d be enough coverage for me to feel happy to release the song.

Did you have any reservations about doing Eurovision, given it’s slightly ‘naff’ image in the United Kingdom?
No, none at all. If I can do Butlin’s, then Eurovision is a step up the ladder! I am a bit nervous about prime time TV though, as it’s changed a lot since I was last on it!

Do you have any Eurovision memories?
I watched it a few years ago, and found Terry Wogan’s commentary very funny, so I turned it up and watched it through. The only time that I watched the contest before that was when Bucks Fizz ripped off those skirts, and I was so embarrassed to see that with my parents in the same room as me, that I walked out and went to the toilet or something!

Would what it mean to you to win ‘Making Your Mind Up’?
It’d be a fairytale ending! I’ve been through a lot and it really would be a fairytale ending to make it to Helsinki. But to be honest I’m not thinking that far forward. I was on death’s door so I’m taking things as they come.

Biography (Courtesy BBC)
Brian Harvey started his musical career as one quarter of the hugely successful pop band East 17 in 1992. Taking their name from the area of London in which they lived East 17 were born and in August 1992 their first single House Of Love was released and went straight into the top ten. From then on a succession of 17 other singles and six albums followed including the million selling single Stay Another Day which hit the Christmas No.1 spot in 1994 and stayed in the charts for 16 weeks. Tony left the band in 1997 but Brian, Terry and John continued to release songs and still perform around the world to this day.

Brian has kept up his profile by appearing on TV shows like I'm a Celebrity... in 2004 and had a much publicised car accident in 2005 that nearly took his life. This is the band's 15th year so they will be performing a greatest hits show throughout the UK. And they are even looking at releasing new material to their army of adoring fans who, although a little older, have not lost any of their passion.

Oikotimes