Sophie Lennon, the Irish representative at the 2022 Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Yerevan, has seen off 300,000 competitors to become a Cheetah Girl, on Disney.

For millions of Disney fans, the phrase ‘Things are about to get a lot more Cheetahlicious’ instantly conjures up memories of one of the biggest musical franchises of the 2000s. Now, more than 20 years after The Cheetah Girls first burst onto screens, the much-loved musical film is making a comeback with a new generation getting ready to strut like they mean it.

Sophie Lennon said her “life has changed overnight” since receiving the news she “always dreamed of”. She managed to see off 300,000 other teenagers who auditioned during a global casting search, to secure just one of the four coveted roles. Sophie has already having appeared on both Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent, performed on the West End and represented Ireland at the 2022 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, in Yerevan – finishing in 4th place and 150 points, with “Solas”, which you can watch below:

Cape Town, South Africa is a far cry from rural Northern Ireland, but it is where Sophie will spend the next four months preparing for filming. Her day begins at seven in the morning and the next 12 hours are packed with choreography rehearsals, studio recordings, script work, costume fittings and guitar lessons.

Let us know what you think about Ireland and the 2022 Junior Eurovision Song Contest – either in the comments below or on our FACEBOOK, BLUESKY, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM and TIKTOK pages.

The Eurovision Community, which Eurovision Ireland are a part of, celebrates diversity through music. Please keep your comments respectful. We will not tolerate racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, body-shaming or any other derogatory or hostile language.

Author: Richard Taylor

Source: BBC & YouTube/EBU