Former X Factor also-ran Lucie Jones forwent the traditional pop route, carving out a career as a musical theater actress on London's West End stage before being picked to represent the U.K. in the 2017 Eurovision song contest. Born on March 20, 1991 and brought up in the small village of Pentyrch on the outskirts of Cardiff, Jones, the only musical member of her family, grew up with a love of singing and acting. She was a Girl Scout, and in 2007, at the age of 16, had her first taste of stardom when, as part of the group the Adventure, she performed at the 21st World Scout Jamboree, singing the theme song, "Jambo." The song was released as a single and went to number 91 on the U.K. chart. Two years later, Jones entered the U.K. X Factor, progressing to the fifth round before she was eliminated, losing to identical twin duo Jedward (who would, in a strange twist of fate, themselves go on to perform in Eurovision, representing Ireland in 2012). Despite only finishing in eighth place, she secured a deal with Sony, but her proposed debut album was scrapped. Undeterred, Jones turned to her other great love, the stage. In the years to come, she carved out a successful career in musical theater, appearing in Les Miserables, We Will Rock You, American Psycho, Legally Blonde, and Ghost. She had been a fan of Eurovision all her life and, despite having previously vowed never to take part in another televised music contest, didn't think twice when she got the call asking her to try out for it. In January 2017, not expecting to win, she competed against five other hopefuls in the live TV event Eurovision: You Decide. The British public, wowed by her honeyed voice and finely honed stagecraft, chose her to represent the U.K. at that year's contest in Kiev. Singing the powerful ballad "Never Give Up on You," she finished in 15th place, about halfway down the league table. The song was then released as a single, peaking at number 73 on the U.K. chart. ~ John D. Buchanan