Katrina and The Waves singer Katrina Leskanich is 'rooting' for Ukraine at Eurovision

Katrina and The Waves singer Katrina Leskanich will be "rooting" for Ukraine at the upcoming 'Eurovision Song Contest'.

The annual singing competition takes place in Italy on Saturday and all eyes will be on the Ukrainian entrant Kalush Orchestra which has been tipped for success in light of the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Former 'Eurovision' winner Katrina has opened up about her hopes for this year's ceremony and admitted she wants Ukraine to do well because of her own links to the war-torn nation.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror newspaper, she said: "As I’m half Ukrainian, I’m also rooting for Ukraine. My grandfather came over from Ukraine to Pennsylvania in 1927 with his clarinet where he was planning on putting a band together.

"He ended up in mines and he was killed in a coal mine. He left his nine-year-old son, who was my father, to go and sell his clarinet.

"The family was extremely poor. Thinking of the things my family went through, and seeing the things people in Ukraine are going through now, makes me very emotional."

However she is still hoping her beloved UK has a chance with 'Spaceman' by Sam Ryder.

She added: "I think let’s let the UK win and Ukraine come second."

Katrina was born in the US before moving to the UK with her family in the 1970s.

'Katrina and The Waves' won the contest for the UK back in 1997 with their track 'Love Shine a Light'.

It became the group's biggest hit since the release of 'Walking on Sunshine' more than a decade earlier in 1985.

The UK has yet to record another 'Eurovision' win since, and hit a low last year when James Newman came bottom of the scoreboard with 0 points for his track 'Embers'.

Ukraine's song 'Stefania' by Kalush Orchestra will be among the acts competing for the title this year, however, Russia's act was given the boot following the country's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine back in February.

It marks the first time Russia has not competed in the contest since 1994.