Love Shine a Light branch of the Samaritans. In a 1997 interview Katrina and the Waves lead vocalist Katrina Leskanich indicated that it was members of the Samaritans who opined that "Love Shine a Light" "was the type of song which would win the Eurovision Song Contest and [so] at the last minute, [Katrina and the Waves] submitted the song with our £250 [entrance fee]" for consideration to vie in the "", the national preselection round for the UK in Eurovision 1997. It was also reported that Carmina Cooper, the manager of Katrina and the Waves and the wife of Alex Cooper, met up
Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 Poland was represented by Anna Maria Jopek, with the song "Ale jestem", at the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 3 May in Dublin. The song was chosen internally by broadcaster TVP. On the night of the final Jopek performed 12th in the running order, following Germany and preceding Estonia."Ale jestem" was the first uptempo Polish entry, and although in Eurovision terms it was still an unusual and rather avant-garde song in style and structure, it was held to be rather more accessible to a Europe-wide audience than Poland's previous two