PENWORTHAM girl Sophie McDonnell is hoping to score full points, not nil points, when she heads off to woo the crowds at Europe's biggest music event.

Sophie - who is part of all-girl group Precious, Britain's entry into the Eurovision Song Contest - jets out to Israel later this week to prepare for the most important day of her life.

Their performance of Say It Again could make or break Britain's musical reputation in Europe and, if it impresses people on the continent, could bring the annual competition back to Britain.

Precious have released their single this week.

"We're bringing Eurovision up to date," said Sophie, pictured second left. "And I can't wait to perform it on stage in front of all those people."

The prospect of performing in the contest would never have crossed Sophie's mind six months ago. In fact, the group didn't even know they were being entered for the Great British Song Contest, the competition which picks this country's Eurovision entry.

Sophie, a former All Hallows High School and Runshaw College student, added: "We got this call asking us if we were interested. Well, it only took seconds for us to decided - of course we were!

"To be voted for by all those people to represent our country was a wonderful feeling."

The group fly out to Israel on Sunday and will spend a week preparing for their performance. They are now busy holding dress rehearsals.

And no matter how the European judges vote next Saturday, the group are still being tipped as future chart stars when they come home.

But Sophie said that she will never let fame go to her head. She added: "We have been signed up to EMI and, in many ways, Eurovision is just a bonus.

"At the end of the day, I just want to be able to come home to Preston and go out like I always have done. My friends have been great."

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