Eurovision 2019: Australian singer Kate Miller-Heidke opens up about her son, Ernie

Kate Miller-Heidke is set to win more hearts ahead of her Eurovision Song Contest semi-final with a new song dedicated to her three-year-old son.

Kate Miller-Heidke is set to win more hearts ahead of her Eurovision Song Contest semi-final with a new song dedicated to her three-year-old son Ernie.

Released today in Australia ahead of Mother’s Day, the piano ballad simply titled Ernie pays tribute to the little boy she has described as “my heart who walks around outside of my body.”

Zero Gravity, the song which won the inaugural SBS national selection show to take the acclaimed singer and composer to Eurovision, was inspired by Miller-Heidke’s coming out of a two-year battle with post natal depression.

‘My heart’. Kate Miller-Heidke has opened up about being a mother. Picture: Rami Zarnegar

The 37-year-old performer regularly shares funny, endearing photos with her son, most recently farewelling him at Melbourne airport before heading to Tel Aviv for the competition. She has also joked about her adorable child’s lack of appreciation for her stunning voice which is rapidly gaining crucial support among Eurovision diehards as she continues rehearsal ahead of her semi-final performance next week.

“He says it makes his ears cry,” she joked at a press conference in Tel Aviv yesterday.

Miller-Heidke’s mastery of her performance on the gravity-defying acrobatic pole continues to amaze Eurovision pundits, with the singer having to climb up tiny steps to tower six metres over the stage, flanked by two dancers from the Strange Fruit company.

The strict time limits between each act means she has attach her long layers of tulle and climb to the top of the pole and wheeled onto the stage mere minutes before singing.

She described her act as a “surreal escape” from her more “down to earth tracksuit pants” existence of being Ernie’s mum.

Kate Miller-Heidke says goodbye to her son Erine as she heads to Israel for Eurovision. Picture: Instagram/@katemillerheidke

Eurovision queen Kate Miller-Heidke. Picture: Rami Zarnegar

“There’s only so much glamour I can fit into my life,” she said.

“It’s still scary being up that high and putting all that faith and trust in the engineers.

“They told me no one has ever died up there … and when I am singing, all the fear goes away.” Far less scary was her performance of an acoustic version of Zero Gravity at the official fan party held by the Australian embassy on a Tel Aviv on Thursday night for fans and the Australian delegation.

She was also shown support by fellow contestants with Finland’s chart topping DJ Darude and singer Sebastian Rejman, Sweden’s John Lundvik and Poland’s Tulia also at the party.

While there may be some in Europe and also back home still scratching their heads about Australia competing into the world’s biggest contest, we are no longer a novelty with organisers extending the invitation to Australia to compete up to 2023, instead of a year-by-year wildcard entry.

Miller-Heidke needs to finish in the top 10 in the first semi-final which will be broadcast live on Wednesday from 5am on SBS.