The song was performed by Bonnie Tyler, who was internally selected by the British broadcaster BBC to represent the United Kingdom at the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden.

For the 2012 contest, the United Kingdom finished in nineteenth place out of twenty-six competing entries with the song "Love Will Set You Free" performed by Engelbert Humperdinck.

Artists that were rumoured in the media included singers Alesha Dixon, Kim Wilde and Shirley Bassey, musical stage actress Bonnie Langford, the group Girls Aloud and group member Kimberly Walsh who had been recording songs in Sweden with composer Fredrik Kempe for her solo debut album.

[6] Bonnie Tyler became the fifth Welsh-born solo act to represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision, following Mary Hopkin (1970), Emma (1990), Jessica Garlick (2002) and James Fox (2004).

"Believe in Me" was selected by a professional panel consisting of BBC Eurovision producers in late December 2012 through an advance copy of Tyler's new album Rocks and Honey.

[8] On 11 May, BBC Three aired a two-hour show entitled How to Win Eurovision, hosted by Greg James and Russell Kane.

Former British Eurovision representatives Bucks Fizz, Sonia, Jemini, Javine, Daz Sampson, Scooch and Josh Dubovie was featured as guests during the show.

Each nation's jury consisted of five music industry professionals who are citizens of the country they represent, with their names published before the contest to ensure transparency.

This jury judged each entry based on: vocal capacity; the stage performance; the song's composition and originality; and the overall impression by the act.