A COUNCILLOR who attended the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton has paid tribute to Olivia Newton-John.

The British-born singer died on Monday after a long battle with breast cancer at the age of 73.

Dame Olivia is best known for her starring role as Sandy in the 1978 film Grease along with John Travolta, who played Danny Zuko.

But in 1974, she represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton with the song Long Live Love.

The Argus: Olivia Newton-John in BrightonOlivia Newton-John in Brighton

She finished fourth in the competition, losing out to Abba, who performed Waterloo.

Carol Theobald, a Conservative councillor for Patcham, watched the historic 1974 competition at the Brighton Dome from VIP seats.

The Argus: Cllr Theobald's tickets from the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton Cllr Theobald's tickets from the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton

She said: “Olivia was wonderful, and I thought she would come in the first three and not fourth. She looked beautiful and gave such a lovely performance.

“My husband Geoffrey and I spoke to her in the Royal Pavilion reception afterwards. She wanted to go to a night club and Geoffrey suggested the Kings Club, which was the best one at the time.

“If I hadn’t been there he might have taken her to the club himself. But she was a very lovely person and very down to earth. It’s so sad that she did not live longer.”

Cllr Theobald revealed that the programmes given to audience members featured a scoreboard to rate each of the acts.

The Argus: Olivia Newton-John and Abba were among the contestants at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton Olivia Newton-John and Abba were among the contestants at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton

Cllr Theobald recently joined MPs Peter Kyle and Lloyd Russell-Moyle in voicing her support for a Brighton bid to host the contest, and said it would be “thrilling” for the city to host it once again.

“If it came to Brighton, it would be worth millions and be so fantastic. It was certainly very successful when we hosted it before,” she previously said.

“I think everyone would be so pleased about it and it would be thrilling to have that back in Brighton again.

“We do have the Brighton Dome - and it’s better now having been refurbished, and it would be a good venue to return to.”

Dame Olivia was honoured for her performance in Grease with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame almost 41 years ago to the day of her death, on August 5, 1981.