Johnny Lydon has said he is “as much Irish as anybody else by blood” as he bids to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest this year. 

The former Sex Pistols frontman, also known as Johnny Rotten, grew up in Britain but his mother was from Cork and his father from Galway. 

He has written a song called Hawaii about his wife Nora’s diagnosis with Alzeimher’s and the love they share for The Aloha State. 

“I don’t mean to be miserable about this because I’m not!” he told Newstalk reporter Henry McKean. 

“This is a wonderful opportunity to share that illness with a lot of other people who are most probably in worse predicaments than us. 

“This is something I watched when I was young with my parents; I remember Johnny Logan, I remember Cliff Richards, I remember Andy Shaw. 

“Ireland? I’m as much Irish as anybody else by blood; Hawaii is not the only place of significance to us but it was the one I picked out. 

“It’s very, very tear jerky for me to even talk about it, so I don’t know what I’m going to go through doing this today. 

“I’m even shaky now thinking about it - it means the world to me. These are our last few years of coherence together. 

“I miss her like mad; my only communication with her is at the moment on the iPad. It’s lovely to talk to her that way. 

“I miss my missus [and] if you keep voting for me I’m going to miss her even more. 

“She still reads in English very fluently but she now talks in German - the language of her childhood.” 

C7JR42 John Lydon playing with Public Image Limited at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff Bay. Editorial use only

Mr Lydon admitted that he is “terrified of messing it up and getting it wrong, letting people down [and] mostly letting Nora down.” 

Six musicians will face off against each other on the Late Late Show tonight and the winner will be chosen through the joint decision of a Public Vote, an International Jury and a National Jury.

No Irish entrant has won since 1996 and Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy said: 

"This Friday is going to have a big, bright and sparkly line up of acts. Big stars, big numbers and big expectations because this could well be Ireland’s chance to reclaim their title as Eurovision winners.”

Main image: Public Image Ltd performs live in Milano, Italy, on October 11 2015 Credit: Mairo Cinquetti/Alamy Live News