Malta’s Eurovision star Destiny Chukunyere has doubled down in defence of the hot-pink dress she wore at her Eurovision Song Contest rehearsals, revealing the strong message behind her outfit choice.

“The dress I wore has defined exactly what empowerment is all about,” she said in a Facebook post.

“Let me start by saying again, I loved it as it makes me feel comfortable in my own skin. Maybe I am not the size six society is used to, maybe the dress or image is more important than an artist’s performance, but I am here to do my job,” she continued.

Photos of the Maltese contestant rehearsing in a pink dress and boots sparked a number of reactions online, some positive and some negative, with the latter saying it looked cheap and tacky.

Following the rehearsal, Malta’s odds slipped to second place with France now taking the top spot to win with a 19% chance according to official bookmakers.

Nonetheless, Destiny has full confidence in herself and her outfit choice and will let her powerful voice silence the haters come next week.

“This is no gimmick. This is my real-life story,” she ended.

Tag someone who supports Destiny no matter what