16 December 2023 , 20:44
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Olly Alexander announced he will be representing the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest next year during this evening's Strictly Come Dancing final.
Chatting to the BBC show's hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman after the three final couples all danced for the final time, the It's A Sin actor, 33, let the secret slip live on national TV just moments before former Coronation Street actress Ellie Leach became the youngest ever star to lift the Glitterball trophy.
"One of the world's most pioneering and multi-award winning music superstars, Olly Alexander, will represent the United Kingdom at the 68th Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden in May 2024," a BBC statement confirmed following the surprise announcement by Olly.
Olly will be following in the footsteps of last year's entry Mae Muller, who came second from last when she performed I Wrote A Song in Liverpool earlier this year, as the Merseyside city hosted the competition on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine. The country's love for Eurovision was rejuvenated in 2022, when Sam Ryder very almost clinched victory for the U.K and finished in second place behind Ukraine.
Speaking about his upcoming challenge, Olly says: "I’ve loved watching Eurovision ever since I was a little kid and I’m beyond excited to be taking part next year. As a young boy I always looked forward to this incredible event of unbridled joy, the wonderfully chaotic mix of musical styles, theatrical performances, heartfelt emotion and humour.
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"I really can’t believe I’m going to be a part of such a special legacy and fly the flag for the UK in the gayest way possible, it shall be an honour! I’ve wanted to do this for a long time and it feels like the right moment to start releasing music under my own name. I’m determined to give it everything I’ve got and put on an excellent and unforgettable performance for you all!"
Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC says: "To have an artist of Olly Alexander’s calibre representing the UK in Malmö in 2024 is testament to just how much the BBC wants to keep momentum of Eurovision riding high since the UK had the honour of hosting the contest on behalf of Ukraine in Liverpool earlier this year. Olly is the perfect ambassador for the UK as both an immensely talented and world renowned artist and passionate fan of the competition."
Next year's Eurovision Song Contest could be tainted amid fans of the competition and artists from Iceland calling on people to boycott the show Israel be allowed to participate amid the IDF’s relentless bombardment of Palestine.
Israel’s place on the list of participating countries for Eurovision 2024 has caused a huge backlash over recent weeks, with many fans of the music competition questioning why the country hasn’t been excluded from the contest like Russia was in 2022, following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Russia’s neighbouring country Ukraine.
Israel is not located in Europe but has been allowed to participate thanks to the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) being an active member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Israel made its debut at the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 1973 and has won the competition twice over the years.
Following intense online criticism from concerned Eurovision fans regarding Israel's scheduled appearance at next year's contest, the European Broadcasting Union released a statement regarding Israel’s participation in Eurovision and admitted it currently has no plans to ban Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest.
The statement read: "The Eurovision Song Contest is a competition for public broadcasters from all over Europe and the Middle East. It is a contest for broadcasters – not for governments – and the Israeli public broadcaster has been participating in the contest for 50 years.
"The EBU is a member-led organisation. The EBU’s governing bodies – led by the Board of Directors – represent the members. These bodies assessed the list of participants and decided that the Israeli public broadcaster complies with all competition rules. Together with 36 other broadcasters, it will be able to participate in the competition next year.” The EBU statement went on to add: “At the moment, there is an inclusive attitude towards Israeli participants in major competitions. The Eurovision Song Contest remains a non-political event, uniting audiences worldwide through music."