Yahoo News Eurovision star Olly Alexander breaks silence after UK's 'nul points' nightmare
UK Eurovision singer Olly Alexander has spoken out after a torrid night at the event held in Sweden. The British singer fell foul of global voting patterns when he failed to receive any public votes on Saturday night. Further strain was placed on Alexander following a backlash from fans boycotting the competition due to Israel's participation.
Alexander, best known as part of synth-pop band Years and Years, addressed his supporters on Instagram on Sunday. Sharing a post from the official Eurovision account announcing Switzerland's victory, Olly praised winner Nemo and said: "Nemo!!! You did it!! I'm so so proud of you. It's been such an honour to be on this journey with you. You broke the code."
Saturday night's climax of the contest saw the United Kingdom registering zero points but managed to secure a modest 46 points from a jury panel. Seen performing his song Dizzy at Malmo Arena in Sweden Alexander's remarkable vocal display, coupled with his eye-catching staging, failed to capture the hearts of European voters.
READ MORE: The full results of Eurovision 2024
There was increased drama online as viewers began noticing possible audio issues during the singer's performance. Commenters made note on social media of disturbances within Alexander's set continuing a series of criticisms against him from previous rounds within the competition, reports the Mirror.
Despite past setbacks Olly delivered a spirited performance of Dizzy, earning applause and praise from many supporters who declared he "smashed it". However this positive reception was marred by audio issues that left some viewers questioning if they could hear the backing track.
Concerns over the sound quality continued with fans speculating whether the microphone or the singer's audio was too low. Social media was abuzz with comments about the issue with one viewer posting on X: "I think Olly (United Kingdom) mic failed again like it did in rehearsal." Another added: "Just me or was Olly's mic turned down what happened? ".
Not all of Olly's fans were supportive of his Eurovision journey. The controversy surrounding Olly's Eurovision performance stemmed from Israel's participation in the contest amidst ongoing military actions by Benjamin Netanyahu against Palestine.
Alexander, who had previously signed a letter condemning Israel as an "apartheid regime" before his December announcement as the UK's Eurovision contestant, faced backlash for not pulling out of the competition. The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is a Palestinian-led campaign promoting various forms of boycott against Israel, called on Eurovision fans, hosts, performers, and workers to boycott this year's event and implored viewers to switch off on Saturday night.
