Eurovision Song Contest presenter Rylan Clark has been praised by fans for seemingly taking a stand following the controversy surrounding Israel’s participation in the singing competition.
Protests erupted in Malmo, Sweden, this week with thousands demanding the removal of Israeli singer Eden Golan from the semi-finals of the competition. So when the beloved TV presenter seemingly skipped a quick-fire interview for the show’s TikTok account, many speculated he was making a political statement.
Rylan had been conducting interviews with contestants while posing as a bell boy in the hotel lift – but Eden reportedly did not have this opportunity. In the clip of Eden’s interview, an off-camera voice can be heard asking her questions as she steps into the lift alone, reports the Mirror.
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The reason for Rylan’s absence during the segment remains unclear, but fans are theorising that he was making a political statement. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives since October last year, adds a layer of complexity to the situation.
(Image: TikTok/ @eurovision)
Taking to X – formerly known as Twitter – one user penned: “Not @Rylan refusing to do Eden Golan’s elevator interview. We Stan this.” Another admirer commended him, tweeting: “Well done @Rylan for doing the right thing!”
However, the European Broadcasting Union has insisted that many videos in the series do not feature Rylan. They stated: “There are several videos in that content series that do not include Rylan”.
This follows the presenter’s defence of the competition amid pro-Palestine protests. Talking from Malmo, Rylan chatted with ITV’s Good Morning Britain about the city’s hosting endeavours.
(Image: TikTok/ @eurovision)
He commented: “Malmo is doing an amazing job of hosting.” And while recognising the political friction, he reminded everyone: “It’s a song contest, it’s all about the music and that’s what we’re here for.”
His fellow presenter Scott Mills chimed in with: “It does feel a little different, but it’s about the music and the joy that we have every single year at Eurovision.” On Friday (May 10), the situation escalated so much that Eden received guidance to remain in her hotel room as protesters thronged the streets.
In a surprising turn, famed Swedish environmental activist, Greta Thunberg joined the massive Stop Israel protest, just ahead of Thursday’s (May 9) second semi-final. Reports have emerged that Israel’s national security agency Shin Bet had issued a stern warning to Eden not to venture out of her accommodation.
(Image: AP)
It is understood the singer is unable to leave her room unless it was for her performance, due to the expected influx of protesters in the Swedish city. The singer had already faced criticism after releasing her song ‘October Rain’, which many interpreted as a nod to the tragic events of October 7 involving Hamas.
But by March, the track was switched to ‘Hurricane’, receiving the green light from the European Broadcasting Union. IT comes after a whopping five thousand demonstrators hit the streets on Friday.
Chatting with journalists, 21-year-old Greta said to one outlet: “Young people are leading the way and showing the world how we should react to this.” Yet, she shied away from explaining her reasons for joining the protest.
Daily Star has reached out to Rylan, the BBC, and Eden Golan for their remarks.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
