The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 was full of drama and controversy, which organisers will no doubt be hoping to avoid this year
The Eurovision Song Contest has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride from the get-go.
Before last year’s grand finale, there was already a heap of drama and controversy stirring things up, all leading to the big night in Malmo, Sweden on May 11.
Switzerland’s Nemo clinched the title at the 68th Eurovision Song Contest and won the honour of hosting the 2025 contest. The singer, who is non-binary, triumphed with their track The Code.
In a performance that had everyone on the edge of their seats, they stood atop a precarious metal disc, belting out the opera-dance number. They racked up a whopping 365 points from the juries and bagged an additional 226 from the public vote, tallying up to a staggering 591 points.
As Europe gears up for the fun to begin, and the UK act Remember Monday prepare to hit the stage, Daily Star takes a look at how last year’s contest was among the most dramatic ever.
Technical hitches
The BBC’s broadcast of the Eurovision final hit a snag right off the bat due to a technical hiccup.
Graham Norton’s commentary was barely audible during the opening minute, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, BBC DJ Scott Mills’ voice was blaring over his.
The audience took to X, formerly Twitter, in droves to vent about the sound problems. One viewer posted: “Did anyone face technical difficulties at the start of the show on the BBC where you could barely hear Graham?”
Another chimed in with: “Graham honey we can’t hear you.” And yet another pleaded: “Ok BBC can we sort the sound out, I wanna hear Graham!”
Luckily, things managed to get back on track, but more chaos was to follow.
Booing crowds
Controversy and jeers greeted Israel’s Eurovision entry as viewers raised eyebrows over the choice of walk-on song amid protests due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Eden Golan hit the stage with Icona Pop’s I Love It pumping out, and the lyrics “I don’t care” didn’t sit well with some. On social media, one user remarked: “#EUROVISION I don’t think it was a great idea to have Israel walk out while the song I Don’t Care is playing but sure.”
Another viewer commented: “Playing I Don’t Care, I Love It as Israel is introduced in the Eurovision is certainly a choice… You can’t make this s*** up lmao.”
A third chimed in: “Not Israel parading about on stage to the lyrics I Don’t Care, I Love It.”
Eden’s night took a turn for the worse as she faced boos during her act and was later seen crying backstage.
Cheeky display
But it wasn’t all tension at the final – Spain brought some much-needed lightness with a scorching performance.
Mery Bas and her dancers turned up the heat in knee-high boots, sultry fishnets, and thong corsets, leaving viewers absolutely mesmerised.
One enthralled fan gushed on social media: “Omg male dancers in thongs doing the splits… SPAIN FOR THE WIN JUST FOR THAT. The shock I got, but I’m LIVING.”
One fan was totally wowed, saying: “Spain. Sensational. A pure Eurovision banger.”
Wardrobe malfunction
But hold on to your hats because Finland’s entry took raunchy to a whole new level with an extreme wardrobe malfunction that left viewers gobsmacked.
Windows95man, representing Finland, had a bit of an accident when his privates made an unexpected appearance during his energetic performance. The singer, who was armed with two massive sparklers and bouncing around in teeny denim shorts, didn’t seem bothered as his bits popped out for the world – and the cameras – to see.
He just kept on dancing like nothing happened.
Even the host, Graham Norton, had a laugh post-performance, although he steered clear of mentioning the cheeky flash. He did say: “So stupid, but I think that’ll do really well in the public vote.”
UK backlash
Eurovision fans were left scratching their heads over Olly Alexander’s final performance. The former Years and Years frontman hit the stage with his track Dizzy, backed by a squad of dancers, but something seemed off.
Despite shaking off criticism from the semi-finals over the sexed-up imagery, some viewers felt there was something “wasn’t right” about his act.
Olly wowed the crowd with his performance, rocking a white vest as he sang his heart out. The host and narrator Graham Norton called it “terrific” but confessed he was unsure about its chances, saying: “It is so different to everything else in the contest tonight.”
Yet some viewers were left scratching their heads, suspecting an audio glitch after struggling to hear the song clearly. As Olly poured his soul into the performance, fans speculated on whether there was a technical blip, with the mic or sound levels not quite right.
And it seems the audience might have been onto something – Olly ended up with NIL POINTS from the public vote. Thankfully, the jury was more generous to the UK, leaving us with a total of 46 points, which still wasn’t great.
Bringing politics into it
Over in Ireland, Bambie Thug made waves at the Eurovision final by delivering a bold message post-performance: “Love will triumph over hate.”
This five-word declaration led some to think it was a nod to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with one viewer commenting: “Wow! That’s wakened everyone up. Should win for sheer energy alone. Go Ireland!”
Organisers of the contest continue to maintain that the show is not about politics, and acts can be banned if their performance is too political in any way.
Act banned
Dutch artist Joost Klein was booted out of the Eurovision Song Contest following a backstage incident that led to allegations of intimidation. A female member of the production crew reported the incident to Swedish police after his semi-final performance.
The European Broadcasting Union confirmed: “The Dutch artist Joost Klein will not be competing in the Grand Final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Swedish police have investigated a complaint made by a female member of the production crew after an incident following his performance in Thursday night’s Semi Final.
“While the legal process takes its course, it would not be appropriate for him to continue in the Contest. We would like to make it clear that, contrary to some media reports and social media speculation, this incident did not involve any other performer or delegation member.”
The charges against Joost were later dropped.
Protests
Climate activist Greta Thunberg found herself in hot water at a Eurovision protest. The young campaigner was seen being whisked away from the crowds by local police.
Swedish authorities were spotted removing her from the Stop Israel march in Malmo, where thousands were protesting Israel’s participation in the competition.
Protesters, including Thunberg, donned Keffiyeh scarves as they were escorted away from the venue just as the Eurovision Song Contest final kicked off.
Greta had levelled a serious accusation against Israel, claiming the country was “art-washing” its image through the Eurovision Song Contest. She declared: “People from all over Sweden are gathering in Malmo this week, where Eurovision is taking place, to protest against Israel’s participation in the competition.”
She reported on the scale of the protests, saying: “Yesterday we were tens of thousands people flooding the streets of Malmo. We will not accept that a country currently committing genocide is allowed a platform to artwash themselves.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
