THE singer representing the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden in 2024 has been revealed.
Olly Alexander from Years & Years appeared on the Strictly Come Dancing 2023 final on Saturday, December 16, night revealing he would be representing the UK at next year's Eurovision Song Contest.
He follows in the footsteps of Mae Muller who competed in the 2023 song contest, which was held in Liverpool.
The 68th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Malmö, Sweden in May 2024 after their entrant Loreen won the 2023 competition with the song Tattoo.
📢 Good evening Europe… it’s OFFICIAL! Olly Alexander will represent the United Kingdom at #Eurovision 2024 Get all the info ➡️ https://t.co/223TIEoAbh pic.twitter.com/TXMXySOWzG
— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) December 16, 2023
Alexander said: “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.
"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!”
Alexander's UK Eurovision song, co-written with Danny L Harle, will be revealed in due course, the BBC said.
this was very difficult to keep quiet omg !! so excited to announce that I’m the uk's @Eurovision entry for 2024 💕 !!! i’ve wanted to do this for a long long time and it feels like the right moment to start releasing music under my own name 🥺 pic.twitter.com/zvfcjfPeNk
— olly alexander (@alexander_olly) December 16, 2023
Who is Olly Alexander?
The BBC describes Alexander as "the world's most pioneering" and "multi-award winning music superstar".
He is best known for being a part of the band Years & Years which has hits such as King, Desire, Hallucination and Shine.
Years & Years have released three "hugely successful albums" to date and the band also boasts two UK number-one albums, 10 UK top 40 singles and was recently awarded the Brit Billion Award (with 6.5 billion streams globally).
You may have also seen Alexander on the TV - the singer played Ritchie Tozer in Channel 4's hit series It's A Sin.
#UnitedByMusic: More Tickets Available! 🌍✨🎵 Exciting news! There are now more tickets available to #Eurovision2024 in Malmö – but hurry, as these tickets are selling fast! Head to https://t.co/3uM4T7y7xy now to secure your tickets before they’re gone. pic.twitter.com/Hse0f7VxNZ
— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) December 15, 2023
Alexander and Years & Years have headlined arenas and festivals worldwide while also collaborating with the likes of Sir Elton John, Kylie Minogue and Pet Shop Boys.
Head of Entertainment at the BBC, Kalpna Patel-Knight, said: “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.”
All three live Eurovision 2024 programmes - both Semi Finals and the Grand Final - will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on May 7, 9 and 11, 2024.
