Olly Alexander faced a tough defeat at the Eurovision Song Contest final on Saturday after he received zero points from the public.
Switzerland’s entry Nemo ended up being crowned the winner following a controversial build-up to the event which concluded at the weekend in Malmo, Sweden.
Alexander, 33, has now broken his silence on the awkward loss, which he seemed to accept in good spirits on the night.
Taking to social media on Sunday, Alexander shared a post from the official Eurovision account announcing Nemo’s win.
The Years & Years star penned: “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.”
The UK gained zero points from public viewers but were awarded 46 points from the jury.
Alexander congratulated Eurovision winner Nemo as he broke his silence following Saturday’s final
INSTAGRAM/OLLY ALEXANDER
Alexander’s performance of Dizzy unfortunately didn’t impress crowds, but viewers also pointed out sound issues during Alexander’s song.
Additionally, the actor also faced strong criticism in the weeks leading up to the final from those arguing against Israel’s participation in the contest.
Many expressed their belief that Alexander should have withdrawn from the competition due to the country’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
The It’s A Sin star addressed the claims in his BBC documentary recently, and demonstrations in support of Palestine flooded Malmo in the days leading up to the grand final.
Olly has broken his silence following Saturday’s Eurovision final
Eurovision Song Contest
Alexander publicly supported Palestine last year when he advocated for an end to the Israeli-Hamas feud by co-signing a communique from the LGBT collective Voices4London.
He branded Israel an “apartheid regime”and accused them of attempting to “ethnically cleanse” Palestinian territories.
In his documentary, Olly Alexander’s Road to Eurovision ’24, he candidly discussed the distress he had felt surrounding the competition.
“A lot of the contestants and myself have been having a lot of comments that are like ‘You are complicit in a genocide by taking part in Eurovision’ which is quite extreme. It’s very extreme.
Olly was awarded zero points in the public vote
Eurovision Song Contest/BBC
“I understand where that sentiment is coming from but I think it’s not correct.”
He went on to add: “It’s an incredibly complicated political situation, one that I’m not qualified to speak on.
“The backdrop to this is actual immense suffering. It’s a humanitarian crisis, a war.
“It just so happens there’s a song contest going on at the same time that I’m a part of.”
