Olly Alexander breaks his silence about his Eurovision performance and reveals what went wrong on stage

Olly Alexander has broken his silence after his performance at the Eurovision Song Contest semi-final in Sweden came under criticism. The singer took to the stage on Tuesday May 7 to belt out a version of Dizzy – the song he will sing at the Eurovision final on Saturday May 11.

Olly’s performance sparked mixed reactions from BBC viewers, with some questioning his singing abilities. However, he has now explained what went wrong during the performance.

Speaking on his show Lorraine on Wednesday May 8, Olly, 33, opened up about the backlash and explained how a “wardrobe problem” caused him problems on stage. He spoke to presenter Lorraine Kelly via video link from his stay in Sweden.

Lorraine told him that his song Dizzy was a “blast” and confessed: “I would have loved to be in that (music) video.” Olly beamed from ear to ear and said happily to the presenter: “Thanks, Lorraine, you are welcome to come on stage if you want.”

Lorraine described the Eurovision Song Contest as a “huge thing” and Olly said: “The whole Eurovision Song Contest experience is wild. Last night was incredible. It was my first time performing in the arena and on stage.”

He then revealed: “We had a little wardrobe malfunction and had to improvise, but that’s okay – it’s live TV.”

Olly’s performance on Tuesday divided fans. Among the numerous comments on social media, one fan expressed his disappointment: “I had high hopes for this year’s UK @Eurovision with Olly Alexander but just now the semi-final sounded a bit rubbish on @BBCRadio2,” while another viewer simply remarked: “#eurovision – Olly Alexander sang shockingly badly there.”

A third critic didn’t mince his words, adding: “#EURO2024, sorry but I don’t think much of #OllyAlexander Dizzy’s UK entry. Poor set design and production.”

Meanwhile, fans were thrilled with Olly’s Eurovision performance. One fan gushed on social media: “I just love Olly Alexander… AMAZING staging… #ESC2024,” while another praised: “Olly’s performance was SO professional. It was like watching a music video. Best staging of the year #UK.”

The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place on Saturday 11 May at the Malmö Arena, after the semi-finals on 7 and 9 May. The UK last topped the Eurovision list in 1997 with the anthem “Love Shine A Light” by Katrina And The Waves.