Olly Alexander finishes 18th at Eurovision after scoring zero in the public vote
The United Kingdom’s Olly Alexander has finished the Eurovision Song Contest in 18th place with 46 points after he was awarded zero in the public vote.
He and his team reacted jovially as the United Kingdom was the only country to not score from the audience tally, after his performance of song Dizzy at Malmo Arena on Saturday night.
However he had 46 points from the other country’s judges which landed him above seven other nations.
Switzerland’s Nemo finished in first place with 591 points, while Croatia’s Baby Lasagna was given 547 points and Ukraine’s Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil with the emotional and religious song Teresa & Maria landed on 453 points.
It was smooth-sailing for Alexander during his final performance, after he spoke of having a wardrobe malfunction during the first semi-final on Tuesday.
The Years and Years star, 33, was number 13 in Saturday night’s running order at the Malmo Arena with the song Dizzy.
His performance, which featured upside-down dressing room staging and cameras rotating to give a spinning feel to Alexander and the dancers, went smoothly after his mic pack fell off earlier in the week.
Following the performance, Alexander told BBC Radio 2’s Scott Mills programme: “I did have a slight wardrobe malfunction in that my mic pack fell off in the second chorus, so I was confused and stressed by that.”
Speaking after Alexander’s performance in the final, Graham Norton, who was leading coverage on BBC One, said: “Wow what a great job.”
Norton said there was clapping in the commentary booth, adding: “Oh, the reaction in the arena is sensational, if only they could vote! Maybe they will later.”
He continued: “That is terrific, we don’t know how it will do because it is so different to everything else in the contest tonight.”
Alexander shared the voting numbers for his performance before taking to the stage.
On social media, he said: “Here’s all the voting numbers for Dizzy if you feel so inclined to vote for me! Thank u !! don’t forget i love u all.”
Earlier, demonstrators were gathered outside the venue in Malmo before the event, calling for a boycott of the competition due to the participation of Israel’s Eden Golan.
They shouted “free Palestine” and “shame” to those attending.
Alexander, along with Ireland’s entry, Bambie Thug, and other Eurovision artists released a joint statement in March backing “an immediate and lasting ceasefire” in Gaza but refused to boycott the event.
