The Eurovision Song Contest isn’t any stranger to controversy and mid-competition surprises. The practically 70-year annual singing occasion, which spawned a 2020 film starring Will Farrell and Rachel McAdams, has been used to boost consciousness of invaded nations, make the British royal household appear cool, and hosted a wide range of wildly clad contestants. But allegations of misconduct are the place the occasion’s organizers draw the road, which is why, they are saying, Dutch artist Joost Klein was kicked out of Eurovision 2024 simply hours earlier than he was slated to sing for the title.
Klein, a 26-year-old singer and rapper from Leeuwarden, Netherlands, has thrilled audiences together with his pro-Europe techno tune, “Europapa,” which Klein has devoted to his late father. He was anticipated to compete in Saturday’s finals, alongside representatives of the 25 different nations that continued via the final 4 days of competitors.
But that plan was derailed Saturday morning, when occasion organizers introduced that Klein had been faraway from the Grand Finale lineup as a result of “an incident following his performance in Thursday night’s Semi Final.”
Swedish police are investigating the incident, which “contrary to some media reports and social media speculation … did not involve any other performer or delegation member,” Eurovision mentioned in a press launch.
According to a press release from Dutch broadcaster Avrotros, which is behind its nation’s Eurovision selections, “Against clearly made agreements, Joost was filmed when he had simply gotten off stage and needed to rush to the inexperienced room. At that second, Joost repeatedly indicated that he didn’t need to be filmed. This wasn’t revered.”
“This led to a threatening motion from Joost in the direction of the digital camera. Joost didn’t contact the camerawoman,” the broadcaster mentioned, characterizing his elimination as “very heavy and disproportionate.”