Ireland is taking part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest without the services of John Lydon after the former Sex Pistols singer was unable to represent the country last night.
One of the wildest men in British music in its ’70s punk heyday, Lydon, 67, entered the Irish competition with his song ‘Hawaii’, inspired by his wife Nora, who has Alzheimer’s.
Before joining, Lydon – possibly one of the more unexpected names ever to appear on a Eurovision entry – said he wanted to raise awareness about the disease.
But after he and five other acts performed on Ireland Let you show Friday night’s show, audience vote and national and international juries of music experts instead chose the band Wild Youth, who will be competing in Liverpool in May.
The official draw for this year’s competition took place this week and Ireland will join 14 other countries in the first semi-final. 10 advance to the grand final on Saturday 13 May.
The United Kingdom – one of the ‘Big Five’ countries that automatically enter the final – is hosting this year on behalf of Ukraine, who won in 2022. Britain came second with artist Sam Ryder, but the BBC and other partners who run the competition have claimed that Ukraine will essentially be the host. BBC TV presenter Rylan Clark said this week: “They’re having their party at our house.”
Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
