Olly Alexander suffers technical blunder at Eurovision semi-final
Olly Alexander faced criticism on Tuesday night after his Eurovision semi-final performance failed to impress viewers at home.
The UK entry received backlash online following his performance in Malmö, Sweden, but some observant fans noted that Alexander encountered a technical malfunction mid performance.
After the singer, 33, took to the stage with his song Dizzy, fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to applaud him for finishing his song despite having a broken mic pack.
One penned: “Anyone else notice Olly’s mic pack fell out. Only noticed on the rewatch. As a gym instructor I know how off putting that is. An amazing performance just got elevated even higher! Go Olly!”
To which another tweeted in response: “Basically had to perform the entire second half one handed.
“Also in the section where he crawled forward he was holding mic pack and mic in same hand. Must have put him off big time.”
“Olly Alexander delivered a ridiculously assured and confident performance which remains true to him as an artist. He did incredibly well to deal with his mic pack falling off. Bravo,” another person commented.
A fourth echoed: “Olly, @alexander_olly - you [were] PHENOMENAL tonight. I know there was [that] annoying mic pack thing tonight, and could see it on your face that you weren’t happy. Get your head back in the zone. You are an incredible talent. We’re so proud. Break a leg, darling.”
While the hitmaker was excited to perform Dizzy, the star’s first solo-written single, the reception to his moment in the spotlight was mixed, with viewers expressing a range of opinions online.
One viewer expressed disappointment, tweeting: “Had high hopes for the UK @Eurovision this year with Olly Alexander but it sounded a little ropey at the semi-final just now.”
While another said in support: “Olly's performance was SO professional. It was like watching a music video. Best staging of the year #unitedkingdom.”
In the wake of the furore, Alexander opened up about the dramatic moment his Eurovision semi-final performance went awry, after their mic pack slipped from their trousers.
Speaking on Lorraine on Wednesday, the It’s A Sin actor said: “I had a slight wardrobe malfunction and my mic pack fell off and I had to improvise, it's live tv and it happens!
“The dancing is a bit naughty and the team is fantastic. It's like the Olympics of music, it's a fun, chaotic circus.”
Adding of the Eurovision experience, Alexander shared: “This whole thing has been wild, it was amazing last night. It was the first time performing it on live TV.
“There is so much support from the other contestants, it's been the experience of a lifetime. I feel so lucky and privileged to be doing it.”
The Standard has contacted Olly Alexander’s rep for comment.
