Olly Alexander breaks his silence on representing the UK at Eurovision and reveals performance requires ‘extreme physical fitness’ so he is practicing by singing song while hula hooping

Olly Alexander has broken his silence on his Eurovision show after being announced as the British entry for next year's music competition.

The Years & Years frontman, 33, made the announcement during the live final of Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday as the crowd cheered along.

He will represent the UK in Sweden in 2024 and has pledged to 'raise the flag for Great Britain in the most cheerful way possible'.

Olly appeared on Radio 2 on Monday and told presenter Rylan about how he prepared for his performance, teasing that it requires 'extreme physical fitness'.

He said: 'Whatever I do, it will require extreme physical fitness from me, because I know when I was on tour I started singing the songs on the treadmill… so that's what I started doing. I started hula hooping and singing the song.”

Asked to sum up what fans can expect, Olly said: 'Drama!' before adding, “I think it's going to be one of the craziest experiences of my life.”

He also talked about how hard it was to keep the news a secret and revealed that his mother had a 'panic attack' when she found out because she was so excited.

He added that it was 'like a dream' to become the British entry and promised he would 'pull out all the stops' in Malmö next year.

Olly explained: 'It's an overwhelming feeling because obviously I'd known this for a while, let's say, and keeping it a secret was difficult and I kind of forgot that people would know and, so to speak, have a reaction !

“Everyone has been super supportive, I'm so excited, it's a bit like a dream. I can't believe it's actually happening…

'I'm already so proud of the song and the fact that I'm going to participate. You better believe I'm going to pull out all the stops for this performance.”

He continued, “Oh god, my mom, she had a panic attack. I told her when I found out – I thought, 'You can't tell anyone, Mom' and she said, 'Oh my God, what do I do?'

'She's so excited, she can't wait and hopefully I can take her to Sweden.'

Olly also received support from the last two British Eurovision entrants, Sam Ryder and Mae Muller.

He revealed: 'I've actually had some lovely messages from Sam and Mae… I need to have a good chat with both of them. We are now part of a (Eurovision) family!'

Olly also appeared on the Magic Radio Breakfast show with Ronan Keating and Harriet Scott on Monday, where he teased that if his song was a cocktail, 'it would be an amaretto sour!'

He revealed he knew he would be taking the stage in Britain for two months and said it had been a childhood dream.

He said: 'I've wanted to do it for a long time – ever since I was a kid – so this is so exciting, I can't believe it.'

Olly explained that his first memory of the show was Gina G and that he was so inspired when creating the song that he ended up making a whole new album.

He said: 'The song I have for the Eurovision Song Contest I made with Danny L. Harle, a brilliant pop producer, and we actually made a whole album, so I have a lot of music ready to go, so I'm like, so excited for it to come.”

It comes after Olly promised his Eurovision show would be a 'wild ride' and said he would not be singing a ballad but an electronic song that is 'something you can dance to'.

He told The BBC after the official announcement: 'I'm scared, but I'm excited. I've wanted to do this for a long, long time. It's all a bit vague.

“I mean, it wouldn't be a ballad. Or maybe it had been a ballad. I like a ballad. Am I saying too much? It's not a ballad.

'I wrote the song with Danny Harle and it will be released next year. And it's really good.

'That's certainly the atmosphere. It will be electronic, something you can dance to. But yeah, I can't say much more.'

He added that he can't wait to arrive in Sweden next year to meet all the fans and other participants, saying: “It will be the wildest experience of my life!”

Olly made the announcement during the Strictly final, after bursting through the golden curtain to reveal the voting terms.

Hen then shared his news as host Claudia Winkleman said: “On behalf of everyone, we are so lucky to have you. I know everything is secret, but can you tell us something?'

Olly replied: 'I'm planning it now, it's going to be spectacular. I love Eurovision, I'm so excited, it's going to be amazing.'

In a statement, Olly added: 'I've loved watching the Eurovision Song Contest since I was a little kid and I'm beyond excited to take part next year.

'As a young boy I always looked forward to this incredible event of unbridled joy, the wonderfully chaotic mix of musical styles, theatrical performances, genuine emotion and humour.'

Olly, who identifies as non-binary and uses he/him pronouns, added: 'I really can't believe I get to be part of such a special legacy and fly the flag of Great Britain in the most joyful way will hoist. it will be an honor!

'I've wanted to do this for a long time and it feels like the right time to release music under my own name.

'I am determined to give it everything I have and deliver an excellent and unforgettable performance for all of you!'

BBC bosses will no doubt be hoping to turn Britain's fortunes around after Mae Muller failed to impress the crowd at the Liverpool match earlier this year, where she finished second.

According to The sun, Olly dropped a catchy song written by producer Danny L Harle, the mastermind behind Dua Lipa's latest hit Houdini.

A source previously told the publication: 'It's a dream come true for Olly. Things aren't completely locked down, but he's a favorite with bosses.

'Olly has been saying he wants to give it a go – and after working with Danny on the song he thinks we have a great opportunity.

They added: 'He is aware that people say no establishment act in their right mind would appear on the show because of its record in Britain, but as far as he is concerned that is just snobbery.'

As well as topping the charts with Years & Years, Olly has also established himself as an actor, leading the cast of Channel 4's award-winning drama It's A Sin.