Olly Alexander reveals his Eurovision show will be a ‘wild ride’ and says song won’t be a ballad – after surprise announcement he’ll represent the UK

Olly Alexander has promised his Eurovision show will be a 'wild ride' as he gave the first details of his plans to represent Britain at the music competition next year.

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 Great Britain in Sweden at the next match and has pledged to 'raise the flag for Great Britain in as cheerful a way as possible'.

He has now said that he will not be singing a ballad and that his song will be electronic and '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.

Olly Alexander has promised his Eurovision show will be a 'wild ride' as he gave the first details of his plans to represent Britain at the music competition next year

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

“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 live final of Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday as the audience cheered along.

After bursting through the golden curtain to reveal the voting terms for the dance show's final, Olly then shared his news as presenter 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.'

He has now said that he will not be singing a ballad and that his song will be electronic and 'something you can dance to'

After bursting through the golden curtain to reveal the voting terms for the dance show's final, Olly then shared his news

He will represent Great Britain in Sweden at the next match and has vowed to 'raise the flag for Great Britain in as cheerful a way as possible'

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 has pitched a catchy song written by producer Danny L Harle, the mastermind behind Dua Lipa's latest hit Houdini.

A source 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.

He added: 'He is aware that people say no common sense establishment 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.

The news comes after it was reported earlier this year that the BBC was lining up Sophie Ellis-Bextor as the next British entry.

Sophie, 44, is an established performer with hits including Murder On The Dancefloor, and during lockdown she reached new audiences with her successful Kitchen Disco videos, which landed her a Radio 2 show of the same name.

The mother-of-five will be probed about taking part in next year's show as BBC bosses regain full control of the selection process for Britain's entry.

In 2021, they handed the role to an external company in an attempt to reverse the poor performance of the British newcomers.

A music industry source told The Mail at the time: 'There is currently only one artist on the BBC's list for Eurovision 2024, and they have no plans to add any more.

'Sophie Ellis-Bextor is seen as the ideal candidate for the competition. She is a great singer and performer, and she is already known to audiences, both straight and gay, all over Europe. The criticism the BBC has received this year for the decision to choose Mae Muller has been quite intense.'

Mae was chosen to perform in last weekend's Eurovision final by global management company TaP Music, who also selected 2022 runner-up Sam Ryder.

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

Olly said: 'I really can't believe I get to be part of such a special legacy and raise the flag for Great Britain in the most cheerful way possible, it will be an honour!'

Doubts about the singer had been growing before the final, with her voice criticized for not being strong enough to carry the song she was performing, I Wrote A Song. Her rehearsal was littered with errors and affected by sound problems.

A series of old quotes in which she suggested she hated Britain alienated some.

There was also controversy when she said Boris Johnson should not have had a hospital bed when he was struck down with Covid.

It also turned out that she had applied for a German passport, with which she said she wanted to save extra paperwork when performing in the EU.

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