Olly Alexander was given ‘good luck charm’ from his mum for Eurovision

Olly Alexander is gearing up for his performance at the Eurovision Song Contest with a unique good luck charm courtesy of his mum.

The Years & Years frontman, set to represent the UK at with his track “Dizzy,” revealed that his mother gifted him a “traditional Swedish statue” to carry as a token of good luck for his Eurovision debut in Malmö.

Olly Alexander said:

“I only really have one pre-stage ritual and that is to hug whoever I’m going on stage with.

“I like to give them a hug and just take a few deep breaths. Also, my mum has given me a good luck charm.

“It’s a traditional Swedish statue, a wooden horse called a Dala horse that I’ll definitely be taking to Sweden.”

As he prepares to compete in tonight’s first semi-final, Olly emphasised the importance of standing out in the competition.

Olly added:

“I’ve listened to every artist’s song at this year’s Eurovision, there’s a lot of really great songs by some great artists.

“I think the competition is quite stiff. I think what’s important at Eurovision is to stand out, and so I am aiming for my performance to be truly unforgettable, to surprise the audience and to intrigue them.

“I want to leave them with something that they will never forget and of course, I hope to bring an element of dizziness to the performance and capture the feelings of the song.”

Eurovision commentator and chat show host Graham Norton said he thinks the UK “could do really well this year” with Alexander’s song.

“Having a bona fide pop star representing the UK this year is a great start,” he said.

“Olly has already done all the things that it’s impossible to prepare someone for.

“He has played to huge crowds, he can relate to the cameras, and he is used to high pressure situations.

“Add to that, the fact that the song is a massive bop and I think we could do really well this year.”

Reflecting on what it was like to host the show in the UK last year he added: “Hosting Eurovision on home turf last year was extraordinary.

“The standout moments for me were the whole arena singing You’ll Never Walk Alone and that amazing reaction after Mae Muller had performed.

“I’ve never heard anything like it.”

Last year the competition was hosted in the UK on behalf of 2022 winners, Ukraine, who were unable to host due to the conflict with Russia.

This year’s event coincides with the 50-year anniversary of Swedish group Abba winning the competition in 1974 with Waterloo.

The competition starts with two semi-finals that will be broadcast live on Tuesday May 7 and Thursday May 9.

Graham Norton, Scott Mills and Rylan Clark are all returning to helm BBC’s coverage of the Eurovision final while Dame Joanna Lumley will announce the results for the UK.

The Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final airs Saturday May 11 at 8pm on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.

It’s a year since Liverpool hosted what’s got to be the best Eurovision ever, so now’s the chance to celebrate all over again.

The atmosphere that took over the whole city in the run-up to the 2023 contest was absolutely incredible, and there’s going to be loads of great Eurovision events happening to coincide with this year’s on Saturday May 11. 

For more info on Liverpool Loves Eurovision click here.