Former Lib Dem MP and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! alumni Lembit Öpik has been slammed for making distasteful remarks about Eurovision's Olly Alexander.
The Years & Years star finished the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest in 18th place with 46 points, after he was awarded zero in the public vote with his track Dizzy.
The performance saw him get up close and personal with dancers in an upside-down set-up, with narrator Graham Norton describing the performance as "terrific".
But 59-year-old Lembit, who was briefly engaged to Romanian Eurovision contestant and Cheeky Girl Gabriella Irimia, accused the singing competition of "sexualisation", and said action should be taken about the show's "vulgarity".
Taking to Twitter (X) to share his concerns about the institution, he wrote: "Eurovision UK entry simulated a sex act. Graham Norton praised this performance! I had to remove my daughter from watching. Regarding sexualisation of Eurovision, what action will BBC - or Ofcom - take against such vulgarity, given the reality of young viewers on a family show?"
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But social media users have called out the star, who was 41 when he left meteorologist Sian Lloyd for 24-year-old Gabriella. One wrote: "You literally dated a cheeky girl who sang a song about touching their bum & had skin tight mini skirts on. Just admit you’re homophobic."
"It's after the watershed," another commented. "Tamer than most music videos. And also, your homophobia is showing." A third jibed: "Mask slip moment for the lib dems." While another slammed the hateful tweet, adding: "Just be honest, Mr Öpik - there was a gay man on the telly and you felt icky about it." A fifth follower pointed out his hypocrisy, writing: "So, all the scantily-clad ladies were just fine for family viewing, but two men on-stage in close proximity was an issue?"
Lembit shared a short relationship with Gabriela (PA)
The couple split after a series of arguments (The Daily Mirror)After the scores started rolling in, Olly and his team remained positive, despite the United Kingdom being the only country to not score from the audience tally. But he did score 46 points from the other countries' judges which landed him above seven other nations.
Switzerland’s Nemo finished in first place with 591 points, with Croatia’s Baby Lasagna given 547 points. Ukraine ’s Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil with the emotional Teresa & Maria bagged 453 points. Following his act, Alexander told BBC Radio 2's Scott Mills: "I did have a slight wardrobe malfunction in that my mic pack fell off in the second chorus, so I was confused and stressed by that."
Graham Norton, who lead the coverage on BBC One, said: "Wow what a great job." Norton added that there was clapping in the commentary booth, adding: "Oh, the reaction in the arena is sensational, if only they could vote! Maybe they will later." He continued: "That is terrific, we don’t know how it will do because it is so different to everything else in the contest tonight."
Alexander, along with Ireland’s entry, Bambie Thug, and other Eurovision artists released a joint statement in March backing "an immediate and lasting ceasefire" in Gaza but refused to boycott the event.
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