Today, a few minutes after noon, the EBU confirmed the non-participation of Dutch artist Joost Klein during the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest tonight. Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has just
The statement from Avrotros
The statement is as follows:
What we knew so far
During the first dress rehearsal of the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden, the Netherlands did not perform. Attendees in the audience confirmed that the set up for the Dutch act was being prepared when all was removed from stage to make room for the next act in line. Joost Klein was present during the flag parade at the start of the show. At this stage, no one knew what the reason for Joost’s absence during the show was.
After silence for a while, the European Broadcasting Union confirmed they were investigating a reported ‘incident’ involving the Dutch artist. Speculation on social media soon arose, but the EBU decided not to comment on any of these, leaving room for more speculation. Joost Klein was also excluded from the jury show last night, with jurors instead watching the clip from the second semifinal.
Just before the family show of the contest this afternoon, the EBU confirmed the disqualification of the Dutch entry. It is the first time in Eurovision history that an act is disqualified during the show.
