Rylan appears to have skipped an interview with Eden Golan (Picture: Rex/Reuters)
Rylan Clark, the familiar face hosting BBC’s Eurovision coverage, skipped his elevator interview with Israel contestant Eden Golan.
The British TV presenter has been doing a series of short interviews with contestants for Eurovision’s TikTok account in which he poses as a bell boy in the hotel elevator.
But when it came time for Golan’s elevator interview, Rylan was nowhere to be seen.
In the footage of Golan’s interview, an automated voice can be heard asking the performer questions as she rides the elevator alone.
While its not clear why Rylan wasn’t present at the interview, many on social media are speculating that the host intended to make a political statement.
X user @futurelovxr posted the clip with the caption: ‘Not @Rylan refusing to do Eden Golan’s elevator interview. We Stan this.’
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User @Henry92589880 agreed, posting: ‘Well done @Rylan for doing the right thing!’
This news comes shortly after the host defended the contest amid ongoing protests and calls for boycotts because of Israel’s participation.
Speaking from Malmö, Sweden, where this year’s event is held, Rylan expressed his views on ITV’s Good Morning Britain about the host city’s efforts: ‘Malmö is doing an amazing job of hosting.’
Rylan is co hosting the BBC’s coverage of Eurovision 2024(Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
He acknowledged the global political tensions but emphasized, ‘It’s a song contest, it’s all about the music and that’s what we’re here for.’
Scott Mills, co-host alongside Rylan, added his perspective on the atmosphere of this year’s event: ‘It does feel a little different, but it’s about the music and the joy that we have every single year at Eurovision.’
The inclusion of Israel in Eurovision has sparked significant controversy in light of recent conflicts in Gaza, where Israel’s war against Hamas has killed more than 35,000 people – most of them civilians – and injured a further 77,000, according to figures obtained by Al Jazeera.
Amid continued calls for a permanent ceasefire, many disagree with the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) decision to allow Israel to participate in the song competition.
The EBU decided against banning Israel, with the Deputy Director General Jean Philip De Tender commenting that ‘The Eurovision Song Contest is a music event…not a competition between nations or governments.’
Thousands are anticipated to partake in a pro-Palestinian march in Malmö during the show’s final, which is expected to disrupt local traffic, according to Swedish police.
Boos and ‘free Palestine’ chants could reportedly be heard in the arena on Wednesday night(Picture: REUTERS)
Controversies extend to the audience as well, with the EBU issuing a warning that they reserve the right to remove any Palestinian flags and pro-Palestine symbols during the show, though they do specify that peaceful protest is allowed.
Additionally, videos posted to social media by attendees at the contest’s Jury Show on May 8 show the crowd booing and chanting ‘Free Palestine’ throughout Eden Golan’s song, practically drowning out her performance.
The second Eurovision semi-final is set to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer starting at 8 pm May 9, and many are expecting the political tension to only continue to escalate.
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