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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Charlotte McLaughlin

Bambie Thug becomes first Irish Eurovision finalist since 2018

Bambie Thug has become the first Irish Eurovision Song Contest finalist since 2018 following a vote for their performance of Doomsday Blue in Malmo, Sweden.

The Cork-born singer, 31, triumphed with their witchy and mesmerising execution of their chanty alternative song Doomsday Blue at the semi-finals on Tuesday.

Ryan O’Shaughnessy reached the competition for Ireland with Together in Lisbon, Portugal, four years ago, where he came 16th.

Bambie has a chance to take Ireland to the win, which the country has not achieved since 1996 with Eimear Quinn’s The Voice.

Elsewhere, Olly Alexander delivered his first performance, which featured an energetic upside-down locker room staging of Dizzy.

It is the first time the UK, which is already through to the finals, has performed in a semi-final.

Alexander had cameras rotated to give a spinning feel to him and the dancers as the singer wore a white singlet, red trousers, and boots.

During their first Eurovision performance, Bambie’s male dancers looked almost devil-like with blue paint, highly exaggerated ears and fake teeth.

Halfway through the end of the song, they also revealed the trans flag on their costume ahead of fire appearing to be set off around the stage.

Also making the final were Ukraine duo Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil with their religious infused Teresa & Maria, Finland’s Windows95man with the absurd No Rules! and Serbia contestant Teya Dora with Ramonda.

Eurovision was hosted by Swedish comedian Petra Mede and Hollywood actress Malin Akerman.

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