Olly Alexander CONFIRMS he’s representing the UK at Eurovision Song Contest as he makes exciting announcement during Strictly final

Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander has confirmed he will represent the UK at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden.

The singer, 33, made the announcement during Saturday’s live final of Strictly Come Dancing as the audience cheered along.  

The star is said to be a huge fan of the competition and ‘desperate’ to be Britain’s offical 2024 entry.

BBC bosses are no doubt hoping to turn the UK’s fortunes after Mae Muller failed to impress audiences earlier this year at the contest in Liverpool where she finished second from last. 

According to The Sun Olly has pitched a catchy song penned by producer Danny L Harle, the mastermind behind Dua Lipa’s latest hit Houdini. 

A source told the publication:  ‘It’s a dream come true for Olly. Things aren’t quite locked in but he is a favourite with bosses.

Frontrunner: Years and Years frontman Olly Alexander, 33,is reportedly ‘in advanced talks’ to represent the UK at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden 

Onto a winner: Olly is said to have  pitched a catchy song penned by Danny L Harle, the mastermind behind Dua Lipa’s latest hit Houdini 

‘Olly has said for ages he wants to have a crack at it — and after teaming up with Danny for the song he thinks we have a great shot.

Adding: ‘He is aware people say that no established act in their right mind would go on the show due to the UK’s track record but as far as he is concerned that’s just ­snobbery.’

MailOnline have contacted BBC and Olly’s reps for comment. 

As well as being topping the charts with Years & Years Olly has also established himself as an actor and led the cast of Channel 4’s award-winning drama It’s A Sin.

The news comes after it was reported earlier this year that the BBC were lining up Sophie Ellis-Bextor to be UK’s next entry.

Sophie, 44, is an established artist with hits such as Murder On The Dancefloor, and she reached a new audience during lockdown with her successful Kitchen Disco videos, which landed her a Radio 2 show of the same name.

The mother of five is to be sounded out over taking part in next year’s show, as BBC bosses are set to regain full control of the selection process for the UK’s entry.

In 2021, they handed the role to an external company in a bid to reverse the poor performance of Britain’s entrants.

Gagging: The singer is said to be a huge fan of the competition and ‘desperate’ to be Britain’s offical 2024 entry

Gutted: BBC bosses are no doubt hoping to turn the UK’s fortunes after Mae Muller failed to impress audiences earlier this year at the contest in Liverpool where she finished second from last 

High hopes: Super producer Danny (pictured in 2015) co-penned the track and is also working on Dua Lipa’s new album 

One music industry source told The Mail at the time: ‘At the moment there is only one artist on the BBC’s list for Eurovision 2024, and they don’t intend to add to it. 

‘Sophie Ellis-Bextor is seen as the ideal fit for the contest – she’s a great singer and performer, and she is already known to audiences, both straight and gay, across Europe. The criticism the BBC has received over the decision to pick Mae Muller this year has been quite savage.’

Mae was picked to perform in last weekend’s Eurovision final by global management company TaP Music, who also chose 2022 entrant Sam Ryder, who finished second.

Doubts over the singer had been growing before the final, with her voice criticised as not being strong enough to carry the track she performed, I Wrote A Song. Her rehearsal was littered with errors and hit by sound issues.

A series of old quotes, in which she suggested she hated the UK, alienated some.

There was also controversy when she said that Boris Johnson shouldn’t have had a hospital bed when he was struck down with Covid.

It also emerged that she had applied for a German passport, which she said she wanted to help her cut down on extra paperwork when performing in the EU.

Choices: The news comes after it was reporter earlier this year that the BBC were lining up Sophie Ellis-Bextor to be UK’s next entry 

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