Joost Klein disqualified from Eurovision for alleged ‘intimidation’

Dutch Eurovision contestant Joost Klein has been disqualified from the song competition ahead of its grand final on Saturday.

The Dutch singer was sent home after a female member of the production team made a bullying allegation to Swedish police following his performance in Thursday night’s semi-final.

“While legal proceedings continue, it would not be appropriate for him to continue participating in the competition,” Eurovision organizers the European Broadcasting Union said in a statement released Saturday morning. “We would like to clarify that, contrary to some media reports and speculation on social media, this incident did not involve any other artists or members of the delegation.

Event organizers added: “We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate behavior at our event and are committed to providing a safe and secure working environment for all competition staff. In light of this, Joost Klein’s behavior towards a team member is deemed to be in violation of the competition rules.

Dutch television channel Avrotros reacted to Joost’s disqualification in a statement on social media, expressing shock and disappointment at the decision and sharing their side of the story.

“An incident occurred after last Thursday’s performance,” the statement begins. “Against clearly established agreements, Joost was filmed when he had just left the stage and had to rush to the greenroom. At that time, Joost indicated several times that he did not wish to be filmed. This was not complied with. This caused Joost to make a threatening movement towards the camera. This incident was reported, followed by an investigation by the EBU and the police. Today, we have held numerous consultations with the EBU and proposed several solutions. The EBU has nevertheless decided to disqualify Joost Klein.

The statement continued: “Avrotros finds the sanction very heavy and disproportionate. We defend good manners – let there be no misunderstanding on this subject – but in our opinion, an exclusion measure is not proportional to this incident. We are very disappointed and upset for the millions of fans who were so excited for tonight. What Joost brought to the Netherlands and Europe should not have ended this way.

Joost had already been banned from rehearsals on Friday evening while the BCU investigated an unspecified “backstage incident” involving Klein, the BBC reported. Juries watching those rehearsals to determine final scores saw a recorded performance by Klein earlier in the week in his absence. The EBU did not immediately respond to Weekly EntertainmentIt is request for comment.

Klein’s disqualification from the competition is notable because, as the BBC reports, his song “Europapa” – dedicated to his parents, both of whom died when Klein was young – was “considered a favorite in this year’s competition” . ”

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Spectators first noticed something was wrong during the first dress rehearsal at the Malmö Arena in Sweden on Friday. The singer’s props were placed on stage when a member of the production asked to remove them. Then his performance was ignored and Israeli participant Eden Golan took the stage.

The EBU released a statement half an hour before the second dress rehearsal explaining Klein’s absence following an “ongoing” investigation, according to reports.

“As the investigation continues, the EBU has decided that Joost Klein will not perform at the second dress rehearsal of the competition, which is voted on by juries in the 37 participating countries,” said an EBU statement. . “His performance from Semi-Final 2 will be used instead.”

The event was marked by protests, the AP reported, as pro-Palestinian demonstrators opposed Israel’s participation. A crowd estimated at more than 10,000 people marched through the streets of Malmö on Thursday and called for a boycott of the competition.

The Eurovision Grand Final will now take place with 25 participating songs. The event is scheduled to begin on Saturday at 9 p.m. CEST. The finale begins airing at 3 p.m. EST in the United States and Canada. The Eurovision website includes a list of broadcasters. In the United States, Peacock will broadcast the event.

This story has been updated to reflect Klein’s disqualification from Eurovision.