'Now that I’m free I can talk about everything': Bambie Thug breaks silence on absence from Eurovision dress rehearsal
Hours before the live final Bambie called on organisers to address commentary made on Israeli television that aired before their performance in Tuesday’s semi-final.
“Fuck the EBU” was what Bambie Thug had to say to press after a day of confusion around their performance in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest final.
They were speaking soon after their fellow non-binary competitor Nemo was crowned the 2024 winner for Switzerland and hours after rumours swirled following Bambie’s absence from the competition’s dress rehearsal on Saturday afternoon.
This year’s competition perhaps stands out for its spectacular failure of communication above all else. The mood in Malmö’s press centre on Saturday was one of utter confusion as international press scrambled to make sense of the situation in lieu of any official statements from the European Broadcasting Union. Journalists from other countries approached Irish press during the day seeking any insight into the situation, the lack of official comment leading to rumour and gossip potentially spreading like wildfire, particularly on social media. Until Bambie appeared on stage in the grand final there was still a last-minute question mark over whether they would be among the performers that evening.
It came following much opposition to Israel’s participation in the contest in light of the conflict in Palestine. Hours before the live final Bambie called on organisers to address commentary made on Israeli television that aired before their performance in Tuesday’s semi-final, saying it breached the rules of the Eurovision and Israel should not be allowed to continue in the competition. Bambie revealed after the show that they had placed several complaints with the EBU about Israeli broadcaster KAN through the week and added they hope Israel will be banned from the 2025 competition.
“Now that I’m free I can talk about everything,” they said. “KAN, the broadcaster, incited violence against me twice, three times. We brought it up to the EBU, they said they’d follow up. They waited until the last minute, we still haven’t got a statement back. [The EBU] allowed us to be scapegoats, allowed us to be the spokesperson for standing up for ourselves. That broadcaster has disobeyed the rules and I hope next year they won’t be allowed to compete because of that.” They became tearful when reflecting on Nemo’s success despite the tension behind the scenes.
“Behind the scenes you don’t know the amount of pressure and the amount of work that we have been doing to change things and I’m so proud of Nemo for winning, I’m so proud of all of us in the top 10 that have been fighting for this behind the scenes because it has been so hard, it has been so horrible for us and I’m so proud of us.
“We are what the Eurovision is. The EBU is not what the Eurovision is. Fuck the EBU, I don’t even care anymore. Fuck them,” Bambie said, raising their middle fingers. “The thing that makes us contestants, the community behind it, the love and the power and the support of all of us is what’s making change. The world has spoken, the queers are coming, non-binaries for the fucking win.” It was a sentiment echoed by Nemo during the winner’s conference moments before, as they spoke about a “double standard” in the contest.
For a contest that claims to avoid political statements, this year’s Eurovision has been highly politically charged. In the media centre at Malmö Arena, some international journalists shared their thoughts that the Eurovision will not remain the same after this year’s contest, even suggesting it may cease to exist entirely after the 2024 edition. One thing is for sure, it’s a Eurovision to remember — and likely one that will see rippling repercussions within the EBU for a long time.
