Eurovision man questioned by police over incident when Dutch actor mysteriously misses rehearsals

A man has been questioned by police over threatening allegations at the Eurovision Song Contest after Dutch actor Joost Klein missed two dress rehearsals.

It is now unclear whether the 26-year-old rapper and singer will perform his semi-final qualifying song “Europapa” in the finale on Saturday, May 11th. British actor Olly Alexander canceled his own press conference on Friday evening for unknown reasons.

Swedish news agencies report that an incident involving a television production employee is being investigated. A spokeswoman for the Swedish Police Authority told PA: “A man is suspected of making unlawful threats. The crime is said to have been committed on Thursday evening in the Malmö Arena.”

She added: “The man is being questioned by police but not arrested. The plaintiff is an employee of Eurovision.”

The case will now go to the public prosecutor within a few weeks. The plaintiff is not a Eurovision act.

On Friday, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) released a statement saying: “The investigation into the incident involving the Dutch artist at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest is still ongoing.”

“Discussions are also taking place between the EBU and Avrotros, the Dutch participating broadcaster.”

“While the investigation continues, the EBU has decided that Joost Klein will not perform at the second dress rehearsal of the competition, which will be voted on by juries in the 37 participating countries.”

“Instead, his performance from semi-finals two will be used.”

The grand finale at the Malmö Arena in Sweden promises to be a spectacular event, with performances from the Big Five nations Great Britain, France, Spain, Germany and Italy, as well as reigning champions Sweden and 20 other qualifiers, all competing for the coveted Eurovision Song Contest vying for crown.

One of those who made it to the semi-finals was Israeli singer Eden Golan, whose performance became the talk of the town due to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Their stirring track “Hurricane,” originally titled “October Rain,” is believed to have been inspired by the Hamas attacks on Israel that sparked the ongoing conflict.

With tensions high, more demonstrations are expected in the central Stortorget square on Saturday, where pro-Palestinian activists will march through the city to the Molleplast.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who is also the daughter of Eurovision star Malena Ernman, took to the streets with thousands at a pro-Palestinian rally in Malmö and called for a boycott of the song contest.

Greta made headlines when she accused Israel of trying to “artwash” the Eurovision Song Contest and using the event to whitewash its actions.

“We will not accept that a country that is currently committing genocide is given a platform to deface itself,” said the passionate 21-year-old. The world cannot remain silent in the face of genocide.”

Israel strongly denies any allegations of genocide and reiterates its right to self-defense, especially after Hamas attacks in October caused numerous Israeli casualties.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his pride at Golan’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, while British Prime Minister’s spokesman Rishi Sunak criticized the protests as “wrong” and “unfair.”

Meanwhile, despite the chaos in his semi-final appearance on Tuesday, British hopeful Olly Alexander wants to shine in the final with Dizzy and an innovative upside-down room setup.

Irish actress Bambie Thug has also secured a place in the grand final, marking Ireland’s first appearance since 2018 after her song “Doomsday Blue” was successfully voted out.

They’re joined by Swedish sensations Marcus and Martinus, who hope to make a name for themselves with the hit “Unforgettable.”

Sweden will host the competition after its singer Loreen triumphed in Liverpool last year, marking the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s first win with Waterloo.

The event will be hosted by Irish presenter Graham Norton live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, while Scott Mills and Rylan Clark will provide commentary on BBC Radio 2.

The grand final will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday, May 11 at 8pm