Rylan Clark has been praised by fans after addressing the controversy surrounding Israel's participation in this year's Eurovision Song Contest live on air. The 37-year-old presenter, who was commentating the semi-finals with Angela Scanlon, told viewers that five countries had withdrawn from the contest following Israel's continued participation.
Speaking on the broadcast, Clark said: 'As I'm sure you're aware, this year Eurovision has faced one of its most challenging years; five countries have withdrawn following the continued participation of Israel, which leaves us with 35 acts competing in this year's live shows.' The countries that declined to take part were Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland.
Fans took to social media to praise Clark for his remarks. One wrote on X: 'Rylan immediately started off with mentioning 5 countries withdrawing because of Israel... honestly wasn't expecting it.' Another said: 'Big on Rylan for mentioning the withdrawals, and that is because of Israel.' A third added: 'Rylan is making his feelings known, good for him.'
The comments came after a crowd of boos followed Israel's performance, and reports that a few audience members were removed from the event due to escalating tensions. This is not the first time Clark has faced backlash for his on-air comments; last August, he sparked 702 Ofcom complaints after discussing illegal immigration on This Morning.
