Bambie Thug: I stand with anyone boycotting the Eurovision
Ireland's entry in this year's Eurovision is standing by their decision to participate in the competition despite calls for a boycott.
This year's contest has been mired in controversy since the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has allowed Israel to participate despite the ongoing violence in Palestine.
There have been calls by the public and other Irish artists for Bambie Thug not to travel to Malmö, Sweden next month as a form of protest against Israel's inclusion.
The Cork artist has previously said they will not be boycotting the Eurovision and explained the decision on the Late Late Show on Friday night.
Following a stripped-back performance of their entry, Doomsday Blue, they joined host Patrick Kielty for a short chat during which Bambie was asked to explain their decision to resist the calls to stay home.
"I stand with anyone doing the boycott. I think if I wasn't in the competition I would also be boycotting," they said.
"There are a lot of moving parts and at the end of the day, without the group of us - who is pro-Palestine - it is less competition for the other side to win and it's less solidarity there.
"Obviously, it's incredibly heavy and I am extremely behind everybody."
It is not the first time Bambie has publicly defended their decision. Last month, in a joint statement with some of the other Eurovision entrants, including the UK's Olly Alexander, the group stated that they will remain in the competition to “foster meaningful conversations and connections”.
Referring to the statement, Bambie said: "We all met up and had chats about it and we just felt strongly about it. We just couldn't stay silent on the matter but, at the end of the day, it is the EBU who has to make the decision.
"Unfortunately, in my eyes, they are not making the right decision."
The 31-year-old was elated when they beat out a number of other artists to become Ireland's entry for Eurovision 2024, saying at the time that winning the public vote was a moment they'll never forget.
But now, they admitted that the feeling is now "bittersweet".
Bambie will face Ukraine, Cyprus, Poland, Serbia, Lithuania, Croatia, Slovenia, Iceland, Finland, Portugal, Luxembourg, Australia and Moldova in the first of two semi-finals on Tuesday, May 7.
They have been performing gigs across Europe in recent weeks and they now find themselves in the top 10 favourites to win the grand final which will take place on Saturday, May 11.
The last time that Ireland was in the final was in 2018 when Dublin singer and actor Ryan O'Shaughnessy entered with the song Together.
