Controversial New Year’s Duet by Rick Astley and Rylan Clark Sparks Mixed Reactions: Fans Praise the Camp Genius, Critics Express Distress and Claim BBC Show Reflects Troubling Times

Rick Astley and Rylan Clark’s surprise New Year’s duet left viewers divided on Sunday evening when they collaborated on a cover of You Spin Me Round. 

The Never Gonna Give You Up hitmaker, 57, stunner fans during BBC One’s New Year’s Eve Rocks show by welcoming the This Morning host, 35, on stage to belt out Dead Or Alive’s iconic 1985 hit – to mixed reviews. 

Twitter was flooded with comments from both fans and critics, who weighed in on the performance, with some branding the show ‘camp genius’, while others insisted ‘the country is on its a**e’ due to the BBC’s decision to air the pairing. 

While Rylan is better known for his TV presenting nowadays, he shot to fame as a hopeful on X Factor in 2012’s ninth series, where he finished in fifth. 

He distanced himself from music and moved on to reality TV and now presenting – with critically-acclaimed turns on This Morning in recent weeks in the wake of Holly Willoughby’s departure – however some fans begged him to return to singing. 

Rick Astley and Rylan Clark's surprise New Year's duet left viewers divided on Sunday evening when they collaborated on a cover of You Spin Me Round

Rick Astley and Rylan Clark’s surprise New Year’s duet left viewers divided on Sunday evening when they collaborated on a cover of You Spin Me Round

The Never Gonna Give You Up hitmaker, 57, stunner fans during BBC One's New Year's Eve Rocks show by welcoming the This Morning host, 35, on stage to belt out Dead Or Alive's iconic 1985 hit - to mixed reviews

The Never Gonna Give You Up hitmaker, 57, stunner fans during BBC One’s New Year’s Eve Rocks show by welcoming the This Morning host, 35, on stage to belt out Dead Or Alive’s iconic 1985 hit – to mixed reviews 

While Rylan is better known for his TV presenting nowadays, he shot to fame as a hopeful on X Factor in 2012's ninth series, where he finished in fifth (pictured on X Factor)

While Rylan is better known for his TV presenting nowadays, he shot to fame as a hopeful on X Factor in 2012’s ninth series, where he finished in fifth (pictured on X Factor) 

Rylan himself poked fun at the performance, as he took to Twitter to write: ‘It can’t get worse than me singing you into the new year. 2024 is on the up from here…

‘Happy new year’, before sharing a snap in which he looked bored while staring at the camera while penning: ‘New Year. New Me. And all that b*****s’.

Fans of the performance took to the microblogging site to pen: ‘Bringing out Rylan for Rick Astley’s New Years show is camp genius… Rick Astley and Rylan. 20 mins in and 2024 has peaked already!… 

‘Rylan and Rick Astley doing You Spin Me Round is the start to 2024 we all needed… Rylan and Rick Astley doing You Spin Me (Right Round) 2024 has peaked and we aren’t even 20 minutes into it… 

‘Not usually a fan of anything London-centric, but just flipped over to see Rylan dueting with Rick Astley to sing You Spin Me Round. Giving. Me. Life… Rick rolled into 2024. With Rylan. Hate NY but fair play BBC… 

‘Hope the rest of the year is as much fun as a Rick/Rylan duet… Rylan and Rick Astley singing ‘You Spin Me Round’. Hello 2024… Rylan singing Dead Or Alive with Rick Astley was the best music I saw tonight… 

Rylan himself poked fun at the performance, as he took to Twitter to wri te: 'It can't get worse than me singing you into the new year'

Rylan himself poked fun at the performance, as he took to Twitter to wri te: ‘It can’t get worse than me singing you into the new year’

Rylan also shared a snap in which he looked bored while staring at the camera while penning: 'New Year. New Me. And all that b*****s'

Rylan also shared a snap in which he looked bored while staring at the camera while penning: ‘New Year. New Me. And all that b*****s’

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Twitter was flooded with comments from both fans and critics, who weighed in on the performance, with some branding the show 'camp genius'

Twitter was flooded with comments from both fans and critics, who weighed in on the performance, with some branding the show ‘camp genius’

‘Rick & Rylan – thank you, a great start to #HappyNewYear2024… I didn’t know that a Rylan and Rick Astley duet was what I needed, but it’s very welcome… 

‘So welcome 2024, Thank you Rick Astley and Rylan for getting us off to a great start with that duet and goodnight… This this this!’#

Critics meanwhile countered the support by penning: ‘Been Rick Rolled and now got Rylan singing, what a w**k start to 2024 #HappyNewYear… Rick Ashley and Rylan to kick off 2024. The only way is up… 

‘Rick Astley and Rylan singing You Spin Me Round? Stop the Earth, I am getting off… Well Rylan just spoiled the Rick Astley set… Whose idea was that?… 

‘Rick astley and rylan Clarke bringing us into 2024 on bbc1 country’s on its a**e… Actually really distressed at the Dead or Alive cover by Rylan and Rick Astley that I just witness on live tv.’

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Critics were more loathing of the show

Critics were more loathing of the show 

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