Tracy-Ann Oberman, has opened up about a conversation she had with Rylan Clark amid claims he skipped an interview with Israel’s Eurovision act, Eden Golan.
The actress, who is best known for her roles in EastEnders and Friday Night Dinner, revealed on social media that Rylan’s actions were not deliberate, emphasising his character and calling for unity during the contest.
Taking to X – formerly known as Twitter – Tracey wrote: ‘Have spoken to @rylan and it was not targeted. He’s a wonderful man and I’m deleting tweet.
‘This years @eurovision has been a nightmare for many & most don’t want it to be this way – audience obviously included as reflected by voting. Let art unify and music be a healer.’
Tracey later added that she ‘admired’ Eden, 20, and felt she had ‘incredible resilience’.
Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman, has opened up about a conversation she had with Rylan Clark amid claims he skipped an interview with Israel’s Eurovision act, Eden Golan
Tracey, who is best known for her roles in EastEnders and Friday Night Dinner, revealed on social media that Rylan’s actions were not deliberate, emphasising his character and calling for unity during the Contest
It comes after Rylan received a string of backlash on Thursday night after the TV presenter, 35, who is part of fronting the BBC’s Eurovision coverage, appeared to ‘snub’ Israel’s Eden.
Israel’s participation in the Eurovision has been controversial this year with some believing the country should not be included given the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Rylan had been interviewing the contestants in an elevator for the contest’s TikTok page, however, when it came time for Eden’s elevator interview, the presenter was nowhere to be seen and she instead answered questions from an automated voice.
Fans on social media had speculated the host may have been making a political statement, but others noticed that Rylan did not interview all of the acts and did not speak to Norway or Moldova either.
Rylan, however, defended the contest’s spirit, emphasising its focus on music amidst protests, alongside co-host Scott Mills.
He told Good Morning Britain: ‘Malmö is doing an amazing job of hosting. It’s a song contest, it’s all about the music and that’s what we’re here for’.
Radio 2’s Scott Mills added: ‘It does feel a little different, but it’s about the music and the joy that we have every single year at Eurovision.’
The European Broadcasting Union decided to allow Israel to participate, with the Deputy Director General Jean Philip De Tender commenting that ‘The Eurovision Song Contest is a music event…not a competition between nations or governments.’
Taking to X – formerly known as Twitter – Tracey wrote that Rylan was ‘a wonderful man’ and the non interview ‘was not targeted’ before adding that she admired Eden and felt she had ‘incredible resilience’
On Thursday night’s semi final, when it came time for Eden’s elevator interview, Rylan was nowhere to be seen and she instead answered questions from an automated voice
Eden made it through to the final following a public vote after thousands of protestors demonstrated in Malmo calling for her to be excluded from the competition
Her song Hurricane was reworked from a previous track called October Rain, believed to reference the Hamas attacks on Israel
Eden Golan of Israel celebrated gaining a place in the final during the second semi-final at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo
In the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, Eden secured a spot in the final alongside Armenia, Austria, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland.
The 20-year-old singer took to the stage to sing the emotional Hurricane, which was reworked from a previous track called October Rain, believed to reference the Hamas attacks on Israel.
She opened with a back bend, before launching into her song and received claps and cheers from the audience while dressed in a flowing sand-coloured dress.
It comes after Golan was ordered to stay in her hotel room earlier today by her country’s national security agency as thousands of pro-Palestine protesters called for her to be excluded from the competition.
Golan was booed by some of the spectators watching rehearsals on Wednesday and there were reportedly shouts of ‘free Palestine’.
