???????? Netherlands: Joost Klein Will Not Perform in the Jury Final
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) just announced that Joost Klein, who represents the Netherlands, won't be part of tonight's jury final.
The EBU is currently looking into an incident involving Klein, which hasn't been resolved yet. This means that the singer, known for the song "Europapa," hasn't been removed from the competition for now. However, the situation may change depending on the findings of the investigation.
The EBU reassured accredited media via email that they will use Joost's performance from the second semi-final held last night.
So, the national juries will assess the performance during tonight's show. The points awarded by the juries will be based on the Friday performances instead of Saturday night's show.
The EBU issued a comprehensive expression to the media regarding the matter:
The inquiry into the Dutch artist's mishap at this year's Eurovision Song Contest is still underway. Additionally, talks between AVROTROS, the broadcast company representing the Netherlands, and the EBU are ongoing.
As the inquiry persists, the EBU has resolved that Joost Klein won't take part in the second run-through of the contest that's evaluated by judges from 37 nations.
In lieu of his previous performance, the judges will utilize the one from the second semi-final.
Earlier today during the dress rehearsal, it became clear that Joost Klein would not be able to perform tonight as planned.
While preparing for the show called "Europapa," scheduled for slot number 5, the crew suddenly halted the setup of Joost's stage without giving any reasons. Without wasting any time, they quickly shifted to the next performance, which was Israel at slot 6.
According to a report from the Swedish broadcaster SVT, who is also hosting the Eurovision 2024 event, Joost is being investigated following an incident where he had a physical altercation with a photographer.
According to SVT's report, the local police are now looking into the case. In a statement, Swedish Police representative Rickard Lundqvist stated that they are investigating the matter.
Currently, we do not possess any confirmed documentation. However, we are present at the site and implementing inquiry actions to determine the occurrence.
The EBU and AVROTROS have not verified the details of the event yet.
The final round of the jury is taking place tonight, with only 25 songs competing in the competition. It is yet to be determined if Joost Klein will be able to take part in the Grand Final tomorrow or if the Netherlands will face exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest.
The photo for this article was taken by Corinne Cumming for the EBU. The EBU is the organization that manages the Eurovision Song Contest.
Latest news as of 11:15 pm in Central European Time zone:
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