John Lydon calls Eurovision ‘disgusting’ and ‘phoney’ – but still wants to compete in it
John Lydon wants to represent Ireland at the “disgusting” Eurovision Song Contest. (Getty/Emma McIntyre)
Former Sex Pistol and Trump lover John Lydon lashed out at the Eurovision Song Contest despite currently competing to represent Ireland in the contest.
Lydon, known formerly as Johnny Rotten, announced on Monday (9 January) that his band Public Image Ltd is vying to represent the country at Eurovision in May.
A day later, Lydon appeared on RTE’s Radio 1 to drag Eurovision through the mud.
“It’s absolutely awful, the songs. The whole thing of it is disgusting to me,” he said.
“I’m a songwriter, I perform live, and these shows just come across as so dreadfully phoney to me,” he added, before suggesting that he doesn’t actually know what he’ll need to do at Eurovision, likening it to “karaoke”.
Backtracking, the former rockstar then said: “But look, we’re giving it a chance to break out of that mould.”
In 2021, Lydon stated that he was “seriously in a state of financial ruin” after losing a court case against his former Sex Pistol band mates.
John Lydon’s decision to vie for a spot in Eurovision has confused fans of the contest, both due to his punk roots and his right-wing views.
In an 2020 interview with The Guardian, Lydon donned a MAGA cap and called Trump “the only sensible choice” in the 2020 US elections.
Last year, in another interview with The Guardian, he expressed his disdain for “BLM and the woke”.
Lydon’s band Public Image Ltd has put forward new track “Hawaii” in their bid to become the representative for Ireland at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. They are up against five other music acts hoping to represent the country.
Eurovision 2023 will take place from 9 to 13 May, hosted by Liverpool.
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