Dutch Contestant Kicked out of Eurovision Hours Before Song Contest Final

Dutch contestant Joost Klein has been expelled from Saturday’s Eurovision Song Contest final after a complaint by a member of the production crew, organizers said, adding to the headaches for host Sweden as it also grapples with anti-Israel protests.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) had said on Friday it was investigating an incident involving Klein, 26, whose quirky song “Europapa” had made him one of the favorites.
The 68th version of the contest, normally a festival of catchy songs and tongue-in-cheek kitsch, is taking place amid protests in host city Malmo over the participation of Israel, due to its war in Gaza.
Swedish police earlier on Saturday said a man had been questioned for threatening a Eurovision employee inside Malmo Arena following the competition’s second semi-final on Thursday.
The person was not detained, police said without naming the individual, adding the matter had been referred to a prosecutor.
“While the legal process takes its course, it would not be appropriate for him (Joost) to continue in the Contest,” the EBU said in a statement.
A representative for Klein did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS said in an emailed statement that it was “shocked” the EBU’s decision and considered it “disproportionate”.
Bookmakers have Croatia’s Baby Lasagna, real name Marko Purišić, 28, with “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”, a song about a young man who leaves home aspiring to become a “city boy” with better opportunities, as front-runner to win the contest.
Israeli solo artist Eden Golan, 20, and her song “Hurricane” also qualified for Saturday’s final, with betting odds on Friday showing her as one of the leading contenders too.