Joost Klein, disqualified Eurovision contestant

Hours before the grand final, Joost Klein was disqualified from Eurovision due to an "incident". The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) reported that the 26-year-old singer would be investigated and would not be able to perform, as "while the legal process is taking its course, it would not be appropriate for him to continue in the Contest." It was later confirmed that a woman from the pageant's production team had filed an accusation against Klein related to the incident.

Emil Andersson, the main police officer in charge of the case, told Swedish broadcaster SVT that "we expect that there will probably be a prosecution." He added that the process will be "expedited," implying that the incident was not a serious crime, and the process is expected to take about two months.

Klein's disqualification was "disproportionate"

The Netherlands argues that Klein's disqualification was "disproportionate." The 'Sydsvenska Daily', a local newspaper in Malmö, where the altercation took place, pointed out that the crime of threats usually carries fines after conviction. However, not much information has been provided about the details of the accusation against Klein. The Dutch broadcaster 'Avrotros' issued a statement arguing that the disqualification was "disproportionate."

"Contrary to what was clearly agreed, Joost was recorded when he had just left the stage and had to run to the green room. At that time, Joost repeatedly indicated that he did not want to be filmed. This was not respected," says the statement, which goes on to state that the network "considers the disqualification disproportionate and is shocked by the decision."

Klein's disqualification on the same day of the final is unprecedented in Eurovision history. Despite this, the EBU later allowed the Dutch public and jury to vote in the evening's contest.

Joost Klein, Dutch singer and rapper, was a favorite of both bookmakers and fans with his song 'Europapa', a cheerful euro-techno ode to the continent that is also a tribute to his parents, who died when he was a child. This year, the contest was already surrounded by controversy due to the inclusion of Israel, which provoked large protests by Palestinians and their supporters in Malmö, who argued that Israel should be excluded after the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.