Eurovision winner Nemo has opened up on their feelings of isolation while taking part in the contest and has criticised the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for an alleged lack of support.
The 25-year-old triumphed for Switzerland with their song 'The Code' in Malmo in May, ensuring that next year's event will be staged in Basel.
The 2024 contest was partly overshadowed by the ongoing war in Gaza, and the EBU's decision to prevent artists from speaking up on the conflict - in particular in support of the Palestinian people - led to much tension backstage, including alleged incidents involving the artist representing Israel.
At one of the rehearsals, Nemo, together with Ireland's Bambie Thug and Greece's Marina Satti, were absent from the parade due to an undisclosed incident, and now Nemo has claimed that the issue is still ongoing.
"There were situations that are still being investigated by the EBU," Nemo told the BBC. "They told us they would get back to us and they haven't yet. It's a shame that the EBU takes so long in my honest opinion."
They added: "I really hope they have things in place for the next year to make sure that part of the whole contest, especially mentally, gets taken care of.
"Because I did feel alone and I know that some other artists were also feeling that way."
Nemo's new single 'Eurostar', which they describe as a "love letter to London" after recently moving to the UK, is out now.
Neil Wilkes
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