Olly Alexander facts: UK Eurovision singer's age, songs, partner and career revealed
14 March 2024, 14:54
Actor and singer Olly Alexander is representing the UK at Eurovision in Malmo, Sweden in May 2024.
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Olly Alexander's star has been on the rise in recent years, with the announcement he would represent the UK at Eurovision throwing him into an even bigger spotlight.
But, who is the young star, where is he from and what will he be singing at the Eurovision Song Contest?
Read on for everything you need to know about Olly Alexander...
How old is Olly Alexander and where was he born?
Olly Alexander was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire on July 15, 1990 and is 33 years old as of 2024.
According to The New York Times, Olly wrote his first song on his father's Casio keyboard when he was just 10 years old.
The actor found his love for the stage while at school after starring in two school plays at Monmouth Comprehensive, playing the lead role of Benny in Guys and Dolls, and as the Corporal in The Caucasian Chalk Circle.
After taking his GCSEs, he left regular school to pursue his love of acting and went on to study Performing Arts at Hereford College of Arts.
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Speaking of his time at Drama school, Olly told Anthem Magazine in 2014 that he had originally wanted to be a singer.
"I really wanted to become a singer or a musician ... All of a sudden I was an actor. It was never something I'd set my heart on being.
"I'm still trying to work it out ... I really hated school because I was totally bullied. But you're never bullied in drama class because the weird kids do well in drama class. That's a safe place"
What has been Olly Alexander's career so far?
At the tender age of 16, Olly was signed by an acting agent while auditioning for a part on Channel 4's hit show Skins, and his career started to snowball.
He had a notable role in Bright Star, a British film which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume in 2009, before going to act in various films like Tormented and Enter the Void the same year.
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He then transitioned to the stage, starring in the Bush Theatre's production of The Aliens in 2010, before starring as Peter Pan in Peter and Alice in the West End in 2013, appearing on TV shows Skins and Penny Dreadful, and film God Help The Girl in 2014.
2021 saw Olly cement himself as a highly-talented actor for his starring role in the acclaimed IV/AIDS crisis drama It's a Sin, with some critics calling for him to receive a BAFTA for his portrayal.
What are Olly Alexander's biggest songs with Years and Years?
Alongside his love of acting, Olly is a talented singer and performer, joining the band Years & Years as the lead singer in 2010 after fellow band member Mikey Goldsworthy heard him singing in the shower.
The band rose to fame with their single 'Fame' in 2015, quickly followed by their debut solo album Communion, which became the chart's fastest selling album by a UK signed band.
2018 saw Years & Years release their second highly-acclaimed album Palo Santo, January 2022 saw their third album Night Call swiftly claim the number one spot in the UK charts, and in total the band were nominated for an impressive six Brit Awards during their time together.
Years & Year's biggest hits include 'King', 'Shine' and 'If You're Over Me'.
In 2023 Olly Alexander decided to stop performing under Years & Years and instead take to the stage using his own name, cementing his popularity as a performer in his own right.
Does Olly Alexander have a boyfriend?
In 2015, Olly was in a relationship with Clean Bandit star Neil Milan Amin-Smith. However, the pair split up later that year, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts with their respective careers.
Speaking to Attitude at the time, Olly said: "We've had less and less time to spend together and the time we did have together were such short periods it put so much pressure on our relationship."
As of March 2024, it is unknown if Olly is currently in a relationship.
Which artists has Olly Alexander collaborated with?
Elton John joined Olly Alexander in 2021 to cover the Pet Shop Boys' 'It's A Sin'.
The pair gave their debut performance at the BRIT Awards, before releasing their official studio version of the song.
Proceeds of sales went towards the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the non-profit founded by Elton in 1992.
Alongside his work with Elton John, Olly has released two singles with Kylie Minogue, 'A Second To Midnight' and 'Starstruck'.
Olly has spoken out about how much help Kylie and Elton have been for him mentally, becoming mentors for him when he was struggling with fame.
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Speaking to the Evening Standard, he said: "Working with Elton and even Kylie, two of the most iconic legends, they both told me how they’ve struggled as an artist to feel like at times they knew what they were doing, feeling really dark.
"Elton talks a lot about how depressed he was and how difficult things got for him and hearing them talk about that you just go ‘wow’.
"I’m someone who is constantly questioning why the hell I’m here and doing what I’m doing like ‘oh my God’ — I’m totally that person. But to hear that from people I really, really respect that it’s normal and you just get through it somehow. That was good advice and good to hear."
Sir Elton John and Olly Alexander perform dramatic version of Pet Shop Boys hit It's A Sin
What song is Olly Alexander singing at Eurovision?
March 1, 2024, saw Olly release 'Dizzy', the song we would be representing the UK with at the Eurovision Song Contest in May.
“I wrote the song last summer with Danny L Harle, we started off with the word Dizzy because it just popped into my head and I liked it,” he said.
Olly Alexander - Dizzy (Official Video)
“I was thinking about fun things that could make you dizzy and I remember saying ‘dizzy from your kisses’, so the song is about feeling such an intense swell of emotion for someone they totally turn your world upside down and inside out.”
Alexander said he shared that the pair “wanted to describe [a] magical place in the song”.
“A place of beautiful gardens, eternal flowers and time turning endlessly in an ecstatic loop,” he said.
“We took the feeling of dizziness and put that into the production, so there’s a lot of undulating arpeggios, lilting harmonies and counter rhythms in the backing vocals.”
