Dutch Eurovision hopeful's furious outburst after he's 'booted' from song contest
By Peter Sheridan
Saturday 13th May 2023
Dutch singer Joost Klein is facing a race against time to be fit for Saturday's Eurovision final after being forced to miss the penultimate dress rehearsal due to illness.
The 26-year-old Klein was a surprise omission from the line-up for Friday night's run-through of songs from all 26 countries taking part in Saturday's grand final in Malmo, Sweden.
The singer has now declared himself fit to compete despite the setback, and will perform at the rescheduled dress rehearsal on Saturday morning.
However, his illness could not have come at a worse time, with bookmakers reporting a surge in support for Klein's song, By Way Of Love, in recent days.
Klein is a relative unknown outside the Netherlands, but his heartfelt ballad has seen him emerge as one of the surprise packages of this year's competition.
The Dutch broadcaster, AVROTROS, confirmed Klein's absence from the second dress rehearsal, but refused to comment on reports that he is struggling with a throat infection.
Fans of the contest reacted with a mixture of concern and support on social media, while bookmakers William Hill reported a surge in bets on Klein to win the competition.
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