Ahead of Eurovision 2025, the BBC issued a clear directive to the United Kingdom’s representatives. What led to this extraordinary instruction, and why is political silence now the safest path?
The British country-pop group Remember Monday, representing the United Kingdom this year at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “What The Hell Just Happened?”, found themselves in the spotlight – and not just for musical reasons. Ahead of the upcoming event in Basel, Switzerland, the trio received a strict warning from the national broadcaster, the BBC, and their own management team: avoid any political topics altogether.
This unequivocal instruction followed the resurfacing of past social media posts from the group on X (formerly Twitter), where they had expressed support for the “Black Lives Matter” (BLM) movement in 2020 and pledged to donate 100% of the proceeds from a single released that year to a BLM-supporting organization. In April 2021, the group also shared a post from African-American singer Jimmie Allen, in which he criticized U.S. police conduct following the killing of George Floyd.
Why the Link to Israel Raises Concerns
Although the group had not previously engaged in political discourse, they began facing pressure from pro-Palestinian activists to speak out regarding Israel’s participation in this year’s contest. This demand stemmed from perceived parallels between their prior support for BLM and expectations for them to align with calls for an Israeli boycott.
A source familiar with the situation explained: “The band hasn’t attempted to discuss politics that much… but their support for the BLM movement has left Palestine activists desperate to get them on-side and make a statement that is critical of Israel.” According to the same source: “They’ve basically been banned from discussing politics at all – even the slightest political comment ahead of Eurovision could spark problems.”
Another person close to the group, who met as schoolgirls, emphasized their reluctance to engage in any controversy: “The last thing the three of them want is to be dragged into any political rows. They innocently attempted to make a statement showing how much they hate racism with their BLM post.”
Echoes of the Olly Alexander Incident
The tensions around the band bring back memories of the challenges faced by last year’s UK representative, Olly Alexander. The singer was bombarded with threats and online abuse after refusing to support calls for a boycott of Eurovision due to Israel’s involvement – despite expressing criticism toward Israel’s participation himself. As a result, Olly was assigned enhanced security prior to the contest.
While Remember Monday’s situation is markedly different, the British delegation isn’t willing to take chances. Even a well-meaning post from the past could spiral into a crisis threatening their Eurovision campaign.
Mae Muller and the Ghosts of Controversy
Observers also recall the controversy surrounding the UK’s 2023 entrant, Mae Muller. Months before the contest, an old tweet surfaced in which she wrote that she “hates Britain“, triggering widespread criticism. Recently, she was among 72 former contestants who signed a letter to Eurovision organizers demanding Israel and its national broadcaster be excluded from the competition – a move that sparked considerable backlash. While such political activism remains a right, many viewed the campaign as one-sided and divisive, especially in a musical event meant to unite.
What Comes Next: Silence or a New Storm?
The group, who formed while attending school in Farnborough, Hampshire, and used to meet on Mondays to rehearse, are now receiving increased attention due to their Eurovision participation. They first rose to prominence in 2019 on “The Voice UK”, and have since pursued a relatively quiet musical journey – until now.
But under an increasingly watchful gaze, it is their silence that might end up speaking volumes. The real question: have they managed to maintain a “clean profile,” or will they be swept up in a political wave beyond their control? Even in 2025, Eurovision’s stage remains tinted with politics – and this time, the UK is no exception.
United Kingdom at Eurovision 2025
The song “What The Hell Just Happened?” is the name of the song that will be performed by the girl group Remember Monday, who will represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision 2025. The group will perform the song in the second semi-final of Eurovision 2025 which will take place on May 15th in Basel, Switzerland. Since they represent one of the “Big Five” – they automatically advance to the grand final on May 17th. The song was written by the band members along with Thomas Stengaard, who wrote the winning Eurovision 2013 song “Only Teardrops“, Julie Aagaard who wrote Austria’s songs in 2024 “We Will Rave” (24th place in the grand final) and Malta’s song in 2022, “I Am What I Am” (16th place in the semi-final). The song is performed in English.
The song describes a wild night of partying and mayhem, where the speaker experiences a series of crazy and unexpected events. The song expresses the desire to break free from everyday constraints, experience extreme situations, and feel freedom, even if it involves irresponsible or dangerous behavior.
These days Britain is ranked 16th in the betting tables ahead of Eurovision 2025.
Remember Monday – Who Are You?
The girl band Remember Monday, consisting of Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull, and Charlotte Steele, is a trio that creates pop-country music filled with humor and character. They have been friends since their school days. Initially, the group was known as Houston but changed their name to “Remember Monday” to avoid confusion with other artists.
They gained recognition after competing in the 8th season of “The Voice UK”, broadcasted in 2019, where they impressed the judges with their unique vocal harmonies. They also became popular on TikTok with various covers, including a viral version of Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls“. The band is now preparing for a tour and releasing more of their original music.
Among the singles released by the band are songs such as “Hysterical Women“, “Drive“, “Prove Me Right“, and others.
Source: Daily Mail
Eurovision 2025: This will be the 67th participation of the United Kingdom in Eurovision. The United Kingdom joined the competition in 1957 and has won it five times over the years. The United Kingdom’s last victory was in Eurovision 1997 with the song ‘Love Shine A Light’ performed by the band ‘Katrina and the Waves’.
