John Lydon Calls Eurovision 'Disgusting' Despite Wanting To Compete On It
By Katrina Nattress
January 11, 2023
Last week, John Lydon announced he was submitting Public Image Ltd's new single "Hawaii" to Eurovision in hopes to represent Ireland in the song contest. But despite vying to compete in the show, the former Sex Pistols frontman called Eurovision "disgusting" in a recent interview.
“It’s absolutely awful, the songs. The whole thing of it is disgusting to me. I’m a songwriter, I perform live, and these shows just come across as so dreadfully phoney to me," he said before explaining why he submitted a song. “But look, we’re giving it a chance to break out of that mould.”
When asked how he plans to do things differently, the singer confessed: "I’ve no idea. Apparently, I have to do karaoke over a backing track."
Lydon wrote "Hawaii" for his wife Nora, who's been living with Alzheimer's. “It is dedicated to everyone going through tough times on the journey of life, with the person they care for the most,” he said in a statement about the song. “It’s also a message of hope that ultimately love conquers all.”
The 2023 edition of Eurovision will be held in Liverpool this May. On February 3, PiL will go against other artists in a televised competition to determine who will represent Ireland on the show.