Bumby Thug said he was “extremely grateful” to be representing Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest and promised to give an “eye-opening” performance.
The 30-year-old from Cork was selected to represent Ireland with his genre-changing track. doomsday blue on friday night Late Euro Song Special.
Featuring non-binary artists ray d’arcy show Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1 on Monday, they said the experience had been “very overwhelming”, adding that “it hasn’t sunk in yet”.
“I was going to say something heartbreaking, but it wasn’t. My heart was full,” Bunby told Ray. “I really didn’t expect the country to support me this much. In fact, I’m still pretty emotional.”
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Speaking about the support that night, Bunby said: “There were banners and everything! It was just crazy. To be honest, I was definitely having a bit of a dissociative moment and the whole thing felt like an out-of-body experience. It was a great experience,” he said.
“But there was so much love in the room. There was so much support. I felt so supported and it was so beautiful. I’m so grateful.”
The Macroom-born star spoke about their celebrations after the show.
“I went backstage for a little bit and I was so overwhelmed,” they said. “Then we went to the Odeon and surprised the fan club, so we did a little impromptu performance.
“And actually, I just went home and ordered some pizza and had some tea. Honestly, my wild days are behind me!”
The artist said after winning: “I need to keep myself grounded, so I’ve been meditating a lot more than usual.”
They said of the online reaction to their win: “We’ve seen a lot of good and bad, but there’s been an overwhelming amount of love. As queer people, we sometimes receive hate.” Ta.
“All I can say is I send all my loved ones who are outraged by my art. I hope you’re all safe.”
Speaking about the opportunity to represent Ireland at Eurovision, which will be held in Malmö, Sweden, in May this year, Bunby said: “I’m really grateful to Ireland and everyone for giving me the chance on that big stage.
“I want to take it even further. I want to create something that even Eurovision hasn’t really seen. We’re going to deliver something that really grabs attention.”
The semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will be held on May 7th and 9th, with the grand final taking place on May 11th.