OLLY ALEXANDER’s Eurovision stint was meant to reignite his music career.
But almost a year after ranking 18th in the contest, I can reveal he’s left his label.
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Olly signed to Polydor records with Years & Years in 2014, and released his solo album, Polari, with the same label last month following the departure of bandmates Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Turkmen.
However, the record went in at No17 — his first to miss the Top Five — and failed to score any Top 40 singles.
Now Olly has confirmed that his contract with Polydor has ended.
But despite his rocky career in recent years, the singer insists he intends to soldier on with music.
Olly said on Instagram: “They aren’t dropping me, they just aren’t renewing my contract.
“It’s okay and honestly for the best.
“I’ve been on a pretty terrible deal for ten years — it’s time I do something new.
“But I’ll still make music in the future.”
Olly has struggled to repeat the success of Years & Years’ debut album, Communion.
‘Talented guy’
It featured hit singles King, Shine, Desire and Eyes Shut.
He gained an entirely new fan base in 2021 when he starred as Ritchie Tozer in the groundbreaking Channel 4 drama, It’s A Sin.
But he’s barely been seen on screen since then, despite many hoping he would take over the role of Doctor Who.
If I was Olly, I’d give music a rest until he has some fresh inspiration, and get back to acting.
I’m sure he’ll have no shortage of TV offers, but the same can’t be said for music.
In the meantime, he has a European tour which will end in the UK next month.
He’s a talented guy, so I’m sure there are better days on the horizon.
ED SHEERAN continued to tease his music comeback yesterday as he turned up at his team Ipswich Town’s playing ground Portman Road with a heart-shaped balloon.
He sat alone in a back row with the pink inflatable, which he has been seen carrying in India and America recently in a hint towards his return.
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Ed is set to drop an album called Play later this year and the first single, expected to be titled Azizam, is due out in a matter of weeks.
Yesterday, the singer wrote an open letter to PM Keir Starmer, calling for the government to provide a £250m cash injection to music education in the UK.
It has been backed by Harry Styles, Coldplay, Elton John and more, so the pressure is on for the PM.
NIKITA: I’D JIVE WITH GORDON
NIKITA KUZMIN made it to the Strictly final with Layton Williams in 2023 and now he wants to go one better with another bloke – Gordon Ramsay.
Asked about his dream partner for the show, Nikita said he wants to persuade the sweary chef to get involved, after dancing with his daughter Tilly on the 2021 series.
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In an exclusive chat, he said: “I would love to dance with Gordon.
“It would be so, so funny, him getting mad at things.”
The show hit trouble last year when Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima left amid claims of wrong-doing, but Nikita still thinks it’s magical.
He said: “Obviously when those things happen it’s a bit disappointing.
“We know the show for how positive it is.
“It’s really helpful to bring people through the winters.
“Yes we sometimes have drama, but 99.99 per cent of the time it is a wholesome show for the whole family.
Nikita is now touring the UK with his theatrical dance show Midnight Dancer, which Bizarre’s Howell was lucky enough to see on Friday night – and loved.
FORGET Hyrox, there’s a new fitness craze all my mates are getting into.
Metrix involves hardcore workouts to incredible live DJs and my pal spotted ex-rugby player Greg O’Shea competing in the last event.
They’re coming to Manchester on August 2, with tickets going on sale this Friday.
LED ZEP GETS £10M
BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN is Imax’s most successful music film of all time.
I’m told the movie, which features never-before-seen footage and interviews, has taken £10million at the box office and extra dates have been added nationwide because of its popularity.
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It’s one of the best music films I’ve seen, so it’s well worth a trip to the cinema if you’ve not caught it yet.
Dua and Troye get Physical in Oz
DUA LIPA and Troye Sivan reunited in Melbourne – nine years after she supported him on tour when she was a fledgling singer.
The Aussie star joined Dua on stage for her fourth sold-out arena show in his home town Melbourne, where they performed his 2023 hit Rush.
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And they shocked fans by handing a USB stick to a fan in the crowd containing a previously unheard version of her 2020 hit Physical, featuring Troye.
She told the crowd: “What a lot of people don’t know is that a couple of years ago we actually did a remix of Physical and it never got to see the light of day.
“I have a USB with the song on it. And we’re going to give it to someone tonight.”
Handing it to a fan, she asked: “Can we trust you to leak it?”
And just like clockwork, it is now floating around social media if you want to take a listen.
TOM LAYS BLAME
TOM GRENNAN has been out of action for weeks after undergoing surgery on his leg and he’s now blamed ex-Manchester United ace Patrice Evra for it.
The Little Bit Of Love singer has claimed he had to go under the knife due to an injury he sustained at Soccer Aid against the French former footballer last summer.
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Asked who was responsible, Tom said: “It was a guy called Patrice Evra who used to play for Man United.
“He just didn’t like how good I was at football, you know what I mean?
“He said, ‘You need to settle down, my friend,’ and I definitely did.”
Speaking about what happened, he explained: “I’m in a boot at the moment and I’ll probably be in that for another four to six weeks.
“I was playing football last year and I let the injury get worse and worse and worse.
“I ended up having an 8cm tear in my tendon.
“Now I’ve got a brand new foot but it’s a long road to recovery.”
Tom is due to be back on the pitch at Old Trafford for the charity game in June, but thankfully for him, Patrice isn’t due to take part.
And he’s been taking it easy at home by bingeing the latest series of The Great Pottery Throw Down.
Tom, who has just released his new song Boys Don’t Cry, told the Aussie podcast Smallzy’s Surgery: “I cried last night watching a show about pottery.
“They make pots and judge the pots.
“The judge sees the pot, looks at it and starts crying, so I started crying.”
The week in bizness
WEDS: SIR ELTON JOHN and Brandi Carlile are on stage together at The London Palladium for a one-off sold out concert to promote their joint album Who Believes In Angels?.
THURS: NOMINATIONS are announced for the Bafta TV awards, where Gavin & Stacey and The Traitors are expected to be high on the list, ahead of the ceremony on May 11.
FRI: THERE will be no shortage of new albums, as Will Smith drops Based On A True Story, Mumford & Sons release Rushmere and Ariana Grande puts out Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead.
SUN: JASON MOMOA, Jack Black and Jennifer Coolidge are among the stars in London’s Leicester Square for the world premiere of A Minecraft Movie.
