The BBC has clarified a report in a tabloid newspaper saying that this year’s planned act to represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision had been axed. 

On Friday evening, The Sun broke a story saying the artist the BBC planned to put forward to represent the UK in Vienna in May had been dropped due to what the newspaper called a “string of major concerns relating to historic comments made online”. 

Despite reporting that it was the “planned” act, The Sun’s headline made an unequivocal reference to the “UK’s entrant”. 

The Euro Trip can confirm that an act was told by bosses at the BBC that they would not be representing the UK in Austria later this year. 

However, any report or suggestion that this act had been confirmed for Eurovision or even officially chosen by the BBC is an exaggeration. 

The unnamed act had not signed a contract with the broadcaster to become the UK’s 2026 representative, nor had the BBC even made a formal offer to be accepted. 

A BBC spokesperson told The Euro Trip: “A rigorous due diligence process is always undertaken before an Act is offered the opportunity to represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision. We will be announcing this year’s chosen act shortly.”

The deadline for the BBC – and all other participating broadcasters – to submit and announce its 2026 Eurovision representative is in mid-March.