Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has issued a statement in the wake of a joke aimed at Joost Klein. The joked aired during Sweden’s national selection, Melodifestivalen.
Joost Klein joke “tasteless” and “disrespectful”
In a statement released through Songfestivalweblog , the broadcaster confirmed they were not happy with the joke that had been made about the Joost Klein incident in Malmö. During the first semi-final, which aired on Saturday (February 1st), SVT included a joke which poked fun at the disqualification of the Netherlands during the course of the Contest.
Following the airing of the skit, AVROTROS said:
AVROTROS say late Saturday that the action of SVT is “a pity and bland”. “But for us it is the chapter is now closed,” a spokeswoman added. Fans of Joost Klein on social media call the parody “tasteless” and “disrespectful”.
Joost had considered returning to represent the Netherlands for a second time in 2025 following his disqualification. However, he confirmed that he had instead opted to leave the Contest behind, paving the way for Claude to be announced as the representative for Basel.
Who is Joost Klein?
A Friesland native (which gave name to his 2022 album Fryslân) Joost Klein got his start on YouTube, initially making sketches and mini-documentaries, before releasing his debut EP in 2016. Mainly a hiphop artist, Joost also mixes influences of drum & bass, hardstyle and gabber into his songs.
Joost lost both of his parents during childhood, which is the inspiration for a number of songs including Europapa, as well as others such as Florida 2009 and Papa en Mama. Joost regularly performs at festivals in the Benelux such as Pinkpop and Lowlands, and has to date released 8 studio albums.
His first breakthrough into the European market was with the song “Friesenjung”, a collaboration with German rapper Ski Aggu, which is an adaptation of a song by East Frisian comedian Otto Waalkes, the song reached number 1 in both Austria and Germany.
His song for Eurovision, Europapa, which was written alongside 6 others, is already a commercial success in both the Netherlands and Flanders in Belgium.
What do you think of AVROTROS’ statement about the Joost Klein joke? Should SVT apologise for their gag or not? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2025!
News Source: AVROTROS / Songfestivalweblog
Photo Credit: SVT
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