Eurovision fans have accused veteran British pop star Boy George of ‘ruining’ San Marino’s semi-final performance after the country failed to secure a spot in the Grand Final. The 64-year-old Culture Club singer performed the song Superstar, which he co-wrote, alongside Senhit at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria.
During the performance, Senhit began in a shimmering tunnel, wearing a shiny silver outfit that matched her dancers’ costumes. She then called Boy George’s name before he appeared on a silver throne, dressed in a black suit with a silver hat. However, fans on social media quickly reacted, claiming his cameo was ‘pointless’.
On X, user Andrew posted: ‘Boy George ruins that song… what’s the point of him. Awful vocals.’ Another user, Gillian, wrote: ‘I quite like this but the addition of Boy George is pointless and he sounds bad.’ Shakira added: ‘Is Boy George getting paid by the word? His part was like “go girl, give us nothing”.’
Senhit previously competed alongside American rapper Flo-Rida in Rotterdam in 2021. Eurovision rules allow artists to represent a country even if they are not a national of that country. However, following tonight’s semi-final vote, San Marino—along with Portugal, Georgia, Montenegro, and Estonia—will not advance further.
This criticism follows earlier backlash after Boy George, whose real name is George O’Dowd, was also slated for ‘giving nothing’ during the competition’s first dress rehearsal. The former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! star was making his first appearance in the annual contest.
On Thursday night, a second semi-final will take place, where another 15 countries will compete for 10 spots. Among the artists is former Love Island star Antigoni Buxton, representing Cyprus. In total, five countries have boycotted the competition this year, with Irish broadcaster RTE even refusing to air it over Israel’s continued participation.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will be broadcast on BBC on Saturday, 16 May 2026.
