Eurovision fans have expressed strong disappointment with Love Island star Antigoni Buxton's performance for Cyprus in the second semi-final of the 2026 song contest. The 30-year-old Greek-English Cypriot singer performed her dance track 'Jalla' on Thursday night, but viewers online were quick to criticize her vocal abilities.
Fan Reactions on Social Media
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, fans shared their thoughts on the performance. Kerem wrote, 'I'm sorry Cyprus but what the heck were these vocals?' Patty commented, 'Cyprus everything about this was perfect except the obvious, the vocals.' George noted 'vocal struggles' and a 'playback delay,' while Devon added, 'Cyprus the vocals are a mess and not enough energy on stage.' Charlie echoed similar sentiments, saying, 'LOVED the cyprus song but her vocals were lacking unfortunately.'
Jamie called the performance a 'trainwreck,' and Gabby described Antigoni's vocals as 'terrible.' However, not all feedback was negative. Some fans praised the catchiness of the song. John wrote, 'Bravo young lady great performance!' Elle added, 'Yes Antigoni, smashed it.' Ellena said, 'she was amazing,' and Edward commented, 'This song is so fun, but her vocals aren't the best. I love it, but I think it might be the surprise NQ.'
Antigoni's Background and Eurovision Dream
Antigoni, who appeared on the eighth series of Love Island in 2022, told BBC Newsbeat that people should not be surprised by her participation in Eurovision. 'If anything doing Love Island was random,' she said. 'I've been wanting to be a singer, that has been my dream since I was as young as I can remember. And I had an obsession with Eurovision ever since I saw Helena Paparizou win for Greece in 2005. Love Island was a great moment because it gave me the chance to introduce myself to a lot of people and now I'm on that path I always wanted to be on.'
Looking Ahead
The Eurovision Grand Final is scheduled to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 8pm on Saturday. Despite the mixed reactions, Antigoni remains determined to pursue her singing career and fulfill her Eurovision dream.
