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Olly Alexander

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Not to be confused with Ali Alexander or Oliver Thornton.

Olly Alexander
Alexander in 2024
Born
Oliver Alexander Thornton

(1990-07-15) 15 July 1990 (age 34)
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
Alma materHereford College of Arts
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actor
Years active2008–present
Musical career
Genres
Labels
Formerly ofYears & Years
Websiteollyalexander.co.uk

Oliver Alexander Thornton (born 15 July 1990)[1] is an English singer, actor and LGBTQ activist[2] who rose to prominence as the lead singer of the pop band Years & Years, who achieved two No. 1 albums on the UK Albums Chart, a No. 1 single and five Top 10 entries on the UK Singles Chart.[3] Between 2021 and 2023, he continued to release music under the name until their dissolution in 2024.[4] During their career, Years & Years were nominated for six Brit Awards.

As an actor, he rose to critical acclaim for his performance as Ritchie Tozer in the Channel 4 drama series It's a Sin (2021), earning Best Actor nominations at the British Academy Television Awards, Critics' Choice Television Awards and Independent Spirit Awards. Alexander represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden, with his song "Dizzy", which marked his first release under his own name; in the grand final, he finished in 18th place with 46 points.[5][6]

Early life

[edit]

Olly Alexander was born on 15 July 1990, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.[7][8][9] His mother, Vicki Thornton, was one of the founders of the Coleford Music Festival.[10] Alexander attended St John's Primary School in Coleford[11] and Monmouth Comprehensive School. While at Monmouth Comprehensive School, he acted in two school plays: Guys and Dolls, as Benny, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle, as the Corporal.[12] After completing his GCSEs, Alexander studied Performing Arts at the Hereford College of Arts.[13][14] The New York Times reported that he wrote his first song on his father's Casio keyboard aged 10.[15] His parents separated when he was 13, and he and his brother Ben, were thereafter brought up solely by his mother.[16]

He obtained the services of an agent when he was 16, while auditioning for a part in British TV series Skins. Alexander said he dropped out of the Hereford College of Arts to pursue his acting career as parts were offered, stating: "I started acting when I was young; it just sort of happened. I dropped out of school to work around the world, which was amazing."[17][18] "I really wanted to become a singer or a musician ... All of a sudden I was an actor. It was never something I'd set my heart on being. I'm still trying to work it out ... I really hated school because I was totally bullied. But you're never bullied in drama class because the weird kids do well in drama class. That's a safe place".[19][20][21] Alexander also experienced bulimia as an adolescent.[22]

Career

[edit]

Acting career

[edit]

Alexander starred in CBBC's Summerhill in 2008. The show was about the radical Summerhill School in Leiston in Suffolk,[23] and was subsequently nominated for three children's BAFTA awards. His first film Bright Star was nominated for an Academy Award in the United States for Best Achievement in Costume Design.[24] He also acted in the 2009 films Tormented starring Alex Pettyfer and Enter the Void. In 2010, Alexander played Evan in the Bush Theatre production of The Aliens.[25][26] Alexander contributed to the script and music for the independent film The Dish & the Spoon,[27] released in early 2011. In 2012, he appeared in the theatre production of Mercury Fur, taking the part of Naz at The Old Red Lion, Islington.[28]

From March to June 2013, Alexander starred as Peter Pan in the West End play Peter and Alice acting alongside Ben Whishaw and Judi Dench. Alexander also had a supporting role in the final series of Skins, playing Cassie Ainsworth's stalker in the two-part episode "Skins Pure", which aired in July 2013. Also in 2013, Google Analytics released an internal corporate video which featured Alexander as a demanding shopper under the sub-heading "That is what happens when you save on usability".[29]

Alexander also appeared in The Riot Club, the film adaptation of Laura Wade's stage play Posh alongside British actors Sam Claflin, Max Irons and Douglas Booth. He briefly portrayed the vampire Fenton in the British-American horror series Penny Dreadful in 2014.[30] In the independent film Funny Bunny, which first premiered at SXSW 2015, Alexander played Titty, a troubled teenager.[31] The film was directed and written by Alison Bagnall, who directed The Dish & the Spoon, while Alexander was a co-writer together with the other two leads.[32] The film was shown at art houses during the summer and was theatrically released on 13 November 2015.[33]

In January 2021, Alexander appeared in a leading role in the Channel 4 and HBO Max drama It's a Sin, which depicted gay life in the 1980s and early 1990s, and the onset of HIV/AIDS. The show and Alexander's performance earned critical acclaim, with some critics expressing their desire for Alexander to win a BAFTA for his performance.[34] In 2024, Alexander made a cameo appearance as himself in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, in an episode that aired on 2 May.[35]

Music career

[edit]

Years & Years was formed in 2010, after Mikey Goldsworthy moved to London from Australia and met Noel Leeman and then later, Emre Türkmen online.[36] Alexander later joined the band as its lead vocalist, after Goldsworthy heard him singing in the shower and liked his voice.[37][38] The band was originally a five-piece group, with Noel Leeman and Olivier Subria.[39]

Their debut single "I Wish I Knew" was released in July 2012 on the Good Bait label, with the band performing as a five-piece group.[40] Leeman and Subria left the band the following year, leaving them as a trio.[41] In 2013, the group signed a deal to the French label Kitsuné as a three-piece and released their second single, called "Traps", in September 2013, which achieved support from Radio 1 and Radio 6, as well as many online publications such as The Guardian and The Fader.[42][43] "Traps" also featured on Kitsuné Maison's 15th compilation.[44]

Alexander performing "Palo Santo" at The O2 Arena during the Palo Santo Tour in 2018

The band released their second single "Real" on Kitsuné and iTunes in February 2014. The music video featured an appearance from Alexander's Peter and Alice co-star, Ben Whishaw,[45] and former Misfits actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett.[46] In 2014, the group changed their record label from the French smaller label Kitsuné to Polydor as they gained prominence. In January 2015, the band won BBC's Sound of 2015 poll.[47]

In the same month, the band's sixth single, "King", was previewed on BBC Radio 1 and selected as Zane Lowe's Hottest Record in the World.[48] "King" was released on 1 March 2015, and reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, earning the band national recognition.[49] Internationally, the single peaked within the Top 10 of the charts in Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland. On 25 February 2015, Years & Years were nominated for the Critics' Choice Award at the 2015's BRIT Awards.[50] Their debut studio album, Communion, was released on 10 July 2015, and entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 1.[51][52]

Years & Years' second studio album, titled Palo Santo, was released on 6 July 2018. Five singles were released from the album: "Sanctify", "If You're Over Me", "All for You", "Play" and "Valentino with "Sanctify", "If You're Over Me" and "Play" making the Top 40 on the UK Singles Chart, and "If You're Over Me" and "Play" became Top 10 hits. To promote the album, Years & Years embarked upon the Palo Santo Tour which began in New York City on 24 June 2018, and concludes in Lembang on 16 March 2019. The tour included shows in nineteen countries, including the band's first UK arena shows.[53]

In September 2018, Years & Years released the official music video for "All For You", featuring an angelic version of Alexander dancing within an abandoned warehouse before transforming into a demonic version of himself and engaging in a dance-off with an android.[54] Alexander collaborated with the Pet Shop Boys on their 2019 single "Dreamland"[55] and later released a cover of "It's a Sin" to coincide with his starring role in the drama series of the same title.[56]

Alexander performing during Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö

On 18 March 2021, Years & Years became Alexander's solo project.[57][58] Regarding the decision, Alexander later explained: "Bands are like marriages. Any separation is difficult, and I think it went as well as it could, with us."[59] Alexander released his third studio album Night Call in 2022, the last under the Years & Years name. The album was commercially and critically successful, receiving critical acclaim from music critics and debuting in the Top 3 on the UK Albums Chart. On 16 December 2023, during the final of the twenty-first series of Strictly Come Dancing, it was announced that Alexander would be representing the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.[60]

Following the announcement, he told the BBC that he had "wanted to do it for a while" and it "felt like this was the right time to start releasing music under my name".[61] His Eurovision competing entry, "Dizzy", was released on 1 March 2024, and marked Alexander's first release under his own name.[5][6] Alexander performed "Dizzy" at the first Eurovision semi-final on 7 May 2024, making the UK the first pre-qualifying country to perform in a semi-final. Alexander came 18th in the contest final on 11 May 2024, scoring 46 jury points (13th) but zero from the public vote (25th).[62]

He will release his First album under his own name on 7 February 2025 called 'Polari' named after the old language Polari of the 20th Century. The first Single 'Cupids bow' was released on 11 October 2024, followed by a music video on 24 October. The second single 'Polari' was released with a music video on 21 November. The third single 'Archangel' was released on 13 December 2024.[63]

Advocacy, politics and personal life

[edit]

Through various interviews and charity campaigns, Alexander has promoted safer sex and HIV screening,[64] and supported initiatives against LGBT bullying.[65] He has also spoken openly about his own struggles with depression, self-harm,[66] eating disorders[67] and anxiety from age 13 onwards.[68][69][70] He is gay, and in 2017, he presented a BBC Three documentary investigating the link between being gay and the development of mental health disorders. In it, he opened up about his bulimia. In 2018, Alexander was part of Sport Relief's attempt to raise awareness of mental health alongside other celebrities Nadiya Hussain and Stephen Fry.[71]

Alexander performing with Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys in 2019

Alexander describes himself as a "real left-winger" and said in 2016 that he "had a crush on" Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.[72][73] Beginning in May 2015, Alexander was in a relationship with musician Neil Milan Amin-Smith, who was in Clean Bandit. Due to scheduling conflicts while on tour and recording, they parted at the end of 2015.[74] At the 2016 Glastonbury Festival, Alexander took to the stage with his band Years & Years in rainbow ensemble in celebration of PRIDE Week and made headlines with his spur-of-the-moment speech[75] in light of the Orlando nightclub shooting.

As a gay songwriter,[76][77] Alexander has stated in interviews he would like to see greater use of the qualified male pronoun in music. He explained that when he used to write in a diary, he would refer to "you and I" because he wanted to hide who he was writing about. Several Years & Years songs feature male pronouns.[78] "It is kind of sad to me that we don't have gay popstars singing about men using a male pronoun," he told Digital Spy, "but that could change hopefully."[79] Though his work with Years & Years openly references his sexuality, Alexander "can't speak for all gay people, because there are so many different issues, and experiences, and different shapes and sizes. But I can speak for myself, and that is what I'm doing if I'm going to be writing songs and giving interviews, I want to be able to speak about something I care about."[79]

In September 2018, Alexander won GQ's Award "Live Act Of The Year".[80] The award was presented to him by Héloïse Letissier, and in his acceptance speech, Alexander advocated for the LGBT community and Mental Health Awareness Month, particularly in regard to men.[81] In the same month, Alexander took part in a video campaign "The Flag We Shouldn't Be Proud Of" for World Suicide Prevention Day, holding up a rainbow flag with two colours ripped from it, and was quoted: "This is the flag we shouldn't be proud of. A flag that represents the two in six LGBTQ people we risk losing to suicide."[82]

In October 2018, British GQ posted an interview[83] between Alexander and Alastair Campbell in which he spoke about his struggles with self-harm and eating disorders, his experiences in 2018 with homophobia, and his political views on Brexit and Donald Trump. In the interview he said he voted Remain in the 2016 referendum, supported Corbyn as Prime Minister and called Trump "repugnant" and "repulsive".[84] During Years & Years' performance on the Pyramid Stage at the 2019 Glastonbury Festival, Alexander gave a speech promoting LGBT rights and calling for the elimination of racism, ableism and sexism. The speech earned praise from fans and media.[85]

In protest at the ongoing Israel–Hamas war, Alexander signed a letter by LGBT association Voices4London, which accused Israel of committing apartheid and genocide against the Palestinians.[86][87] Spokespeople within the Israeli government and the Campaign Against Antisemitism condemned his views and asked the BBC not to allow him to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, while the BBC rejected the demands, stating that it was not in a position to do so with someone who is not a journalist.[88] In March 2024, Alexander rejected calls to boycott Eurovision because of Israel's participation.[89]

Achievements

[edit]

In June 2020, in honour of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBT pride parade, Queerty named him among the 50 heroes "leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people".[90][91] In November 2020, Alexander won the LGBT Celebrity of the Year award at the British LGBT Awards.[92]

For his leading role in It's a Sin, Alexander was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television and the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor.[93][94]

In 2024, he received a gold Blue Peter badge in recognition of his music.[95] That year, he also broke the Guinness World Record for most objects caught while spinning on a chair in one minute with a total of 27, which was inspired by his Eurovision entry "Dizzy".[96]

Discography

[edit]
For Olly Alexander's discography as a member of Years & Years, see Years & Years discography.

Studio albums

[edit]
Title Details
Polari[97]

Compilation albums

[edit]
Title Details
Odyssey
  • Released: 3 May 2024[98]
  • Label: Polydor
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

[edit]
List of singles
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK
[99] 		LTU
[100] 		SWE
Heat.
[101]
"Dizzy"[A] 2024 42 12 1 Polari
"Cupid's Bow" — —[B] —
"Archangel" — — —
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Promotional singles

[edit]
Title Year Album
"Kite"
(with Benjamin Ingrosso) 		2024 Non-album singles
"Desire"
(with Jaxomy)
"Polari" Polari

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Film Role
2009 Bright Star Tom Keats
Tormented Jason Banks
Enter the Void Victor
Dust Elias
2010 The Fades Himself
Gulliver's Travels Prince August
The Dish & the Spoon Boy
2012 Cheerful Weather for the Wedding Tom
Great Expectations Herbert Pocket
2013 Le Week-End Michael
2014 God Help the Girl James
The Riot Club Toby Maitland
2015 Funny Bunny Titty

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
2008 Summerhill Ned Main role (4 episodes)
2009 Lewis Hayden Wishart "Allegory of Love"
2013 Skins Jakob "Skins Pure (Part 1 & 2)"
2014 Penny Dreadful Fenton 2 episodes: "Resurrection" and "Demimonde"
2017 Growing Up Gay Presenter Documentary
2019, 2021 Celebrity Gogglebox Himself 6 episodes
2021 It's a Sin Ritchie Tozer Main role (5 episodes)
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Himself Series 17 guest announcer
2022 RuPaul's Drag Race UK Series 4 guest judge
2024 EastEnders Guest appearance (1 episode)
Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Contestant

Theatre

[edit]
Year Title Theatre
September–October 2010 The Aliens[103] Bush Theatre
March–April 2012 Mercury Fur Old Red Lion Theatre
March–June 2013 Peter and Alice Noël Coward Theatre

Corporate video

[edit]
Year Film Role
2013 Google Analytics in Real Life Site Search Demanding Shopper

References

[edit]
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  1. ^ "Dizzy is also included on Olly's first compilation album Odyssey.
  2. ^ "Cupid's Bow" did not enter the AGATA Singlų Top 100, but peaked at number 54 on the TopHit Lithuanian Airplay.[102]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Olly Alexander.
Preceded by United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
2024 		Succeeded by
TBA
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