180 The Strand

Olly Alexander, born Oliver Alexander Thornton on 15 July 1990, is an English singer, actor, and LGBTQ activist. He gained prominence as the lead singer of the pop band Years & Years, which achieved two number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart, a number-one single, and five top-10 singles on the UK Singles Chart. The band released music under the same name from 2021 until their dissolution in 2024. During their career, Years & Years received six Brit Award nominations. As an actor, Alexander received critical acclaim for his role as Ritchie Tozer in the Channel 4 series It's a Sin (2021), earning nominations for Best Actor at the British Academy Television Awards, Critics' Choice Television Awards, and Independent Spirit Awards. In 2024, he represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest held in Malmö, Sweden, with his song 'Dizzy,' which was his first release under his own name. He finished in 18th place with 46 points. His debut solo album, Polari, was released on 7 February 2025.