Ireland Eurovision's Bambie Thug - as you've never seen them before

Bambie Thug was flying the flag for Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 final on Saturday night. Performing their track Doomsday Blue during the ceremony in Sweden, they battled for votes against 24 other acts on the show.

In what has been quite a controversy-filled year for the contest, with boycott threats and an act being disqualified ahead of the final, the results saw Ireland finish in sixth place with 278 points.

Taking the top spot this year was Nemo for Switzerland with their track The Code. Finishing as runner-up was Croatia and it was very close, while in third place was France.

As Ireland celebrates Bambie Thug earning the country their best result in years, we take a look at Bambie Thug like you've never seen them before.

Ever since the non-binary Cork artist won RTE's Eurosong, fans have been fascinated with the gothic queen and who they were before the white painted face and elaborate costumes.

Bambie dreamed of being a ballerina before they broke their arm in college. A blessing in disguise it would seem, as Bambie decided to study musical theatre in London where they found their unique sound and style.

But before their musical talents were discovered, a ginger haired Bambie enjoyed partying with friends and dressing up as a princess as a child.

In one picture, we can reveal Bambie dressed as a princess with a tiara on their head when they were a youngster.

Bambie Thug as a child growing up in Macroom in Cork

Another image shows a ginger-haired Bambie dressed as a ballerina holding a guitar for a photoshoot while another shows a makeup free naturally stunning Bambie posing with a pal.

A make up free Bambie Thug

Bambie Thug’s real name is Bambie Ray Robinson. They were born in 1994 and grew up in Macroom, Co Cork. Bambie’s mother is Irish, and their father is Swedish. Bambie has three sisters.

Bambie Ray Robinson

Bambie was diagnosed with ADHD - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In their spare time, the singer used to sometimes work as a party princess at events for children with special needs.

Bambie Thug dressed as a ballerina holding a guitar

Their mother, who Bambie describes as "my biggest champion" stayed at home with them while their father crafted metal parts and "didn’t have a note in his head". Bambie said they always wanted the spotlight growing up.

"Growing up in a small place, the furthest I would go was to say I was different. I definitely wanted the spotlight. I wanted to assert myself, but the closest I got was wearing brown clothes with pink tights.

"I don’t think it was until I moved away, and I came out that I really took agency over myself. I moved to London when I was 20 and that’s when I really felt I became myself. But learning to stand strong within yourself in the face of everyone else is a constant learning. This year my resolution was to back myself completely and be my own strongest cheerleader.

"This creative world is amazing but, at the same time, it’s also tough. You have to have a thick skin."

Bambie with friends, incuding her Eurovison dancer Max, on a night out

Despite Bambie’s popularity online, the singer has also seen plenty of messages of hate because of their image. They urged the public to "remember I am a human too".

"I have gone through so much trauma and still show up with love after every obstacle and hard time," they said. "I have always been a phoenix and your words and warped views cannot hurt me."

They said they send "the most love" to those who hate them and criticised naysayers' anger. "If my expression of art moves you to hate and anger then you are who I send the most love to. If you don't want to be part of the Haus Of Thug you are not obligated to come on this journey with me," they said.

Bambie has used the term "ouija-pop" to describe their music.

In a 2023 interview, they stated "my stuff is hyperpunk avant electro-pop. We call it grit pop or rot but recently I've been coining the term 'Ouija pop'."

They stated that they coined the term due to a reluctance of being "put in a box", instead combining numerous genres, with Bambie "never having anything in mind" whenever making music.

One of their major influences musically is a reluctance to be stuck to a style or genre; in an interview with NME, Bambie claimed that they could do "everything" creatively, stating their belief that the heavy metal music community had expanded to include more genres and be more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community.

However, they also stated that the heavy metal community was "under attack", with Robinson considering themselves a "rebel".

Bambie Thug performing at Eurovision Song Contest in the Malmo Arena, Malmo, Sweden

Bambie has pushed for an emphasis on trying to be "good role models" with music, stating a belief that many within the industry "glamourise" drug addiction.

They stated in an interview with Gay Times that: "We need to parade healthy behaviour. It's important if we are going to be breaking [through] so that younger kids and teens listening to our music, and looking up to us, aren't fed this negative behaviour."

In interviews, Bambie said that their favourite artists are Dolly Parton, Britney Spears, Nina Simone, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and Led Zeppelin.

Bambie had a big hit with Tsunami in 2022 and has reached more than 700,000 listeners.

Bambie’s debut song Birthday premiered in 2021, shortly followed by their first EP Psilocyber including three singles.

Since then, they released another two EPs: High Romancy in 2021 and Cathexis in 2023.

The self-described Nightcore Barbie could be seen at the packed-out Download Festival in June 2023, and The Great Escape in Brighton in May 2023.

Irish singer-songwriter Bambie Ray Robinson, aka Bambie Thug representing Ireland with the song

They also performed live at BBC Maida Vale Studios on Christmas Eve in 2022.

Bambie is a prolific songwriter whose songs written for other artists of varying genres have amassed 50 million streams. These artists include Cassyette, KID BRUNSWICK, and FabiCH.

Their instrumentals were also included in some of the UK's biggest nu-gen hits like Dear Goth or Petrichor, and HBO’s Sex And The City reboot Just Like That.

"Bambie Thug is your witchy king antidote to the world," Bambie told Mike James Rock Show on YouTube.

"I make Ouija pop music, it’s a fusion of everything," they said.

DIY Magazine has described them as "Lady Gaga’s final boss form", whereas Metal Hammer Magazine said that "Bambie Thug is an artist in every sense".

Bambie has described themselves in their personal life as "not a very angry person", instead bottling up anger for their musical performances.

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