Inheritance Tracks - Olly Alexander

Musician Olly Alexander was born in Harrogate, and discovered a love of acting at school, where tread the boards in Guys and Dolls and the bug had bitten.

His role as Ritchie in Russel T Davies' acclaimed Channel 4 drama It's a Sin, bringing to life the horrors of HIV/Aids in the Gay community in the 1980's, brought him serious attention and plaudits, earning him a Bafta TV nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category amongst others.

But it was as a musician where he originally made his mark as the vocalist for the band Years and Years, reaching number one in the UK album charts twice, and releasing a series of super catchy singles that made series dents in the mainstream charts.

He went solo in 2024 in a big way by representing the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest last year and his debut solo album is Polari, recently released to rave reviews.

Inherited: Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell
Passed on: Honey by Robyn

Producers: Ben Mitchell and Catherine Powell

Published on Saturday, 15th February 2025.

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