Olly Alexander: Who is Years and Years singer and It's a Sin actor as his Madame Tussauds waxwork is unveiled?

Years and Years singer and It’s A Sin actor Olly Alexander unveiled his first-ever Madame Tussauds London figure at an exclusive event for his nearest and dearest, before the hotly-anticipated figure makes its arrival at the world-famous attraction tomorrow (Friday 20 October).

The star started working with Madame Tussauds London’s expert artists in September 2022 to create the waxwork version of himself. Since then, he has been awarded a BRIT Billion accolade for surpassing a staggering one billion streams in the UK and also headlined a number of festivals, including Mighty Hoopla 2023.

 Alexander’s lifelike figure was unveiled in a dramatic curtain drop moment as part of an intimate, closed event held for 50 of his family and friends at the capital’s famous attraction, on Baker Street. 

Speaking about being immortalised at the attraction, Alexander, who is also a passionate speaker about mental health awareness and LGBTQ+ rights, said: “I had the time of my life meeting my figure at Madame Tussauds London. It’s an overwhelming feeling to be immortalised in this way amongst so many incredible people. Getting to unveil myself with my closest friends and family was truly an extraordinary experience, I’ll never forget this moment.”

Alexander’s new figure pays homage to his empowering BRIT Awards 2021 performance when he sang alongside Sir Elton John. The singer donated the original outfit from the legendary performance, created by celebrated designer Harris Reed, to be used on the waxwork. 

The black crystalised lace crop top and flare co-ord is accessorised with creeper platform shoes, drop earrings and standout silver chunky rings. Fans will notice the look is completed with the copying the star’s striking red hair and his famous tattoos, which were each meticulously hand-painted by Madame Tussauds London’s artists. 

The figure is the latest addition to newly-launched Culture Capital zone, and will Shine alongside fellow icons that have shaped British culture including Princess Diana, Shakespeare, Stormzy, Sir Lewis Hamilton and the newly-unveiled, Sir David Attenborough. But, just who is Olly Alexander? Here’s what you need to know.

Who is Olly Alexander?

Olly Alexander’s full name is Oliver Alexander Thornton. He was born on 15 July 1990 and is now 33-years-old. He is best known as the lead singer of the band Years and Years and for his performance as Ritchie Tozer in the Channel 4 drama series, It's a Sin. 

He was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, and he has one brother, Ben. His mother Vicki Thornton was one of the founders of the Coleford Music Festival. The New York Times reported that he wrote his first song on his father's Casio keyboard aged 10. While at secondary school, he acted in two school plays, Guys and Dolls and The Caucasian Chalk Circle. After completing his GCSEs, he pursued his passion for performance and studied Performing Arts at the Hereford College of Arts. 

In a YouTube video uploaded from NylonMagazineTV, Alexander said he dropped out of the Hereford College of Arts to pursue his acting career as he began going to auditions and had parts offered to him. He obtained the services of an agent when he was 16, while auditioning for a part in British TV series Skins. He said: "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. 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.”

Alexander has also been an advocate for mental health help. Alexander has been interviewed about his mental health and issues including bullying and bulimia, on many occasions. 

Olly Alexander band and songs

Alexander is the lead singer of a band called Years & Years, which formed in 2010. The band was originally a five-piece, which included Mikey Goldsworthy, Emre Türkmen, Noel Leeman and Olivier Subria, and their debut single "I Wish I Knew" was released in July 2012. 

Years & Years' most successful single "King" headed straight to number one in the UK Single Chart in March 2015, earning the band national recognition. Their debut studio album, Communion, was released later that year, on 10 July, and entered the UK Albums Chart at number 1.

As a gay songwriter, 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, such as “Real” and “Memo”.

"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.” Though his work with Years & Years openly references his sexuality, Alexander also stated in the same interview that he "can't speak for all gay people, because there are so many different issues, and experiences, and different shapes and sizes.” He added: “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."

Alexander collaborated with the band the Pet Shop Boys on their 2019 single “Dreamland” and, in 2021, Years & Years released a cover of their hit 1987 “It's a Sin” to coincide with his starring role in the drama series of the same name. On 18 March 2021, Years & Years became the solo project of Olly Alexander.

Olly Alexander movies and TV shows

Alexander's acting debut came with the 2008 film Summerhill. From there he worked on various projects, including the 2009 film Tormented with Alex Pettyfer. In 2010 he played Evan in the Bush Theatre production of The Aliens, and the next year he contributed to the script and music for indie film The Dish and the Spoon. 

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. The next year, Alexander played one of the main characters in the 2014 musical feature film God Help the Girl. 

In January 2021, Alexander appeared in a leading role in Russell T Davies' Channel 4 and HBO Max drama It's a Sin, which depicts gay life in the 1980s and early 1990s, at the time of the onset of HIV/AIDS. The show, and Alexander's performance, earned critical acclaim.

Olly Alexander Instagram

Olly Alexander is on Instagram. You can follow him @OllyYears. His biography reads: “Being gay in @yearsandyears.” He has 744,000 followers.

Olly Alexander on mental health

Through various interviews and charity campaigns, Alexander has promoted safer sex and HIV screening, and anti-LGBT bullying initiatives. He has also spoken openly about his own struggles with depression, self-harm, eating disorders and anxiety, which began when he was age 13. In 2017, he presented a BBC Three documentary investigating the link between being gay and the development of mental health disorders where he opened up about his bulimia.

In September 2018, Alexander won GQ's Award "Live Act Of The Year". In his acceptance speech, Alexander advocated for the LGBTQ community and Mental Health Awareness Month, particularly in regard to men. During Years & Years' performance on the Pyramid Stage at the 2019 Glastonbury Festival, Alexander gave a speech promoting LGBTQ+ rights and calling for the elimination of racism, ableism and sexism, which earned praise from fans and the media.