Antigoni Buxton (Greek: Αντιγόνη Μπάξτον; born 9 March 1996), known mononymously as Antigoni, is a British singer. The daughter of television host Tonia Buxton, she competed on the eighth season of the reality show Love Island.[1] She represented Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with the song "Jalla", placing 19th in the final.[2][3][4]

Antigoni Buxton
Buxton in 2026
Buxton in 2026
Background information
Born (1996-03-09) 9 March 1996 (age 30)
London, England
GenresPop
OccupationSinger
InstrumentVocals

Early life and education

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Buxton was born in London, England, to a British family of Greek Cypriot heritage.[5] Her mother, television chef and presenter Tonia Buxton, hosted programmes including My Greek Kitchen and My Cypriot Kitchen.[6] Buxton regularly spent time in Cyprus during her childhood and has stated that she grew up listening to both British pop music and Greek-language music.[5]

She attended performing arts classes from a young age and later began independently releasing music online while developing a social media following.[7]

Career

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2019–2021: Early releases

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Buxton independently released her debut singles "2 Steps" and "Boosting" in 2019. In April 2020, she released her debut extended play A1, which blended contemporary pop with Mediterranean and dance influences.[8]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Buxton continued releasing standalone singles including "Way Too Much", featuring Ebenezer, and "Friends". Her single "Never Gonna Love", released in collaboration with producer goddard., entered the UK Singles Downloads Chart.[9]

2022–2024: Love Island and Hexagon

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In 2022, Buxton appeared as a contestant on the eighth series of Love Island.[10] Her appearance on the programme significantly increased her public profile and streaming numbers.[11]

Following the programme, Buxton released the singles "Red Flag", "Hit List", "You Can Have Him", and "Long Way Home". In September 2023, she released her second extended play, Hexagon.[12] The project incorporated dance-pop and electronic influences and received coverage from British entertainment media.[13]

2025–present: Eurovision Song Contest

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In November 2025, Cypriot broadcaster CyBC announced that Buxton would represent Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.[14] Her song, "Jalla", premiered in February 2026 and combined English lyrics with Greek and Middle Eastern-inspired production elements.[3]

The accompanying music video featured members of Buxton's family alongside Demi from the dance duo Stavros Flatley.[5] Prior to the contest, the song became one of the most-viewed entries of the season on YouTube and developed a large fan following online.[6]

Buxton performed in the second semi-final held in Vienna, Austria, successfully qualifying for the grand final.[15] In the final, Cyprus placed nineteenth with 84 points.[16]

Artistry

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Buxton's music combines mainstream pop with Mediterranean, dance and electronic influences.[17] Critics have compared her Eurovision-era sound to contemporary European dance-pop acts, while her visual presentation has incorporated influences from Cypriot and Greek culture.[18]

Public image

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Following her appearance on Love Island, Buxton became associated with influencer culture and reality television personalities transitioning into music careers.[19] During Eurovision 2026, she received media attention for her high-energy performances and extensive online promotion of "Jalla".[20]

Discography

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Extended plays

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Title Details
A1
Hexagon
  • Released: 15 September 2023[22]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

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Antigoni at the Eurovision 2026 Second Semi Final rehearsal in Vienna

As lead artist

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Title Year Peak chart positions Album or EP
GRE
Local

[23]
UK
Digital

[9]
UK
Sales

[9]
"2 Steps" 2019 A1
"Boosting"
"Is It Any Wonder?" 2020
"Way Too Much"
(featuring Ebenezer)
Non-album singles
"Friends"
"Never Gonna Love"
(solo or goddard. edit)
7275
"This Ain't Love" 2021
"Red Flag" 2022 Hexagon
"Hit List"
"You Can Have Him"
"Long Way Home"
"Messy"
(with Zion Foster)
2023 Non-album single
"Nervous" Hexagon
"Over"
"Meine" Non-album singles
"R U Down?"
(with IamLit)
"Lie Lie" 2024
"Habibi" 2025
"Sleeping Alone"
"Man Behind the Wall"
"Agapi"
(featuring Leveraux and Teome)
"Jalla" 2026 236364
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
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Title Year Album or EP
"Appetiser"
(JyellowL featuring Antigoni)
2021 Non-album singles
"El helwa zahra"
(Ahmed Saad featuring Antigoni)
2025
"I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing"
(Luke Silva featuring Antigoni)
2026

References

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  1. "From the Villa to Vienna: Cyprus confirms 'Love Island' alum Antigoni for Eurovision 2026". Wiwibloggs. 7 November 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  2. "Love Island star to represent country at Eurovision after years of trying". The Mirror. 6 November 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Πρώτη παρουσίαση στις 8 Φεβρουαρίου της κυπριακής συμμετοχής στη Eurovision 2026 από το ΡΙΚ" [First presentation on 8 February of the Cypriot participation in Eurovision 2026 by RIK] (in Cypriot Greek). CyBC. 2 February 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  4. "Eurovision 2026 Results: Voting & Points". Eurovisionworld. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Allison, Pete (14 May 2026). "Swapping Love Island for Eurovision: Antigoni's pride at representing Cyprus". BBC. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  6. 1 2 Hogan, Michael (13 May 2026). "'Sung by a silver robot from 1984!' The 11 biggest bangers in Eurovision 2026". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  7. "Antigoni discusses music career and Eurovision". ESCXTRA. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  8. "A1 - EP - Album by Antigoni". Apple Music (GB). Retrieved 18 December 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 Peak chart positions:
  10. "Who is Antigoni Buxton? Meet the Love Island contestant and singer". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  11. "Love Island boosts Antigoni streaming figures". NME. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  12. "Hexagon - EP - Album by Antigoni". Apple Music (GB). Retrieved 18 December 2025.
  13. "Antigoni enters a new era with Hexagon". Retro Pop Magazine. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  14. "From the Villa to Vienna: Cyprus confirms 'Love Island' alum Antigoni for Eurovision 2026". Wiwibloggs. 7 November 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  15. "Eurovision 2026 Semi-final results". Eurovisionworld. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  16. "Eurovision 2026 Results: Voting & Points". Eurovisionworld. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  17. "Antigoni talks blending cultures in pop music". ESCBubble. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  18. "Review: Antigoni brings Mediterranean energy to Eurovision". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  19. "How reality TV stars are crossing into pop music". The Independent. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  20. "Why Antigoni became one of Eurovision 2026's breakout personalities". Metro. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  21. "A1 - EP - Album by Antigoni". Apple Music (GB). Retrieved 18 December 2025.
  22. "Hexagon - EP - Album by Antigoni". Apple Music (GB). Retrieved 18 December 2025.
  23. "Official IFPI Charts Digital Singles Chart (Local) Εβδομάδα: 07/2026" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 25 February 2026. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
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