Watching your favorite celebrities and singing sensations can be an ethereal experience. Fans travel thousands of miles and continents to catch their favorite tunes being played live in front of their eyes. Naturally, the thought of being deceived can come as a jolt to the guts. And if the deception involves someone like Celine Dion, the heartbreak is only more profound.

When the iconic singer took to the stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics, fans went berserk with excitement. Hearing her sing Hymne à L’amour atop the Eiffel Tower was a moment that the fans are likely to cherish in their memories forever. Watching her come out of her health crisis to dish out a symphonic masterpiece was a special event, but all that could have been an illusion, claim some.

The Opening Ceremony of the 33rd Olympic Games was a grand affair. While controversies soon reared their ugly heads, there was practically no debate about the extraordinary sight it was to see the legendary Canadian singer performing again. However, an article by Daily Mail from October 11 claims that several music industry experts have unanimously concluded “without a shadow of a doubt” that Dion’s Paris performance was pre-recorded.

However, the Olympic organizers are yet to confirm the allegations and had previously claimed that the singer indeed belted out a live performance in the City of Love earlier this year. The article cites Liberation newspaper as its source, claiming the newspaper contacted multiple experts to get their opinion on Dion’s singing. A French sound engineer, who chose not to disclose their identity also stated, “It was 100% playback, you can hear it from the first notes.” This comes as fans watched Celine Dion in action for the first time since her diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome, a rare and incurable neurological disorder.

Naturally, the revelation has come as a shock to the fans who braved adverse weather just to see the singer in her natural habitat once again. Celine Dion herself confessed she was excited to visit Paris. “My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!” she said before the Games, noting she would crawl there if she needed to. However, this wouldn’t be the only controversy that besmirched the Olympic Games this year.

Celine Dion was only one factor that infuriated the community

The hosts of this year’s Olympics went all in to showcase France’s glory to the world. With that in mind, an elaborate Opening Ceremony was planned with every detail chalked out down to the tee. To ensure things went down perfectly, the celebrity French composer, multi-instrumentalist, and music director Victor le Masne was given the responsibility of overseeing the preparations and the programs of the ceremony.

However, when the naked blue man appeared on TV for the world to see, backlash ensued and Masne was at the brunt of things. However, the composer had to explain his side of the story as well. “I did play the theme to President Macron in person. He liked the fusion of the symphonic and the electronic. I had a lot of freedom but at the same time I knew I had to express diversity and inclusivity,” Victor told The Guardian.

But things didn’t end there. For the first time in Olympic history, the Opening Ceremony was held outside of the stadium and instead, the iconic Seine became the route to see the athletes make their first appearance in Paris for the competition. Even there, allegations of mismanagement erupted, citing that the weather only added to the misery. Furthermore, the poor living conditions inside the Olympic Village, along with the cardboard beds, also irked the competitors to no extent.

However, despite all the debates, at the end of the day, sports became the highlight of the event. Did you watch the Games? Tell us your favorite moment from this year’s biggest sports tournament with a comment!