Olly Murs says going back on the road will be ‘crazy’ and a massive test of new relationship with Amelia
AS one of the hardest-working men in pop, Olly Murs had racked up some serious miles on the road before the pandemic forced him to finally settle down.
The former X Factor star has been enjoying lockdown with his glamorous girlfriend Amelia Tank — the pair quickly moving in together and becoming an internet sensation thanks to their social media pranks.
But as Olly announces plans to go back on the road — as well as to throw himself back into the recording studio — he admits this could be the biggest test yet for the couple’s relationship after enjoying months of a blissfully quiet life together at home.
He says: “Amelia says she can’t wait for me to go out to work.
“But it’ll be a shock for us from a relationship perspective because she’s only known me to be at home, really, all the time.
“We’ve been at home every day. I’ve been making breakfast for her, she’s been cooking me dinners. I’ve been annoying her with pranks, she’s been annoying me with stuff. We’ve got a dog together.
“There’s been some really lovely moments. It’s been brilliant.
“If anything, you realise when you go through something like this, ‘Actually, we are great together and really compatible’.
“But now — and I did say to her — we’re both in for a shock.
“If I’m going back on the road, getting back to work, TV work and stuff, it’s going to be crazy again and I don’t know what that will be like for us.
'With no gigs, no TV, I’ve been very bored’
“She is very independent, though — Miss Independent! So I’m sure it’ll be OK. We’ve had the best time so far.”
Olly yesterday announced a nationwide tour of outdoor venues next summer.
Organisers have included contingency plans for social distancing, so he hopes the gigs will be able to go ahead as scheduled following a period of massive turmoil for the live music industry.
He adds: “I’ve felt almost retired — I’ve hated that. I’ve had fun at home but I kept asking what’s next for me as an artist.“With no performing, no TV, I’ve been very bored.
“Amelia moved in earlier this year but she was determined to be independent. She wanted to pay her part of the costs and it’s really cool that she’s so driven.
“She works at a bank and was furious when she saw one of your headlines that said something about Murs dating ‘the Tank from the Bank’! But I love it, it’s hilarious. The best thing is, I know Amelia is with me for the right reasons.
“She was happy by herself and we’re happy together but if the showbiz razzmatazz life finished tomorrow, we’d be happy with each other in a one-bedroom flat somewhere.
“She’s been great for me. She’s helped transform me. We met at the gym, surrounded by hunky men, so I was, like, ‘I’ve got to step my game up’.
“Now working out is something we share together. I love that she looks after herself and it inspires me to do the same.”
As Olly prepares to head out on the road, surrounded by adoring fans, he admits he has experienced flickers of jealousy over bikini-clad Amelia competing in bodybuilding competitions.
He laughs: “She did all these competitions and, obviously, those guys are ripped.
"But she’s comforted me and told me she doesn’t like those sort of ripped-up guys.
“I’m, like, ‘Great, she prefers something more cuddly’. Actually, maybe I should be offended!”
Olly’s 25-date tour is set to launch next June.
But now, aged 36, he admits his days on the road are much more mellow than when he first hit the big time a decade ago.
He says: “I’ll never forget my first arena tour. Everyone was, like, ‘Go out and enjoy yourself’.
“I blame it on JLS, actually, because they were the lads that were, like, ‘It’s the best time of your life’.
“So I went wild the first two nights on the tour, going to a nightclub afterwards, getting drunk, getting boozy.
“And then a day later I lost my voice and was having a panic attack, going, ‘Oh my God, I can’t sing, I’ve got no voice’.
“My band, who were much more experienced, all laughed and said, ‘Well, you shouldn’t have gone out last night’.
“I’m, like, ‘I know! What am I doing? What an idiot!’ So now I have the most boring rider. I realised it, I’m not a rock star and I can’t handle it.
'C*** and balls hanging out'
“I save my blowouts for the final night.”
But he adds: “Actually, that wasn’t my worst tour experience. That came in Stuttgart, when I was the support act for Robbie Williams.
“The fans didn’t really know me, so I was really throwing myself into it — I threw myself down on my knees and split my trousers, which got me the biggest cheer that I’ve ever had on stage.
“I basically had to do the rest of the gig with my c*** and balls hanging out. So I guess they know me now.”
Lockdown tough for Voice stars
OLLY has admitted he feels awful for his contestants on The Voice after the last two live shows were postponed in March.
The team were just weeks away from crowning the winner of the ITV series when the UK went into lockdown, meaning the hopefuls have had their fate left hanging in the balance.
Olly, who has been a coach since 2018, said: “It’s been tough not doing The Voice. I feel for the contestants.
“I’ve been speaking to both my contestants quite a few times during lockdown, just keeping in contact.
“They’re cool. They’re delighted they’re doing the show, but I was only thinking, ‘God, imagine if it had just been cut if I was on the semi-final’, like the cusp of winning it, the semi-final, then going, ‘Right, sorry, the show’s been postponed’. You’re like, ‘What?’
“But they will grow in confidence and hopefully I’ll see them this month.
“Rumour is, it’s going to be no crowd, obviously, so I don’t know how that’s going to work.
“I saw Britain’s Got Talent and no matter how you mask it, it’s just not the same.”
Bizbit
HE’S bagged four No1 singles in his career but Olly plans to clock up at least another decade in the music industry.
He said: “I am very proud that I’ve done ten years and I’m hoping to do another ten. I think I’ve got loads of music left to do.”
Olly: I am aging like a fine wine
HE was a fan favourite on The X Factor for his “cheeky chappie” charm but Olly reckons he is getting better with age.
He told me: “I met a girl at a college once and she basically pied me by saying, ‘Olly, you’re going to be like a fine wine – you’re going to get better as you get older’.
“At the time, I was devastated. But to be fair, I look back at some of the pictures when I was 25, doing X Factor, and think, ‘Oh my God!’
“I’ve improved, definitely! My clothes have got better, my hair has got better . . . Back in the day, some of the outfits I wore on The X Factor are just embarrassing.”
Olly admitted he has changed during his time with Amelia and said it took him a while to find a style with which he was truly confident.
He said: “I’ve gone through such a transition with Amelia. When I was first with her, I had a quiff.
“Then I shaved my hair off, then I went to a blond crop . . . and now I’m going long again.
“You go through stages in your life where you just . . . I just always wanted to grow my hair and I never had the opportunity to because I was always on TV.
“I was always doing something and there’s that really annoying period of when you’re growing your hair that you have to . . . it just doesn’t look good for ages.
“So I’m still waiting for that moment!”
Bizmeter charts
24KGOLDN has lodged a second week at No1 with his catchy hit Mood alongside Iann Dior.
It was released in July but has steadily climbed the charts, while the video has racked up 31million YouTube views.
Canadian teenager Tate McRae has vaulted six places from No 15 to No 9 with her first UK hit, You Broke Me First.
The track became popular through TikTok and she has been compared to Billie Eilish and Camila Cabello.
Telly show Covid blow
OLLY is gearing up to take on former boss Simon Cowell but had plans to launch his own TV show this year scuppered by coronavirus.
I told in February how the singer had created his firm, Wrapped Up TV, to create new programmes and he has spent months hard at work coming up with new concepts for the small screen.
Opening up about the project, he said: “I’m really excited. We’ve got some good shows. We’ve had some good chats recently with some TV companies about a few of the shows, so it feels good.
“My objective for the year was to get a show on ITV or BBC. That’s not worked out, but that doesn’t mean that 2021 can’t be a better year.
“It’s not going to be a period drama, it’s not going to be too serious. It’s going to be fun, light-hearted entertainment TV.
“I think I’m one of the only artists out there that’s been able to do the transition between TV and continue my music at the same time, and I very much want to continue that.”
That doesn’t mean Olly won’t be taking lucrative jobs on other people’s shows, though.
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He added hastily: “By the way, that’s not me saying I’m not going to be open to offers from other shows!
“I’m definitely open to offers now.”
Bizbit
OLLY admits his tour rider isn’t going to put any wild rockers to shame.
He said: “It’s the most boring rider you’ll see. If you come to my tour, all the booze is in the band’s dressing room and in my room everything is water and all the clean stuff.”
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Official singles chart
- Mood – 24kgoldn Ft Iann Dior
- WAP – Cardi B Ft Megan Thee Stallion
- Ain’t It Different – Headie One, Aj Tracey And Stormzy
- Looking For Me – Paul Woolford, Diplo And Kareen Lomax
- Lemonade – Internet Money, Gunner And Toliver
- Mood Swings – Pop Smoke Ft Lil Tjay
- Midnight Sky – Miley Cyrus
- Take You Dancing – Jason Derulo
- You Broke Me First – Tate Mcrae
- Holy – Justin Bieber Ft Chance The Rapper
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