Olly Murs in training to become a MAGICIAN – so he can distract himself from the ladies during his sold-out tour
Britain’s most popular pop star revealed during a Bizarre column takeover that he is getting seriously into card tricks
OLLY Murs is training to be a magician.
Britain’s most popular pop star revealed he has been secretly studying card tricks to keep his mind off the ladies while on his record-breaking new tour.
During his exclusive guest-edit of tomorrow’s Bizarre column, Olly said: “I’m trying to be good at the moment.
“I don’t want to go out and I’m trying not to meet girls. I just want to be cool and stay chilled, so I’ve been learning card tricks. I’m really obsessed.
“One of my friends taught me and now I go online and practice them.”
Olly, who was given free rein of Sun man Dan Wootton’s Bizarre column to launch his record-breaking Spring 2017 tour on his first stop in Glasgow, explained how his new skill wasn’t just a hobby, but how he keeps sane during his gruelling touring schedule.
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The 32-year-old old will now travel the length of the UK as part of his sold-out 24-date arena tour before jumping straight into his summer tour for a further 20 outdoor dates in June.
Speaking from his dressing room backstage at the SSE Hydro Arena, Olly said: “In this industry you go through so much, there’s so much going on, sometimes I need to take myself away from it all and get my head straight – get myself re-focused.
“With Ed Sheeran, hearing what he’s been doing while he’s been away for a year travelling the world.
"He probably needed to get away from it all. For me, it’s similar - I go back to Essex and see my friends. I learn new tricks and do something completely different to music. It gives me a reality check.
“I’m really enjoying learning – it’s fun.”
Since he finished as runner-up on the X Factor in 2009, Olly has had four No1 singles and recorded four multi-platinum albums.
Last year he released his fourth successive No1 album, 24 HRS making him the most successful solo artist to come from the X Factor.
That also became the second best-selling album by a Brit male in 2016, just losing out to David Bowie's Blackstar.
But Olly said he wouldn’t be attempting to go down the same route to launch his new magic career.
He added: “You won’t see me on Britain’s Got Talent - but you might find me in the Magic Circle one day.”
Read all the backstage gossip direct from Olly in his exclusive behind-the-scenes guest edit, which goes live tonight and is available in Dan’s Bizarre column tomorrow.