Family matters most as ‘selfish’ Olly Murs finally comes of age
On the record
Olly Murs has not slowed down much since we first saw him belt his heart out on The X Factor back in 2009. Over the last 15 years, he has released seven hit albums, toured worldwide, and appeared on what feels like every entertainment show Britain has to offer. But he may be about to embark on his busiest period yet as he will have to juggle touring alongside Take That with his latest venture – fatherhood.
“I’ve always dreamt I’d be a dad one day and having a little baby in my arms that is part of me, it’s quite a crazy thing”, the 39-yearold muses.
The singer announced the birth of his first child with wife Amelia in April, a daughter they have named Madison.
Ahead of her arrival, Murs said he was feeling “every emotion you could possibly imagine”.
“Excited, petrified, scared, happy, just can’t believe it, shocked, just like ‘Wow is this
“I had a long time to be selfish and do what I wanted to do...”
really happening’,” he rolls off.
“I think for women it’s a real emotional journey they go through, nine months of carrying this baby and the senses, the feelings – it’s a completely different experience than what I’m feeling.
“I’m feeling like ‘Right I need to get this sorted, get that sorted.”
Murs reveals he has even been exercising his handyman skills by constructing the baby’s cot.
In the midst of all the newborn excitement, the singer is also on the road supporting Take That on their This Life tour, which is moving across the UK and Ireland until the end of June before he plays several festivals in the summer, including Carfest, Silverstone and Pub In The Park.
While he has plenty on to keep him preoccupied currently, Murs reveals his next ambition is to explore the world of acting. But he ensures he does not plan to use his name to land a leading role straight away, but instead hopes to take some classes and join amateur dramatics groups.
But at the moment, he plans to focus on the here and now.
“I had a long time to be selfish and do what I wanted to do”, he says. “But now it’s not just about me, it’s about my wife, it’s about the baby…
“I think I’ve earned the right to say, after 14 years, ‘I’m going to become a dad.’ That’s the best job in the world, better than anything I could have ever imagined.
“That’s the hardest job in the world as well. That’s going to be a job that I’m going to have for the rest of my life and it’s something that I really want to be great at.
“And I want to be a great husband, a great dad. So that’s the next step for me at the minute.”