It’s not just about me... it’s about my wife and baby
New dad Olly Murs talks to NAOMI CLARK about juggling fatherhood with supporting Take That on tour and why he wishes that he was still a judge on The Voice UK
OLLY MURS has not slowed down much since we first saw him belt his heart out on The X Factor 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 singer, who turned 40 this week, announced the birth of his first child with wife Amelia last month, a daughter they have named Madison.
Speaking ahead of her arrival, Olly says he is feeling “every emotion you could possibly imagine”.
“Excited, petrified, scared, happy, just can’t believe it, shocked, just like ‘Wow is this really happening’,” he rolls off.
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, then he will play several festivals in the summer, including Carfest, Silverstone Festival and Pub In The Park.
Olly admits the tour has not come quite at the right time but he is determined to coordinate it alongside his parenting responsibilities.
“We’re going to have to make it work, like every parent does up by the country when it comes to work”, he says. “I’ve got to continue working (but) I want to be present. Amelia wants to come back to work at some point, too, so we’ve got to figure it out.”
It may have added a lot to his plate, but Olly says he could not turn the Take That offer down.
The singer explains the boy band – which originally consisted of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Robbie Williams – has been a “massive part” of his life over the years. From his childhood days when their hits would reverberate through his house, to when his 2010 self-titled debut album was knocked down to number two in the charts as the band’s Progress record – which saw the return of Robbie for the first time since his departure in 1995 – swooped in and took the top spot.
Olly worked alongside Gary Barlow when he co-presented The Xtra Factor for two series while Gary judged the main show.
“Take That are iconic”, Olly says. “They are national treasures and they’ve had such longevity – 30 years or so in the industry. And the hits, and albums, and the tours they’ve done, the stadium shows – they’re a part of my heritage.”
The singer says he aspires to reach the group’s success and longevity in his career, so to tour alongside them is a “bucket-list moment”. And if any of the group falls ill? Not to worry, Olly is ready to step up to the plate, armed with their back catalogue already memorised.
“I do know their songs really well. And if Mark, Howard or Gary pull out, I’m their guy,” he says.
After coming runner-up to Joe Mcelderry on the sixth series of The X Factor, Olly was quick to cement his place within the British music landscape with the release of his debut album, which went double-platinum with the help of his debut hit Please Don’t Let Me Go.
He says he tried to reflect each stage of his life in his next six albums, with 2011’s follow-up In Case You Didn’t Know showcasing his life as “cheeky, young, single”, while his fifth record, 24 Hrs, captured a period in his life when “relationships didn’t work out”.
The singer says he cannot wait to play his children his most recent album, 2022’s Marry Me, which explores his emotions in the lead-up to getting engaged and married. As he steps into life as a father, he feels his next album will likely follow suit.
“Who knows when that album is going to be but it could be a stressful, exhausted, I’m not getting any sleep album”, he says with a chuckle before offering a short rendition of the power ballad Without You, with tweaked lyrics to “I can’t sleep”.
Alongside his albums, Olly has had a steady run of TV appearances, including coaching The Voice UK alongside musicians such as US rapper Will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones, and Anne-marie.
After it was announced last year that he would be replaced on the panel after six years on the show, Olly said he was “gutted” to leave.
“I wish I was still doing The Voice, I wish I was still doing TV”, he admits. “But it’s sometimes nice to take a break. People don’t want to see you every week or every year. I don’t want to outstay my welcome.”
He reveals his next ambition is to explore acting and he hopes to take some classes and join amateur dramatics groups.
For 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... And I want to be a great husband, a great dad. So that’s the next step for me at the minute.”
Olly Murs is on tour with Take That in the UK and Ireland until June before they embark on the European and Australian leg.