Olly Murs on wedding plans, his new tour and being in a ‘really good place’ after surgery
Following a tough chapter and cancelled tour dates, Olly Murs talks to Lisa Salmon about getting back on track.
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Olly Murs has had a tough year – but things are really looking good now.
After emergency knee surgery in February, the singer was “gutted” to have to cancel his summer tour, and spend six months focussing on his recovery instead. That same month, he also split with his record label after 12years.
But things have gone from strength to strength since. Murs can’t keep the smile off his face as he reveals his knee feels great, his new album Marry Me is about to be released – with the first single from it, Die Of A Broken Heart, out now – and he’ll be embarking on a new tour in spring. If all that wasn’t enough, he’s also planning his wedding next summer.
“I’m feeling really strong at the moment, feeling good,” says the 38-year-old. “My knee’s great, everything feels good and I’m in a really good place.”
Murs’ knee problems began in 2019, when he had a major operation to reconstruct his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The surgery this February was for a separate issue with a torn meniscus, but he explains: “It’s all linked, and if one goes, the rest of it can follow. Hopefully, fingers crossed, it’s all settled down now and back to normal.”
The Marry Me tour will start towards the end of April, 2023. “We’ll be on the road into May, so life’s going to be exciting,” he says. “I’m looking forward to performing for people again.”
The big question is though, what came first – naming the Marry Me tour, or proposing to his girlfriend of three years Amelia Tank?
“Luckily, the proposal came first,” Murs says, chuckling. “I think she’d have been mortified if I proposed after the album and the tour!”
He proposed romantically on a south coast clifftop in the summer, but admits: “I’ve had serious knee injuries over the last few years and another operation in February, so it was quite a big time for me and getting up on that cliff to propose was difficult. But I managed to do it – thank God she was there to help me up!
“My knee’s great now though, it feels really good. I’ve been in the boxing gym this morning, and my leg’s feeling really, really strong, which is great. It’s been a long road, and it’s nice to be back feeling good again.”
Is he feeling chipper enough to get involved with wedding plans yet?
“Yes, we’re in full flow with it,” Murs declares happily. “It’s been difficult because Amelia’s family live down in Plymouth and my family live in Essex, so we’ve been trying to find a venue that’s fit for both. But I think we’ve found one, which is good.”
And he’s not trying to dodge doing the planning… “You know what, I’m alright at it, actually. I’m a little bit of a control freak when it comes to organising things,” Murs confesses.
“Obviously with this situation with Amelia, I’ve left her to it to organise certain things, but with regards to myself, I’m making sure that I’m across things. I want to make sure we have the best possible day, and it’s a big ask!
“The plan is to do it next summer. It’ll be a massive year – and it’s my 40th the year after too.”
There’s a lot going on, but Murs is still finding time to get involved with other things – like helping Virgin Media O2 present their millionth Volt customer, Hollie Parr and her family, with a bumper selection of tech goodies (and tickets to the Marry Me tour, of course).
Then there’s his TV commitments, which include presenting the ITV show Starstruck, and being a judge on The Voice UK. With such a packed schedule, how’s he finding time for wedding planning?
“My schedule’s busy at the moment, but I’m getting a few days off here and there – we haven’t got into full swing with everything just yet. It feels good,” Murs says.
“When I’ve got time off, I’m just spending time with Amelia really – we’ve been so busy recently that I haven’t really been at home. I’m making sure I’m looking after the dog and taking him on walks, looking after myself, training, making sure I’m eating well, and just being happy and healthy.”
Plus, while The Voice final has only just been shown on TV, it was filmed back in February. “We did that at the start of the year, before my operation – it was a long time ago and so much has changed since then,” Murs adds.
“It’s a crazy old time at the moment, so I’m just trying to keep a level head and keep eating well and training well. I just want to keep my mind good, you know?”
Yet despite all this, he can’t help expressing a note of caution. “I know there’s always something round the corner – everything’s great at the moment and I’m really happy, but there’s always something, isn’t there?” Murs reflects. “We have to be positive when we can – I just want to keep that feel-good factor going.”
Olly Murs has teamed up with Virgin Media O2 (o2.co.uk/virgin-media-o2) to celebrate the company reaching more than one million Volt customers.