Olly Murs’ ‘secret dates’ with TV star before meeting bodybuilder wife

The TV star first rose to fame back in 2009 when he appeared on the sixth series of The X Factor.

Olly Murs has been a staple on TV screens for almost 20 years, alongside having a successful music career.

After shooting to fame on The X Factor in 2009, when he was runner up to Joe McElderry, Essex-born Olly has enjoyed a string of hits including Troublemaker, Heart Skips a Beat and Dance With Me Tonight.

He even went on to briefly co-host the ITV show with his late friend Caroline Flack and has enjoyed a number of other presenting roles, including being a coach on The Voice UK and hosting Heart FM’s Saturday Breakfast Show with Mark Wright.

However, away from his music and presenting skills, his love life has often been in the spotlight, especially before tying the knot with Amelia Tank three years ago.

TV star romance rumours

In 2017, it was reported that Olly was seeing former model and presenter, Melanie Sykes. Despite their 14-year age gap, the duo are believed to have bonded over their love of fitness.

At the time, sources told The Sun that the pair had ‘a whole series of secret dates at his house where she will sometimes stay overnight.’

While the duo were reportedly determined to keep their ‘on and off’ relationship under wraps, fans were sent into a frenzy when she shared a snap with him on Instagram.

The snap was of them both backstage as she captioned the post: “Not much can get me out on a Saturday night, but this guy has!”

Although they never officially confirmed their relationship, Olly spoke about Mel during an appearance on Loose Women in 2018.

He told the panel: “Mel’s amazing…there might have been something.” Before adding: “I’m single, since the last time I checked, I’m definitely single. It’s just me in my bed alone.”

‘Hidden’ X Factor romance

Olly’s love life was first thrown into the spotlight during his time on The X Factor in 2009, when he met fellow contestant Laura Henderson while at boot camp together on the show. Laura was a singer in the girl band Project A, but didn’t make it far in the competition.

It was reported at the time that the pair decided to keep their relationship hidden as sources claimed Olly was ‘absolutely smitten with Laura’.

Marriage to bodybuilder

In 2019, Olly met Amelia Tank after spotting the bodybuilder on Instagram. Despite their relationship being platonic at first, it eventually turned romantic, and they were a couple by 2020.

He popped the question two years later while the pair were on a romantic beach holiday in Cornwall. Speaking to Lorraine at the time, he said: “Amelia has been planning our wedding day for years – what dress she’s going to do and all that.

“For me, proposing was something I’d thought about for ages. ‘I wonder who that woman’s going to be, I wonder when it’s going to be and when I’m going to do it’.”

Since then, the pair welcomed their first child together, a daughter called Madison in 2024, while their second child, a boy named Archie, was born last year in September.

Soccer Aid challenge

Currently, the 41-year-old is taking part in a mammoth charity challenge, a five-day, 400km endurance challenge. Into The Unknown, the Soccer Aid challenge will see Olly travelling from Manchester’s Old Trafford to London Stadium, covering over 400km by running, rowing, and cycling.

Speaking to Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley on Monday’s This Morning (May 12) as he started out, Olly confessed: “I’m petrified, I am scared. I’m nervous, I’m excited.

“It’s here now. I’ve done the ten weeks of training, you know, there are so many people behind the cameras. There are lovely people here who have come down to see me.”

Soccer Aid will be shown on ITV1 on Sunday, May 31