Biography
Olly Murs was a finalist and the second-place contestant in the over 25s category in the 2009 series of The X Factor. Murs lives with his parents in Essex and works as an energy advisor in a call centre. He is 25 years oldMurs was mentored by [Simon Cowell] as part of the Over 25s category, alongside Danyl Johnson and Jamie Archer. He performed "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder in his first audition and Simon Cowell said it was "the easiest yes I have ever given". On the first live show he sang Robbie Williams' "She's the One" and on the second, Tina Turner's "Fool in Love," a performance which Cowell described as being "in a different league." For week three he took on "Bewitched" by Steve Lawrence. [Louis Walsh] commented that he was the "dark horse of the competition," and [Cheryl Cole] said he was "coming into his own each week." He has frequently employed dance moves in his performance including his trademark "Olly wiggle." In week 4 he sang "Come Together" by The Beatles and again received positive comments, with Walsh predicting, "I think you're in the final three," and Cowell saying he was "progressing better than just about everybody." In week 5 he performed "Twist and Shout" and in week 6 "Don't Stop Me Now" after which he was labelled by [Dannii Minogue] as, "absolutely the best performer we have on the show by far.On December 15 – two days after the final – it was reported that Cowell will offer Murs a record deal in early 2010. Following his defeat, Murs was reportedly texted by duet parter Robbie Williams and invited to visit him in his Los Angeles mansion and participate in the upcoming Soccer Aid, organized by Williams. He will also appear on the upcoming X Factor tour in 2010, alongside Joe McElderry, Stacey Soloman and several other finalists.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.