Gem 106 is a regional radio station broadcasting to the East Midlands, owned and operated by Orion Media.

History[link]

Based in Nottingham on the City link in the Sneinton area of the city centre, the station was launched on 23 September 1997 as Radio 106. In April 1998, station owners, Border Radio Holdings felt a change was needed, so in April 1998, John Myers took control over the station and it was rebranded as Century 106.

In May 2000, Century 106 was sold to Capital Radio, who then merged with GWR Group in 2004 forming GCap Media. GCap were required to sell the East Midlands station (as the combined firm also owned a number of other stations in the region), and thus Century 106 was sold to Chrysalis, owners of Heart in London and the West Midlands. As such, the station was relaunched as Heart 106 on 29 August 2005. A further, more subtle rebrand was applied in September 2006 which saw the dropping of the frequencies from station names across the Heart Network.

On the 25 June 2007 it was announced that Heart 106 along with its sister stations were to be sold for £170 million to Global Radio.^[1] Following Global Radio's takeover of GCap Media, the Office of Fair Trading ordered Global to sell five of its Midlands stations. In May 2009, the stations were sold to Orion Media, a company backed by Lloyds TSB Development Capital and Phil Riley.

In November 2010, Orion Media announced that Heart 106 would be relaunched and renamed as Gem 106] from 1st January 2011.^[2]

It is transmitted from the Copt Oak transmitter close to the M1 north of Leicester in the National Forest.

Audience[link]

According to RAJAR figures up to September 2010, the station was listened to by 453,000 people (out of a possible 2,154,000 listeners) per week, with each listener tuning in for an average of 8.2 hours over the course of 7 days.

Ownership changes[link]

The station has changed hands several times: Border Radio Holdings was sold to the Capital Group, who then merged with GWR Group in 2004 forming GCap Media. GCap were required to sell the East Midlands station (as the combined firm also owned a number of other stations in the region), and thus Century 106 was sold to Chrysalis Group (GCap retained the other Century stations for a time, later selling them to Guardian Media Group; these stations now broadcast as Real Radio).

In 2007 Heart along with its sister stations The Arrow, LBC and Galaxy were sold to Global Radio.^[3] Following Global Radio's takeover of GCap Media, the Office of Fair Trading ordered Global to sell five of its Midlands stations including BRMB, Mercia FM, Wyvern FM, Heart 106 and Beacon Radio. In May 2009, the stations were sold to Orion Media, a company backed by Lloyds TSB Development Capital and Phil Riley. Orion ran Heart East Midlands as a franchise operation under an agreement with Global Radio until Friday 31 December 2010.^[4]

Station rebrand[link]

On 9 November 2010, Orion Media announced that Heart 106 would be relaunched and renamed as 'Gem 106' from January 2011.^[5] Under the rebrand, the station ended its franchise agreement with Global Radio which allowed it to use the Heart identity and carry networked programming from London.^[6]

Gem 106 was launched at midnight on Saturday 1st January 2011 with a special programme presented by Orion's director of programming and marketing David Lloyd.

The GEM name stands for 'Great East Midlands', the name created and used from 1988 onwards for GEM-AM (later Classic Gold GEM) an AM (medium wave), 'solid gold' secondary service of Radio Trent. The majority of the station's programming is locally produced and broadcast from Nottingham. The station also carries the nationally syndicated Vodafone Freebees Big Top 40 on Sunday afternoons.

Programming[link]

Ant & Dec in 2009

Anthony McPartlin (born 18 November 1975) and Declan Donnelly (born 25 September 1975), known collectively as Ant & Dec, are an English comedy and TV presenting duo from Newcastle upon Tyne, England.^[1] The duo first rose to fame as actors on the children's television show Byker Grove, during which and in their subsequent pop career they were respectively known as PJ & Duncan – the names of the characters they played on the show. Since then, Ant & Dec have had a very successful career as TV presenters, presenting shows such as SMTV Live, Friends Like These, Pop Idol, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, PokerFace, Push the Button, Britain's Got Talent, Red or Black? and Text Santa. They have also returned to acting, starring in a 2002 Tribute to The Likely Lads and the 2006 film Alien Autopsy.

Ant is the taller of the two at 5'8" (1.73 m) and Dec is two inches shorter at 5'6" (1.68 m). It is a running joke that many people do not know who is Ant and who is Dec, even though their appearances differ significantly. To assist with identification, they follow the 180 degree rule; all their TV appearances and publicity photos have Ant on the left and Dec on the right, but even this does not help everyone.

Background[link]

Anthony McPartlin was born on 18 November 1975 and Declan Donnelly was born on 25 September 1975. They met each other while working on the BBC children's drama Byker Grove in 1989. After a shaky start,^[2] they soon became best friends.^[2] They have achieved such popularity as a duo that they are hardly ever seen apart on screen. Indeed, it is reported that they are each insured against the other's death, although the amount is unknown.^[3] Their inseparability has led to them receiving joint nominations for many awards. They are both managed by the James Grant Group

Career[link]

Acting[link]

Although Ant had built some television experience with a brief stint on the children's television series Why Don't You?, which was broadcast on the BBC, Dec was the first of the two to acquire his place on the BBC children's drama Byker Grove. He joined in 1989, playing Duncan. A year later, Ant joined the cast playing PJ. Their friendship began when their storylines collided, creating a friendship off screen as well as on.^[4] Dec also played a stable boy in the adaptation of the novel The Cinder Path in his teenage years.^[5]

Music[link]

After leaving television, the duo turned their hand to pop music. Their first single was a song they performed while part of Byker Grove, entitled "Tonight I'm Free". The single had some success, and the duo went on to record two albums under their character names of PJ & Duncan. Later songs included "Why Me?", "If I Give You My Number", "Eternal Love" "Our Radio Rocks", "U Krazy Katz" and a cover of the The Monkees classic "Stepping Stone". Their most famous hit during this period was the BRIT Award nominated "Let's Get Ready To Rhumble", for which the video was choreographed by Mark Short, who had previously worked with Tina Turner and Peter Andre. For their third album, the duo reinvented themselves under their real names of Ant & Dec. The album featured their signature single "Shout". Their final single release was "Falling", which was the track that subsequently ended their musical career. The track was pulled from the British charts under the instruction of their record label, Telstar Records, after claims of copyright infringement were made, brought about by a pop duo, 'And all because...', who were also managed by Ant and Dec's management team. The duo claimed that Ant & Dec had stolen the song from them and released it without their consent. Subsequently, Telstar Records decided not to renew their existing contract, and they were dropped from the label. During their time, the pair released sixteen singles and three studio albums, however, none of their releases managed to reach number one, with their highest UK chart position being #3. The duo did, however, reach the top ten in Germany and Japan, and even had a number-one single in Germany, with their cover of the Everly Brothers' "All I Have to Do Is Dream". Success also struck in other European countries. The duo had a short lived revival in the music industry, releasing a song for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, entitled "We're On The Ball". The track peaked at #3,^[6] being beaten by Will Young and Gareth Gates.

Presenting[link]

Children's television[link]

Ant & Dec got their first presenting job in 1994, while they were still releasing music under the alias of PJ & Duncan. They co-presented a Saturday-morning children's show entitled Gimme 5, which was broadcast on CITV. The show only lasted two series before being dropped from the airwaves.^[7] In 1995, the duo were once again offered a job on CBBC, this time presenting their own series, entitled The Ant & Dec Show. The series was broadcast from 1995 to 1997, and in 1996, Ant & Dec won two BAFTA Awards, one for 'Best Children's Show' and one for 'Best Sketch Comedy Show'.^[8] In 1997, a VHS release, entitled The Ant & Dec Show – Confidential, was made available in shops, and featured an hour of the best bits from three years of the programme, as well as specially recorded sketches and music videos.^[9] In 1998, the duo switched to Channel 4, presenting a early-evening children's show entitled Ant & Dec Unzipped.^[10] This show also won a BAFTA, but was dropped from the airwaves after just one series.^[11] ITV soon signed the duo in August 1998,^[12] and within weeks, were assigned to present ITV1's Saturday morning programmes SMTV Live and CD:UK, alongside old friend Cat Deeley. The duo presented the shows alongside Deeley for three years, before making their permanent departure from children's television in 2001. Two VHS releases, compiling the best bits from both shows, were released in 2000 and 2001 respectively. The pair also starred in the children's TV series Engie Benjy during their time on SMTV.^[13][14]

Primetime[link]

Ant & Dec's first primetime presenting job came in the form of BBC Saturday-night game show Friends Like These, which was first broadcast in 1999. The duo presented four series of the programme between 1999 and 2001.^[15] In 2001, the duo's contract with ITV was renewed for a further three years, following their appearances on SMTV Live and CD:UK, and received their first primetime presenting job on the station, presenting brand new Saturday night reality series Pop Idol. The series was broadcast for two series only, and was replaced in 2004 by The X Factor, to which Kate Thornton was assigned presenting duties.

In 2005, as part of the ITV Network's 50th birthday celebrations, they were back on television fronting Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon, a celebration of some of ITV's most enduring gameshows from the past 50 years.

Ant & Dec also created and presented their own show, entitled Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. The show has so far ran for nine series, broadcast between 2002 and 2009. itv.com confirmed that the show is set to return in 2012 after being off air for three years. During the fourth series, Dec broke his arm, thumb and suffered a concussion whilst completing a challenge for the 'Ant vs. Dec' segment of the show. The incident involved learning how to ride a motorbike and jumping through a ring of fire. During the challenge, Dec failed to pull hard enough on the throttle of the bike, causing it to topple over and sending him flying through the air. The accident caused the pair to miss the Comic Relief charity telethon of 2005. In 2006, the first episode of series five saw the duo abseil down the side of the 22-storey high London Studios, where the show was filmed. Two DVDs, a best-bits book and a board game of the series were released during 2004.

In May 2002, Ant & Dec took the helm of a further reality series, entitled I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. The series has been broadcasting on ITV1 since 2002, and ten series have been broadcast. The duo drew their highest viewing figures to date while presenting the series in February 2004, with nearly 15 million tuning in to watch the climax of the third series. In May 2006, the duo were assigned to present coverage of the charity football match Soccer Aid. The duo were then invited back to present coverage of the second match in September 2007, and have since presented coverage of each yearly match.^[16] In June 2006, the duo announced they had created a new game-show format for ITV1, entitled PokerFace. The show featured members of the public gambling high stakes of money in an attempt to win the ultimate prize. The first series began airing on 10 July 2006, and was aired for seven consecutive nights. The second series was broadcast in early 2007, and saw a move to a prime-time Saturday slot. Ratings for the series fell to below 3.5 million, and the series was subsequently axed in March 2007. A board game of the format was released in 2008.

In April 2007, the duo signed a two-year golden handcuffs deal with ITV, reportedly worth £40 million, securing the duo's career at the station until the end of 2009.^[17] In June 2007, the duo were offered the job of presenters on new ITV reality platform Britain's Got Talent by Simon Cowell. The series features contestants aiming to win £100,000 and spot on the bill at the Royal Variety Performance, while performing and being judged by Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan. The series was highly successful, drawing in nearly 12 million viewers. A second series was broadcast in May 2008, and drew in nearly 14.5 million viewers.^[18] The duo have since returned to present three further series of the show, and have also had a regular feature on the ITV2 spin-off show Britain's Got More Talent.

The pair filmed a series of six episodes for a new American game show, Wanna Bet?, in November 2007. The episodes was broadcast in 2008, but failed to attract enough interest for a second series to be commissioned.^[19] What You Wrote, another format created by the duo, was due to air in Autumn 2008 but was reportedly axed by ITV.^[20] In 2010, the duo debuted a replacement for their previous Saturday-night game show format, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, entitled Ant & Dec's Push the Button. The series was a success, and a second run of the programme was broadcast in 2011.

Ant & Dec have also presented the new game show Red or Black?, a creation of Cowell's, airing live on ITV1. On 24 December 2011, they presented ITV's charity initiative Text Santa with Holly Willoughby.

Other activities[link]

In 2006, a celebration to the show Spitting Image saw Ant and Dec having their own puppets made. They have also been made into cartoon characters on the comedy show 2DTV, and face masks in Avid Merrion's Bo Selecta. Wax works of the duo can also be seen in London's Madame Tussauds.

In April 2008, it was reported that Ant & Dec's production company, Gallowgate Productions, had purchased the rights to Byker Grove and SMTV Live, after the production companies that made them, Zenith Entertainment and Blaze Television, had both gone bankrupt in 2007. According to reports, the duo decided to purchase the rights to stop digital channels showing repeats of the programmes.^[21] On 28 September 2008, it was reported that the pair were attacked by the Taliban whilst in Afghanistan to present a Pride Of Britain Award.^[22] In December 2008, the duo starred in a seasonal advert, their first in seven years, for the supermarket chain Sainsbury's. The duo appeared alongside chef Jamie Oliver.^[23] In March 2009, the duo filmed a short film for inclusion on Comic Relief, which highlighted their story upon visiting a community centre for young carers in the North East. In September 2009, the duo released their official autobiography, entitled "Ooh! What a Lovely Pair. Our Story".^[24] In October 2010, the duo appeared in several Nintendo adverts playing both the Wii^[25] and Nintendo DS.^[26] In 2011, they both appeared on Celebrity Juice on ITV2.

Controversies[link]

In 1997, Welsh pop duo 'And all because...' successfully obtained legal aid and filed legal papers against Ant & Dec, along with their management team, record company and producers for copyright infringement over the song "Falling", and this was subsequently Ant & Dec's last single.

Law firm Olswang were commissioned to investigate the 2005 British Comedy Awards when the producers overturned the voting public's first choice, The Catherine Tate Show in favour of Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway for the People's Choice Award. The incident is also the subject of an investigation by media regulator Ofcom.^[27][28]

Following allegations of fraud in 2007, an investigation by auditors Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu discovered that two shows, Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, had defrauded viewers participating in phone-ins. The programmes were subject to a further investigation by Ofcom which found that between January 2003 and October 2006 Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway had:^[28][29]

• selected competition finalists before the telephone lines were announced as closed
• staggered the selection of competition finalists which meant that viewers entering the competition did not have a fair and equal chance of winning
• selected finalists on the basis of their suitability to be on television and where they lived
• selected an individual already known to the production team to be placed on the shortlist of potential winners and who went on to win the competition

and between September and October 2005, Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon had:

• on six occasions in the Prize Mountain competition, selected winners based on their suitability to be on screen
• failed to account for almost half of the competition entries

One episode of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! was also found to be in breach of Ofcom rules.

The pair were ridiculed for their alleged participation in the fraud on the front cover of the satirical magazine Private Eye.^[30]

On 10 September 2008, Ant & Dec announced that the frauds "will never happen again", insisting that a high-tech system and strict rules will ensure viewers cannot lose out with poorly monitored premium rate phone lines.^[31] On 30 September 2008, it was reported that Ant & Dec were being sued for $30 million by Greek American stand-up comedian and actor ANT for using his name in the United States. The lawsuit, among other things, alleges trademark infringement and fraud.^[32] The suit was dismissed in May of 2010.^[33] In October 2009, Kelly Brook claimed that Ant & Dec had been the cause of her removal as the fourth judge on Britain's Got Talent. She claimed that she was asked to leave the show after she upset the pair.^[34]

Acting[link]

They have, albeit infrequently, returned to acting. They played themselves in the film Love Actually^[35] (in which Bill Nighy's character referred to Dec as "Ant or Dec"). They have returned to their Geordie roots in a one-off tribute to The Likely Lads^[36] and also by returning to Byker Grove for Geoff's funeral.^[37][38]

In 1998, the pair starred in the pantomime Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs at Sunderland's Empire Theatre alongside Donnelly's partner at the time Clare Buckfield. The show was financially unsuccessful, making £20,000 less than it cost to stage, with the duo footing a large share of the shortfall.^[39]

Al Burton, creator of the American gameshow Win Ben Stein's Money, had approached Ant & Dec's talent agency with a proposal for a new reality television show entitled Ant & Dec Get Killed (after the film Penn & Teller Get Killed), in which the two scheme to murder one another, framed with a lighthearted soundtrack and canned laughter. Burton received negative public reaction and narrowly escaped being charged with several accounts of premeditated murder in British courts, and Ant & Dec refused the offer from the talent agency.^[40]

Ant & Dec's most recent acting appearance was in the film Alien Autopsy released in April 2006.^[41] The film gained mixed reviews about the storyline but the pair received generally good reviews for their acting abilities.

Awards[link]

In September 2006, they were voted by the general public as number 7 in a poll of TV's 50 Greatest Stars.^[42]

1994

• Brit Award Nomination – Best Song: "Let's Get Ready to Rhumble"^[43]

2006

• British Comedy Awards: Best Comedy Entertainment Personality^[44]
• British Comedy Awards: Best Comedy Entertainment Programme^[45]

2008

• TV Quick & TV Choice Awards: Best Entertainment Show (Saturday Night Takeaway)
• Nickelodeon UK Kids Choice Awards 2008: Favourite Funny Person, Best TV presenters and Best Family TV show (Britain's Got Talent)^[46]

2009

• TV Quick & TV Choice Awards: Best Entertainment Show (Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway)
• TV Quick & TV Choice Awards:Outstanding Contribution Award^[47]

2010

• British Academy Television Awards: Entertainment Performance (I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!)

2012

• Freesat : Best TV Presenter(s)

National Television Awards[link]

• Ant & Dec have won the National Television Award for Best Entertainment Presenter(s) 11 years running 2001 to 2012.

2001

• National Television Awards: Most Popular Entertainment Presenter (SMTV Live)

2002

• National Television Awards:*Most Popular Entertainment Presenter (Pop Idol)
• National Television Awards: Special Recognition Award

2003

• National Television Awards: Most Popular Entertainment presenter (Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway)^[48]
• National Television Awards: Most Popular Entertainment program (Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway)
• National Television Awards: Most Popular Reality Programme (I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!)

2004

• National Television Awards: Most Popular Entertainment Presenter (Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway)
• National Television Awards: Most Popular Entertainment programme (Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway)

2005

• National Television Awards:* Most Popular Entertainment presenter (Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway)

2006

• National Television Awards:* Most Popular Quiz Programme (Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon)^[49]
• National Television Awards:* Most Popular Entertainment presenter (Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway)

2007

• National Television Awards: Most Popular Entertainment presenter (Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway)
• National Television Awards: Most Popular Entertainment program (Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway)
• National Television Awards: Most Popular Reality Programme (I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!)

2008

• National Television Awards: Most Popular Entertainment Presenter^[50]

2010

• National Television Awards: Most Popular Entertainment Presenter
• National Television Awards: Most Popular Entertainment Programme (Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway)

2011

• National Television Awards: Most Popular Entertainment Presenter
• National Television Awards: Most Popular Entertainment Programme (I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!)

2012

• National Television Awards: Most Popular Entertainment Presenter
• National Television Awards: Most Popular Reality Programme (I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!)

List of television appearances[link]

• Why Don't You? (1980s)
• Byker Grove (1989)
• Engie Benjy (2002)
• Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (2002)
• Celebrity Juice (2011)

As presenters[link]

• The Ant & Dec Show (1995–1997)
• Ant & Dec Unzipped (1998)
• SMTV Live (1998–2001)
• CD:UK (1998–2001)
• Friends Like These (1999–2001)
• Slap Bang with Ant & Dec (2001)
• Pop Idol (2001–2003)
• Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002–2009, 2012/13)
• I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (2002–present)
• Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon (2005)
• Soccer Aid (2006, 2008)
• PokerFace (2006–2007)
• Britain's Got Talent (2007–present)
• Ant & Dec's Christmas Show (26 December 2009)
• Ant & Dec's Push the Button (2010–2011)
• Red or Black? (2011–present)
• Text Santa (24 December 2011)

Film Credits[link]

• Love Actually (as themselves - 2003)
• Alien Autopsy (film) (Main Characters - 2006)

Television advertisements[link]

• Woolworths (Christmas 2001)
• McDonald's (voiceover only, 2002)
• Sainsbury's (Christmas 2008)
• Wii / Nintendo DS (2010/2011)

Television idents[link]

• ITV1 "Celebrities" idents (3 idents, 2002)
• ITV1 "Abstract celebrities" idents (5 idents, 2003)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ant & Dec on Twitter
• Official website
• Speaker's Corner article

v t e Britain's Got Talent Got Talent Series 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 Presenters Ant & Dec · Stephen Mulhern Judges Current Simon Cowell · Amanda Holden · Alesha Dixon · David Walliams Former Kelly Brook · Piers Morgan · Michael McIntyre · David Hasselhoff Guest Louis Walsh · Carmen Electra Winners Paul Potts · George Sampson · Diversity · Spelbound · Jai McDowall · Ashleigh and Pudsey Other notable contestants Series 1 Bessie Cursons · Connie Talbot · Damon Scott · Bar Wizards · Jake Pratt Series 2 Signature · Andrew Johnston · Escala · Faryl Smith · Kate and Gin · Charlie Green · Charlie Wernham Series 3 Susan Boyle · Julian Smith · Aidan Davis · Hollie Steel · Shaheen Jafargholi · Callum Francis · DJ Talent · Flawless · John Farnworth Series 4 Twist and Pulse · Paul Burling · ReConnected · Myles and Connor · Kev Orkian · Stevie Starr · The Cheeky Girls · Matthew Ahmet Series 5 Ronan Parke · Out of the Blue Series 6 Jonathan and Charlotte · Only Boys Aloud · The Loveable Rogues · Ryan O'Shaughnessy  · Molly Rainford · The Zimmers Related articles List of episodes · Discography · SYCOtv · FremantleMedia · talkbackTHAMES · Thames · ITV Category

Olly Murs
Murs performing on the X Factor live tour
Background information
Birth name	Oliver Stanley Murs
Born	(1984-05-14) 14 May 1984 (age 28) Witham, Essex, England
Genres	Pop, reggae fusion, ska, dance, soul
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, presenter, choreographer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, drums
Years active	2009–present
Labels	Epic (2009–present) Syco (2009–present)
Associated acts	The X Factor 2009 finalists
Website	ollymurs.com

Oliver "Olly" Stanley Murs^[1] (born 14 May 1984 in Witham, Essex, England)^[2] is an English singer-songwriter, musician and TV presenter. Murs rose to fame after being the runner-up on the sixth series of The X Factor. He is currently signed to Epic Records and Syco Music.

In late August 2010, Murs released his debut single "Please Don't Let Me Go", which debuted at number one on the UK Singles Charts, becoming Murs' second number one single after releasing "You Are Not Alone" with the other series 6 finalists. "Please Don't Let Me Go" received a Silver certification by the BPI. He released his second single from his debut album "Thinking of Me" which charted at number four on the UK Singles Charts, however the single also got a Silver certification by the BPI. "Heart Skips a Beat" was released and became his third number-one hit. Murs' second single from his follow up album In Case You Didn't Know, "Dance with Me Tonight", became his fourth to reach number one.

In November 2010, Murs released his self-titled debut album, which entered the UK Albums Chart at number two, with the biggest week one album sales for a debut album in 2010, with over 108,000 albums sold. The album went on to sell over 600,000 copies, and was certificated double platinum by the BPI. In November 2011, Murs released his second album, In Case You Didn't Know. The album entered the charts at number one, and has spawned two number one singles. In May 2011, it was announced that Murs would return to The X Factor to co-present spin-off show The Xtra Factor with Caroline Flack. It was also confirmed that Murs would present a Celebrity Club Classic show on Heart FM. He also has an active Twitter account with over 2 million followers as of May 2012.

Biography[link]

Oliver Stanley Murs was born to Vicki-Lynn Murs and Pete Murs.^[3][4] He has a twin brother, Ben Murs (Olly is the older twin) and a sister, Fay Murs and is of Latvian descent.^[3] He attended Howbridge Junior School in Witham and Notley High School in Braintree, Essex^[5] where he was a striker in the school's football team. He is a supporter of Manchester United,^[6] and played semi-professionally for Witham Town. He gave up his football career following an injury.^[7] Prior to The X Factor, Murs worked as a recruitment consultant at Prime Appointments in Witham. He also appeared on the TV show Deal or No Deal where he won £10. He later appeared on a celebrity special of Deal or No Deal in 2012, and he won 50p for the charity he is a patron of, Brainwave.^[8] Murs has played in Soccer Aid for charity early in 2010, and is going to play again in May 2012, before heading off to the US to support One Direction on their US tour.^[9][10]

Music career[link]

[edit] 2009–2010: The X Factor

In 2009 he performed "Superstition" in his first audition and Simon Cowell said it was "the easiest yes I've ever given". On the first live show he sang "She's the One" and on the second, "A Fool in Love", a performance which Cowell described as being "in a different league." For week three he took on "Bewitched". Walsh commented that he was the "dark horse of the competition," and Cole said he was "coming into his own each week." He frequently employed dance moves in his performance including his trademark "Olly wiggle."^[11] In week 4 he sang "Come Together" 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."^[12] In week 5 he performed "Twist and Shout" and in week 6 "Don't Stop Me Now", after which he was labelled by Minogue as, "absolutely the best performer we have on the show by far."^[13]

After a performance of "Fastlove", he was in the bottom two in week 7, with John & Edward. Cowell and Cheryl Cole decided to send John & Edward home, but Louis Walsh voted against Murs. Dannii Minogue then decided against taking the judges' vote to deadlock and sent home John & Edward. When the voting statistics were later released on itv.com, they revealed that if Minogue had voted to save John & Edward and taken it to deadlock, Murs would have been sent home on popular vote, as John & Edward gained 10.7% of the popular vote against just 9.8% to Murs. In the semi-finals Murs had to miss the wedding of his brother. The ceremony took place just 16 miles from the show's studio, but mentor Cowell was against letting him off for a few hours on the crucial semi-final day.^[14] He sang "Can You Feel It" and "We Can Work It Out" in the semi-final and ended up as one of the three finalists, breaking down in tears upon hearing the result.^[15]

In the final on 12 December, he repeated his audition song, "Superstition", following which Cowell said putting him in the final 12 was "the best risk I have ever taken in my life". Murs then sang with Robbie Williams on a duet of "Angels", in which Williams fluffed his lines as he walked on stage to join Murs and came in at the wrong time, singing the second line of the song, but was helped by Murs to find the right spot.^[16] There was then a repeat performance of his week 2 song "Fool in Love". Murs qualified for the final two and first sang a repeat performance of "Twist and Shout", following which Walsh commented, "You're a born, born showman and no matter what happens tonight you're going to have a great career in music." In his final performance on the show he performed the winner's song, "The Climb", finishing it in tears.^[17] He was told by Cole, "You absolutely tore it from your soul. I've never heard you sing like that. I thought it was a beautiful version of the song."^[18] He lost the final to Joe McElderry the next day and finished as the runner-up.^[19]

On 15 December, two days after the final, it was reported that Cowell was going to offer Murs a record deal in early 2010.^[20] Following his defeat, Murs was reportedly texted by duet partner Robbie Williams and invited to visit him in his Los Angeles mansion and participate in the forthcoming Soccer Aid, organised by Williams.^[6] Olly performed in the X Factor tour, alongside Joe McElderry, John & Edward, Stacey Soloman Lucie Jones and several other finalists. It was later revealed on The Xtra Factor that Murs was predicted by all the judges and presenters (except Minogue who said Nicole Jackson and Cole who said Miss Frank as a second choice) as the favourite to win the series at the Boot Camp stage.^[21][22] As with all other finalists save the winner, Murs began gigging around the country following the end of the show.^[23] A fight broke out at one New Year's Eve gig in London prompted by enthusiastic fans.^[24] He was also booked to appear at the engagement party of model Danielle Lloyd.^[25] Footage of Murs appearing on Deal or No Deal was later featured in an edition of the BBC's Almost Famous on 2 January 2010.^[26]

[edit] 2010–2011: Major label success and Olly Murs

Rumours began that Murs would record a debut album almost immediately after the final, where he finished in second place to Joe McElderry. After the rumours broke out, Murs announced he signed a joint record deal between Epic Records and Syco Music in February 2010.^[27] It was announced that Murs began working with John Shanks and Eg White.^[28] It was later confirmed that Roy Stride, Trevor Horn, Wayne Hector and Matty Benbrook would have involvement on the album which he collaborated with to make the "best possible songs".^[29] More writers and producers were confirmed to be working with Murs in the studio including; Phil Thornalley, Martin Brammer, Samuel Preston, Mark Taylor.^[30] and Chris Difford^[30] Professor Green was due to appear on the album, however, the duet fell through before recording was completed. "Heart on My Sleeve" is a cover of the song originally recorded by American Idol finalist Michael Johns.

Murs confirmed the first single from the album to be titled "Please Don't Let Me Go", which was released on 27 August 2010 following the circulation of the accompanying music video.^[31] The song was written by Murs himself and with other songwriters, Claude Kelly and Steve Robson; the single was also produced by Future Cut.^[28] The song is about a minor relationship Murs was in where he ended up feeling something for the other person. Murs commented: "Sadly she kept giving me the impression that she didn't like me as much, and ultimately it didn't work out, so that's where the idea of me singing 'Please Don't Let Me Go' came from."^[32] The song was described as "a lovely summery reggae-tinged pop tune that bobs along in a thoroughly hummable and not un-Will Young-like fashion" and said that the music video "is just as quintessentially pleasant".^[33] During the release, Murs was told not to get his hopes up for a number-one due to Katy Perry releasing "Teenage Dream" the same day. On 5 September 2010, the single entered the UK Singles Charts at number 1 beating Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream". The song was released with the B-side track, entitled "This One's for the Girls" also entered the UK Singles Charts, debuting at number 69, was written for all of his female fans.

His debut album was released in November 2010;^[34] which was a self-titled album, Olly Murs. The album's tracking list was revealed on 15 October 2010.^[35] The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number two, with the biggest week one album sales for a debut album in 2010, with over 108,000 albums sold.^[36] The album also charted on the Irish Albums Chart where it found itself peaking at number eleven. The second single was "Thinking of Me",^[37] written by Murs, Steve Robson and Hector, and co-produced by Future Cut and Steve Robson.^[38] It was released on 19 November 2010,^[37] prior to the album's release.^[30] It was reported that Professor Green would feature on the single,^[39] however, the duet fell through before it was completed.^[40] The single was added to BBC Radio 1's C Playlist on 3 November 2010. Murs performed the single for the first time on The X Factor. Upon the release the single charted at number four on the UK Singles Charts and thirteen on the Irish Singles Charts. On 13 November Murs turned the Christmas lights on in Paisley and he also turned on the Christmas lights near his hometown in Chelmsford, Essex. Renfrew Council was criticised in the media for the £15,000 fee that Murs was paid to turn on the lights, after announcing that they were axing 500 jobs.^[41] Olly has now started his 2011 UK Tour starting in Rhyl, Wales on the 26th April.

[edit] 2011–2012: In Case You Didn't Know

It was rumoured in June 2011 that Murs had started working on his second studio album, which he later confirmed. Murs claimed that he would "take the album from a different approach", and claimed he would like to record a rap track, stating, "I'm secretly not a bad rapper, I really like to do a bit of beat boxing, Eminem is always a favourite, or maybe Vanilla Ice, "Ice Ice Baby" is a classic."^[42] Murs revealed that he will attempt to build himself a more of a "soulful" sound through writing the second album, and also expressed interest in recording with Robbie Williams after the two met on The X Factor Live Final.^[43] Murs confirmed in July 2011 that the lead single from the album would be called "Heart Skips a Beat", and it would feature up-and-coming Brithop Rap duo Rizzle Kicks.^[44] He described it as a "parallel" to the remainder of the album, calling it a "summer party song".^[43] The song premiered on The Chris Moyles Show on 7 July 2011 and has since been well received by fans.^[45] The video for the track was later released via Murs' official YouTube channel. Murs said that the song is one of his favourite tracks from the new album, stating, "I'm loving the tune at the moment. It's going down really, really well."^[44] "Heart Skips a Beat" later peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, marking his second number one. It later went on to peak at number one in Germany and Switzerland, also reaching top ten in numerous countries in Europe. In September 2011, Murs announced via Twitter that the second album would be entitled 'In Case You Didn't Know', taken from a song of the same name which appears on the album.^[46] On 14 October 2011, Murs released the audio of "Dance With Me Tonight", the album's second single, via his YouTube Channel. The track was released on 21 November 2011, again peaking at #1 on the UK Singles Chart. The album, In Case You Didn't Know was released a week later on 28 November 2011. The album peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart, two on the Irish Charts, and in the top ten in Germany, Switzerland and Poland. Murs confirmed via his Twitter account in February 2012 that the album's third single would be "Oh My Goodness", and that it would be released on April 2. It peaked at #13 on the UK Singles Chart. The single is due for release across Europe in July. "I'm OK" will be released as the album's fourth and final single on 2 July 2012. A video for the track will be filmed during May, and will premiere on the first week in June.^[47]

2012-present: Third album[link]

In April 2012, it was revealed that Murs is in the process of writing his third studio album, which is slated for release in November 2012. Murs will once again be writing with Steve Robson and Claude Kelly, as well once again collaborating with Rizzle Kicks.^[48] A demo from the album sessions, "Stolen", leaked online on April 23. Murs will be embarking on a second arena tour in March 2013, touring in support of the album. Murs will be opening for British-Irish boy band One Direction on the North American leg of their Up All Night Tour, starting on May 29th in Toronto.^[49]

Other work[link]

On 28 October 2011, Murs was the first artist to be confirmed to play at Capital FM's Jinglebell Ball 2011.^[50] In November 2011, Murs won the award for "Best Male Artist" at the BT Digital Music Awards and the award for "Best Album" for "Olly Murs" at the BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards. On 10 November 2011, Murs turned on the Christmas Lights at the Bristol Shopping Mall. 7,000 fans attended, and Murs concluded his appearance with a performance of "Dance With Me Tonight", the first time he had performed the song live. On 2 December 2011, Murs appeared on The Late Late Toy Show with Ryan Tubridy, a popular television show in Ireland.^[51][52] On December 5 and 6, Murs supported Gary Barlow at Barlow's Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.^[53] On 1 February 2012, Murs began his twenty-two date arena tour, starting with an audience of 20,000 in Cardiff. In March 2012, it was confirmed that Murs would return to The X Factor to present the spin-off show, The Xtra Factor alongside Caroline Flack, for a second year running. ^[54] In March 2012, Murs performed at the 'Big Gig' event in Birmingham. On March 24, In aid of Sport Relief, Murs performed alongside Rizzle Kicks, Vida and JLS at a special charity concert, held at the 02 Arena in London. On April 16, Murs won the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for "Favourite British Male Artist". On April 19, a three-part documentary trailing Murs throughout his UK Arena Tour, entitled Life on Murs, premiered on ITV2. It drew over half a million viewers. On April 22, he appeared on a celebrity edition of Deal or No Deal, where he won 50p for his chosen charity, Brainwave.^[55] He will return for a third appearance on the show in October 2012, when he will present the programme's 2000th edition, as regular host Noel Edmonds will be playing the game instead of hosting it.

Other work[link]

In February 2011 it was announced that Murs would participate in the BT Charity Trek, with other celebrities, as part of the 2011 Comic Relief Red Nose Day campaign. The celebrities spent five days in the Kaisut desert in north Kenya, covering 100 kilometres (62 mi) in temperatures up to 40°C.^[56] On 2 April 2011, Murs appeared in a celebrity version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and won £10,000 for charity.^[57][58] On 4 April 2011 for one week, Murs stood in for Comedy Dave Vitty on The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 while Vitty was rehearsing for Dancing on Ice.^{[citation needed]} In 2011, Murs appeared on CBBC's children's hidden camera show Remote Control Star.^{[citation needed]} At the end of May 2011, Murs presented a Celebrity Club Classics show on Heart FM. He went on to present a Celebrity Special over the Christmas Period in 2011.^{[citation needed]} On 31 May 2011 it was confirmed Olly would be co presenting the eighth series of The Xtra Factor alongside Caroline Flack.^[59] On Sunday 27th May 2012, Murs played for England in a charity match for Soccer Aid at Old Trafford. He represented England however was taken off in the first half due to a hamstring injury. England ended up winning the match in a 3-1 victory against the rest of the world.

Discography[link]

• Olly Murs (2010)
• In Case You Didn't Know (2011)

References[link]