Last year, he surprised fans when he revealed his striking physical transformation after overhauling his diet and fitness regime.
Now Olly Murs is preparing to test his limits with his Into The Unknown challenge for UNICEF in support of Soccer Aid’s 20th anniversary.
Olly has been training vigorously behind the scenes, with early morning starts, late night finishes and three hour workouts a day.
The singer, 41, opened up to the Daily Mail about how he has been juggling fatherhood on top of his never-ending work commitments and intense training plan.
Olly, who will kick off his challenge on May 11, will travel from Old Trafford in Manchester as he runs, cycles and rows a total of 400km across the UK, finishing at London Stadium in Stratford.
He and his wife Amelia, who wed in 2023, share a son Albert, seven months, and daughter Madison, two.
The fitness fanatic said: ‘I’ve been doing a lot of training, but I love keeping fit anyway. I’ve just kind of enjoyed going out and running and cycling and getting out in the open and just keeping myself fit.
Olly Murs, 41, has been training vigorously, with early morning starts, late night finishes and three hour workouts a day ahead of his gruelling endurance challenge for Soccer Aid
Last year, he surprised fans with his striking physical transformation after overhauling his diet and fitness regime and now he’s preparing to test himself to his limits (right, in 2020)
‘I’ve definitely had to change it slightly because this is all about endurance and before I loved doing my weight training. I like doing boxing and a bit of CrossFit training.
‘I’m a morning person, so everything that I do, I try and arrange it around the kids. I try and help Amelia with getting the kids out of bed, getting them downstairs, getting their nappy changed and getting their breakfast ready.
‘And then around probably seven or eight o’clock, I’ll make sure that I eat something.
‘I’ve got a nutritionist in, a guy called Greg Marriott, who’s been helping me out. He is someone that I trust and someone who works with sports stars and and people in that field. He’s been helping me eat well and fuel my body right.
‘Then I’ll just go out and run and I don’t know how long for, I just kind of go out and see how I feel.’
Sharing an example of what his day to day looks like, Olly explained: ‘Today’s a heavy day for me. I’ve been up since six, working all morning and all day.
‘And then I’m still working tonight. Once the film crew finish around 6pm, I’ve got to put my kids to bed, and then I’ve got to cycle for an hour and then get on the treadmill and do 5K straight after.
‘So, you know, it’s no rest for the wicked at the moment. It’s quite a lot of work.’
‘Even though some of the days I’m doing two or three hours of training, it has put me in a really good place mentally and physically,’ he added.
‘I feel like I’ve had more energy. I’m having a really good time with my kids, and you know, some days I’m struggling to walk but I’ve really enjoyed it.’
Despite taking on the gruelling challenge for charity, Olly declared earlier this year he would be taking a step back from touring and performing for a year to prioritise ‘being a present father and husband’.
Speaking about his decision to take a career hiatus, Olly revealed: ‘The last two or three years or so, it’s been a really difficult but an amazing time for me and work-wise, touring.
‘But I’m very aware that Amelia isn’t just a mum. She has her own life and I wanted to feel like she’s got a life balance of being able to go and see friends, let her live her life a little bit and not just be a mum all the time, even if it means me taking a break.
‘I feel like I deserve that little break and I also want to be a present dad. I want to be there for my kids. I want to watch them walk for the first time, I want to see them talk for the first time, I want to do all them things.
‘But then at the same time, I do love my career and I love my job, but I did feel like this year, even though I am doing this challenge and it’s taking a lot of time, I am at home a heck of a lot more than I have been, and my kids are loving that more.’
The singer has son Albert, seven months, and daughter Madison, two, with wife Amelia and revealed how he has been juggling fatherhood on top of his work and intense training plan
Olly, who will kick off his challenge on May 11, will travel from Old Trafford in Manchester as he runs, cycles and rows a total of 400km across the UK, finishing at London Stadium in Stratford
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He added: ‘I’m not saying I’m retired or I’m not doing it anymore. I just will be picking and choosing when I do that again, and right now, I’m just focusing on what’s going on now, and let’s see where that takes me.’
Ahead of his challenge, the musician has said how becoming a parent has given him a new perspective and inspired him to complete the task and raise money for refugee families.
Speaking on Heart Breakfast after returning from Romania, Olly said: ‘To hear the stories of the Ukrainian people who had to flee the war to get to Romania and seek refuge and the incredible work that UNICEF do.
‘It brought light to me that this war is real and its happening right now. And it is easy for us to scroll through social media and read the papers but when you’re actually there speaking to real life people that have been through it and with their children. And you know their children came first.
‘As a parent myself now, it just really hit home to me that everyday we want to keep our kids safe but we’re not in a war zone.
‘The money we raise is going to help all those amazing families and children across the world to play safe, and that’s what I’m doing it for.’
Olly will also be returning to play in this year’s Soccer Aid for UNICEF match, as a veteran of the game having first taken part in 2010.
The match will air live and exclusively on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player on Sunday May 31.
To follow along, find out more and donate to UNICEF and Olly Murs: Into The Unknown for Soccer Aid now, visit www.socceraid.org.uk/challenge
