Radio host Olly Murs has said that he “broke down in tears” reflecting on having spent time away from his daughter in the days after she was born. He spoke about it following his pal Mark Wright having welcomed his first child recently.
Olly, now 40, and his wife Amelia Murs, now 32, welcomed their daughter Madison, now 11 months old, in April last year. Just days after her arrival, the singer-songwriter was back on tour as the support act for Take That. He said at the time that it had been “horrible to say goodbye” to his newborn baby for the band’s This Life On Tour shows.
He’s now opened up about the experience, with him having shared on Heart‘s Saturday Breakfast show over the weekend that it left him feeling emotional. His comments came during a discussion on the radio station about Olly’s co-host Mark, 38, and his wife Michelle Keegan, 37, having welcomed their daughter Palma earlier this month.
Olly said that he “didn’t really process” leaving Madison just days after her birth to go on tour at the time. He shared that months later he “sort of broken down in tears” whilst reflecting on the situation with his wife Amelia.
Amid the discussion about Mark becoming a parent, Olly said: “You’re making me get really emotional now, because you know, I went through all that literally eleven months ago. And it was really hard for me because I actually had to leave. So, two days after the baby was born, I had to leave and go on tour with Take That.”
He continued: “I didn’t really process it at the time. And then about a few months later, me and Amelia were chatting, and I just sort of broke down in tears. Because I was just like I never got a chance to actually get to know this little baby.”
His pal Mark responded though: “But you was doing it all for her future and your families future.” Olly agreed, before sharing that it was “lovely” to see his friend as a father himself now. He said: “Yeah, exactly. But no, I’m just so excited for you guys.”
Olly continued on their radio show: “You know, we’ve been friends for a long time, and so I know how family oriented you are. So, it’s so lovely to see you as a dad. And now we’re gonna have to experience it both together.”
Prior to Olly’s remarks about his own experience, Mark had opened up about his daughter Palma’s birth on the radio show following the initial announcement last week. He described his wife Michelle as a “superhero” in the discussion.
Asked how he was feeling, Mark told his co-host Olly that Palma was already his “biggest achievement” in life and that he struggled to put his feelings into words. He said: “It’s actually hard to put it into words. I’ll start by saying it’s the biggest achievement of my life. It’s all I think about.”
He continued: “But obviously, hats goes off to my wife. She’s an absolute superhuman superhero for bringing this baby into the world. And it makes you realise, like what our mums did for us, and makes me have so much more respect than I already had and what women have to go through.”
Mark added: “But other than that, it’s the best feeling in the world. I wake up every morning just so excited to see her face. Every time I wake up, I’m like ‘oh, she’s there.’ And that moment when I held her in my arms, I mean, it gets me emotional now thinking about it. But it’s just, I suppose, everything else goes out the window. And it’s made me realise what life is all about. And my little baby, Palma, I love you so much. I can’t wait to spend my life with you.”
Mark and Michelle announced Palma’s birth in a post on Instagram last week. Alongside a photo of the newborn, the couple wrote in a message to their followers: “Together we have a new love to share… Our little girl. Palma Elizabeth Wright. 06.03.25.” The news was met with well wishes from celebrity pals on the platform.
Listen to Heart Saturday Breakfast with Mark Wright and Olly Murs every Saturday from 9:00 – 12:00 across the UK and on Global Player.
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