Olly Murs

Olly Murs (born Oliver Stanley Murs in Witham, England) became one of the U.K.'s biggest pop sensations in the 2010s, but like so many other successful pop singers, he got his start on reality TV. In 2009 he became a contestant on "The X Factor" (ITV 2004-), the British music competition show, where he was praised to the skies by the celebrity judges. While Murs came in second at the end of the season, he impressed judge and music impresario Simon Cowell so much that Cowell gave him a record deal on his imprint Syco Records, in conjunction with Epic Records. Murs' supple pop-soul sound connected with the public in a major way right off the bat-his first single, 2010's Please Don't Let Me Go, went to No. 1 in England, and his self-titled debut album went double Platinum and hit No. 2. The next year, his follow-up, In Case You Didn't Know, was an even bigger success, spawning two U.K. No. 1 hits in "Heart Skips a Beat" and "Dance With Me Tonight." Alongside his music career, Murs has also had a sideline as a TV host, appearing on the "X Factor" spinoff show "The Xtra Factor" (ITV 2011) as well as a number of Christmas specials and other programs. Murs' third album, 2012's Right Place Right Time, continued his upward trajectory, hitting the top of the charts once again and becoming his biggest seller to date. Its biggest hit was the No. 1 single "Troublemaker," which found Murs partnering up with Flo Rida. His next LP, 2014's Never Been Better, featured a couple more team-up hits: "Wrapped Up" with Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes and "Up" with Demi Lovato. That same year he participated in a new version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" For Band Aid 30. The next couple of years brought a new batch of hits for Murs and yet another No. 1 album, 23 Hrs.