Olly Murs says fame-related 'trust issues' are stopping him finding love
22 March 2019, 13:43
EXCLUSIVE: The cheeky singer told Heart that he can never be sure women aren't just after his money or looking to further their own careers.
Olly Murs found it easier to meet women when he had debts and a cheap car.
The singer, 34, told Heart that being in the public eye has left him with "trust issues" - and it's had a knock-on effect on his love life.
Olly has been single for the last three-and-a-half years, adding that he can never be sure that the women who show an interest in him aren't just using him to further their own careers or because they're attracted to his wealth.
Read more: Watch Olly Murs' hilarious impression of Mark Wright
He explained: "It’s difficult to find someone who likes you for the right reasons, not because they want a leg-up in the industry, or they wanna be famous, or they want money.
"All them things go through your head.
"It’s very difficult for me going from being 25 going out in Essex [to now].
"When you met someone, it was a genuine, ‘I like you, you’re a nice guy’, and you got a little buzz knowing ‘you like me for who I am’.
"I didn’t really have anything then. I had a Fiat Seincento, couple of overdrafts.
"Now it’s gone the flip side and I’m lucky to be in the position I’m in. But sometimes it’s not always perfect."
Earlier this week Olly was forced to deny that he had sparked up a secret romance with Love Island star Zara McDermott after liking a string of her sun-soaked bikini photos on Instagram.
Denying that they're anything more than friends after bumping in to each other at celeb-friendly Essex kebab house Sheesh, he told The Sun that "dating someone in the celeb world gives me anxiety" - a condition that he has bravely spoken out about.
Olly was left with crippling anxiety after making a presenting blunder during a live broadcast of The X Factor - although it didn't surface until he was due to perform on the Graham Norton show months later.
The entire experience prompted him to seek professional help, which he claims is the best thing he ever did.
He told Heart: "I hate the word ‘struggle’ but it was, it did affect me.
"It was difficult for me to speak to my friends so it was nice for me to go and speak to someone who I didn’t know.
"When you’re famous and have trust issues and wonder ‘do people like me because of who I am, or because I’m Olly Murs’?
"I felt really liberated afterwards, I felt really good about myself.
"Now I know how to deal with certain feelings. That’s their job to give you that mechanism, to help you."
Olly added that he was compelled to open up about his mental health struggles in the aftermath of Keith Flint and Mike Thalassitis' shock suicides.
He said: "People see me as this fun guy, but you do get yourself in to situations or a place where you’re not having a great day.
"The showbiz industry is tough. It’s a difficult industry to be in.
"For me, I just wanted to talk about it so that men see someone like me talk about it and hope it helps for them.
"Looking at people like Keith Flint and Mike, these people had the fame and everyone thinks it’s amazing.
"But there’s a lot of other things to it that people don’t see. One of them is trusting people. Not just relationships but trusting people around you.
"People think if you have everything you must be happy, but it’s not always the case.
"It’s so difficult to read stories or hear about people who are committing suicide and not speaking out or getting help.
"It was important for me to speak and to let people know I’ve struggled too.
"It’s OK to feel that way, but it’s not OK to not talk about it. It was important for me to stress that."
Olly Murs will soon embark on a 21-date UK tour. Click here for more details and to buy tickets.
