Olly Murs left bedridden after mental pressure of hosting X Factor

Murs said juggling the show with his solo career was "intense"
'Zombie': Olly Murs with co-host Caroline Flack
Daily Mail
Emma Powell6 July 2016
The Weekender

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Olly Murs has revealed he was bedridden for a week after he was left mentally exhausted from hosting The X Factor.

Murs said he felt like a “zombie” after juggling the ITV reality show with his solo career last year.

The singer who is no stranger to media attention said starring on the show every weekend was too “intense”.

“I’m a human being, I can’t do everything,” he told The Sun.

“People forget you are on the biggest show on TV so as soon as you walk out on Saturday or Sunday night all the attention is on you.

“It’s the mental pressure of dealing with TV, the lights being on you, plus at the same time promoting your single and wanting that to do well.

“It was mentally and physically tiring because of all the travelling I was doing in between it all.”

Murs, who was criticised for accidentally revealing the name of an evicted contestant too early, said he was desperate to spend time alone and away from the spotlight after the series finished.

Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef Awards 2016

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“In the lead up to Christmas it hit me hard. I had a week in bed when I couldn’t move,” he said.

“It was a bit of a brain freeze. I was a bit of a zombie. I had to have three or four days in silence when I just chilled out, got off my phone and had a bit of me time.”

Murs stepped down from hosting The X Factor after one series. Former host Dermot O'Leary signed up to take over for the new series which has also welcomed the return of Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger.

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