Olly Murs has responded to the debate about his physique after a picture of his fitness transformation went viral this week.
The 40-year-old “Heart Skips a Beat” singer took part in a 12-week diet and exercise regimen that saw him lose weight and develop a more muscular form. His nutritionist shared a picture of his body before and after on Instagram, praising Murs for his “super disciplined” approach.
However, the post immediately sparked debate, with many saying they “preferred’ the way Murs looked before. The image circulated on X/Twitter, where one poll asking men and women which look they preferred went viral, racking up over 86 million views.
Men appeared to prefer his body after the transformation, while women voted for the way Murs looked before his change. The post questioned: “Why are women lying about this? Like what’s the actual cause?” Many other women explained the reasons they tended to prefer a less muscular physique.
Murs has now responded to the ongoing discourse, which has included newspaper opinion pieces and discussions on panel shows including Loose Women and The View.
“I wouldn’t normally comment on stuff like this but from what I’ve seen I just want to say that this journey at the start of the year was for many personal reasons and not one of them was to spark a debate and divide opinions,” he wrote in a post on Instagram on Wednesday (30 April).
He shared a picture of a Daily Mail newspaper with the headline: “Bad luck Olly! Women prefer your ‘huggable dad bod’ to the muscles you got in the gym”.
“So. it’s very disappointing to see this kind of reporting! Big love to everyone who’s been kind and to anyone out there improving themselves and making adjustments to their wellbeing. Love to you all, keep it up! Ignore the noise!”
The post prompted a flood of support with one person writing: “Everyone needs to stop commenting on other people’s bodies. Judged either way. Keep doing What makes you feel good!”
Earlier in the week, Murs, who recently revealed he was expecting his second child, reacted to the attention following a performance in Dublin on Tuesday (29 April), hinting that the discussion had affected him negatively
“I don’t know if you guys have been on social media, but there’s loads of weird stuff being written about me, about my body and stuff. Absolutely madness.”
He continued: “But anyway, moving on. Thank you for cheering me up.”
