Olly Murs interview: Star is loving the return of live music ahead of Telford show

"Lockdown really did make me wonder about my existence - everyone that I was involved in, all my work just stopped," the singer and television celebrity said.

"So returning to the stage was just like my first ever gig. I had the nerves, the butterflies, the worry.

"But seeing everyone's faces light up, everyone so happy to be at a concert again, it was just incredible."

The cheeky chappie from Essex is delighted to be touring again. He is bringing his concert to the QEII arena at Telford Town Park on September 5 and says he can't wait to see fans from Shropshire and beyond enjoying the gig.

Olly Murs shot to fame thanks to the X Factor in 2009 from his audition with Stevie Wonder's Superstition to his duet with Robbie Williams.

Although in the end he was runner-up to Joe McElderry, it was Olly who went on to carve out a career in the world of pop and on TV.

"When I first started getting asked to do TV presenting work, I said 'but I'm a singer'. I suppose it is because I started on a TV show that people saw that I had potential.

"In fact my dad used to tell me I was a jack of all trades."

"I am very very lucky to be able to do what I do. People seem to like me and like what I do," he said.

From being a competitor on a show to being a judge on The Voice the change seems to have come completely naturally for Olly.

But he says singing and gigging are his first loves.

However Olly's return to the stage almost ended in disaster, when a concert at the beginning of the month ended in hospital - and surgery.

"It is a sore subject, literally," he said.

"I has sung my second song of my 16 song set and me knee popped. Honestly I just couldn't walk properly and I spent the rest of the concert like a one-legged crab."

A short spell in hospital and surgery to take the offending piece of bone out and Olly is now back on track.

"Honestly I have to laugh about what happened because if I don't laugh I will cry.

"I went from feeling on top of the world - singing on stage after two years out of the game, to popping my knee and ending up in hospital."

Determined to get back to absolute top fitness Olly has embarked on a programme of physio and exercises to strengthen his knee – for as well as the gigs he is also preparing to take part in Soccer Aid in Manchester the day before the Telford concert.

"I absolutely love charity football matches and this is for Unicef which is such a good cause," he said.

"I am so looking forward to Soccer Aid on the Saturday and the Telford gig on the Sunday."

The singer said what has impressed him at the concerts he has fronted so far is how everyone is respectful of others.

"All these events are being closely monitored and are Covid-secure and what is great is that people can enjoy them in their own way.

"If they want to be up at the front with all their mates they can be. And if they want to be socially distanced, then that's OK too. They can wear a face mask if they want to - everyone is enjoying themselves how they want to enjoy themselves.

"It is so wonderful after all this time seeing everyone having fun and seeing smiles on people's faces, singing laughing and joking. It's great to be back."

The Telford concert sees Olly being supported by The Feeling.

On the Friday night, September 3, Tom Jones will be in the arena in Telford town park with limited tickets remaining across all the show.

Promoter, Orchard Live, said: "We are just finalising our Covid safety protocols and we will have news on this very soon."