Olly Murs, tour review: Showman is here to stay

Love or loathe him, but in eight years Olly Murs has demonstrated he’s got the charm and cockiness to become one of pop music’s unlikeliest treasures. It’s all there in his CV: a TV talent show runner-up, four number one albums in a row, a year-long turn at presenting and a series of sold-out O2 Arena shows, including last night’s outing to promote new record 24 Hrs.

Some might call it luck, considering the average shelf life of a former X Factor contestant, so performance-wise you can’t blame the 32-year-old for not resting on his laurels.

With nods to Robbie Williams and Justin Timberlake, his gig was 90 minutes of fun-filled showmanship from a singer who’s learned he’s better off sticking to his strengths. Strokes of laddish humour, dad-dancing and chart-toppers such as Heart Skips a Beat and Dance With Me Tonight all appeared among the fancy visuals and pyrotechnics.

Vocally, Murs was decent enough to carry the odd ballad such as Up, which came after talk of heartbreak — and so much flirting with the ladies that it’s a wonder the many men in attendance didn’t just up and leave. But they didn’t seem too bothered and appeared to have a grand time during an old-school music segment that paid tribute to everyone from Luther Vandross to MC Hammer.

As for the sprinkling of youngsters in the crowd, Murs made sure he didn’t keep them out too late, wrapping things up by 10pm — but not before an arm-waving rendition of Years & Years, a fitting finale for a star who’s clearly determined to stick around for a while.