Busy Olly always hits the right note: Olly Murs talks ahead of Birmingham show

So today our chat with pop’s toppermost, poppermost, most chipper man is a little subdued. He tries to put on Peak Olly, offering his normal platitudes about loving his life, loving his job and loving everybody in the world (except for people who are mean to dogs, probably) but, let’s face it, he’s knackered. And that, curiously, gives us more insight than we might get if he bathed us in 98,000 lumens.

His defences are a little down, he’s willing to talk about everyone and everything and there’s more than a little humility in his answers. But first, let’s go back to the beginning and set out the context.

Olly Murs released his new album in November and is on the road in spring to promote it – as well as selling squillions of tickets so that he can buy as many cars, phones, pork pie hats and holidays that he likes.

He’ll play Birmingham’s Resorts Arena on May 10 and 11 with special guests Rak-Su, following the release of his ghetto fabulous sixth album, You Know I Know, which also includes new hit single Moves, featuring Snoop Dogg.

He’s looking forward to returning to the Second City, a location that always provides the warmest of welcomes.

“I genuinely can’t wait, it’s going to be so much fun. I always say that every time I do an interview about Birmingham. I’ll be looking forward to getting it on with the Brummies.”

And yes, he does say the same about every town and city he visits – we checked – but hey, who cares. Olly Murs is more on-message than Michael Owen used to be when he gave interviews about playing for Liverpool and England. There are times when he seems to say everything while saying nothing at all. Inoffensive, charming, ultra polite and politically correct, he says just the right thing every time.

He loves his portfolio career, where he might one day be recording an album, the next making a radio show, the following featuring on TV and then sitting down with designers from a High Street fashion house to approve a set of new threads.

“It’s entertainment, isn’t it? I love radio, TV, the live work…. Every aspect of it is great. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do and what I love.”

His profile has risen to new heights during the past year after his starring role on The Voice. He came to prominence on the sixth series of The X Factor, when he came second. Since then, he’s come full circle and being the leader of Team Olly was among the proudest moments of his career. Becoming a coach on the show, however, wasn’t without it’s drawbacks. He suffered from anxiety and a sense of not being worthy during filming.

“At first (when I got The Voice UK job) I was like: ‘Yes, come on!’ And then a negative thought came in: ‘Why am I doing this? I can’t do it. What if I go and say something bad again on TV? What if I make a mistake?’ So many ‘what ifs?’.

“When I got offered to do The Voice last year I was suffering with a little bit of worry and self-doubt about whether I could do it or not. Now I can’t wait for the second series. I just go there and just be me and have a laugh and get to be a coach with Sir Tom Jones. The Voice is such a great show to be a part of and I’m lucky to be doing what I’m doing. I like giving back and finding new talent too. I learn so much from people like Sir Tom, he’s had a song in every decade.”

Murs may well follow suit. He’s picked up the mantle from his celebrity pal Robbie Williams by becoming one of Britain’s greatest pop stars. In the eight short years since the release of his debut single Please Don’t Let Me Go, which debuted at number one on the UK Singles Charts and received a Gold certification by the BPI, he’s been pretty much unstoppable.

His self-titled debut album, Olly Murs, was released in 2010 and entered the UK Albums Chart at number two, with the biggest week one album sales for a debut album in 2010, with over 108,000 albums sold. The album went on to sell over 600,000 copies, and was certified double platinum by the BPI.

Murs’s second album, In Case You Didn’t Know, entered the charts at number one and resulted in two number one singles as Murs began to rack up more than 10 million record sales.

He signed up to present The X Factor spin-off show The Xtra Factor with Caroline Flack and his next album Never Been Better also entered the charts at number one. Murs repeated the trick with his fifth record, 24 Hrs, which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, and is now midway through the campaign for his current record.

He enjoys the process of making new records and is proud of his creative evolution. “It’s been great to be back in the studio writing some songs. When you’re with the right people it’s a great fun place. I’m very privileged to be in this place.

“I never predicted things would go this way. We try and give the fans something fresh and new every year and something they’ve not had. I like to keep it fresh for the fans. I think people love the new record and the reaction has been great. The tour next year should be fun but you never take it for granted.”

Aside from music, Murs picks up other projects whether in TV, radio or, more recently, fashion. He was supported by Dougie Poynter at the launch of his new brand for River Island, the Olly Murs x River Island collection.

“I have always loved clothes, but for me to do a fashion collaboration, it had to be authentic and River Island seemed like the perfect fit. The brand has always been close to my heart and my earliest memories of payday shopping with my mates at the local store in Essex make this collaboration all the more personal to me. I was fully immersed in the design process to ensure that every piece was true to my style. I have loved every minute of it.”

Elegant day-to-night dressing is core to the smart-casual aesthetic of the range. Bronze Harrington jackets and single-breasted dinner jackets are lightly structured, cut from butter-soft velvet and just as easily paired with a premium cotton tee or a fitted turtleneck. The slim fit and narrow notch lapels of the check single breasted suits are complemented by modern styling, teaming trainers with a lightweight knit. Luxurious, fine gauge knitwear is a signature Olly Murs look while there are arresting prints that offset the muted chic of separates in the range.

“I just really wanted to get involved with the clothing brand and River Island were really keen to do it. It’s a great brand and great people were involved with it. A lot of my fans and lads love it because that’s where they go to shop. We had a few ideas for the clothes and they had a full design team involved. I came in and picked certain outfits and styles I prefer and like. It’s a collaboration, you know, And I hope I get to do it again.”

Murs has never forgotten how different his life might have been had he not signed up for the X Factor and become an overnight star.

And yet his allegiance with The Voice means he’s broken ranks with Simon Cowell’s flagship show as he looks to nurture talent alongside Sir Tom and Will I Am.

“Last year’s show for me wasn’t the show I fell in love with years ago when I was on it. It was very different, they changed it completely, loads of artists singing their own songs. For me, Saturday night TV is about entertainment and people want to tune in and be entertained — that’s one thing that I love with working on The Voice.”

Such shows are not only fun and challenging, they also give him the opportunity to reach out to a wider audience when he has new music to release. But Murs keeps his feet on the ground and realises that careers in entertainment don’t always go the distance. He realises the importance of keeping things in check and making sure he stays focused, hungry and humble.

That’s what got him started when he broke out of his job as a recruitment consultant at Prime Appointments in Witham. And it paved the way for his success, after he’d performed as part of a covers band called the Small Town Blaggers with a friend, Jon Goodey.

“It’s great to have a new record out and obviously I hope I get to do it all the time. But the thing is you just have to wait to see how a new record performs. But the reaction to the record has been amazing.”

These days, he doesn’t get much downtime.

As well as creating new music and working on new projects, his time is taken up with promotion and looking ahead to work out what comes next.

He remains close to a few of his pals from the old days in Witham, when he was a call centre worker and wannabe pop star.

“When I get time off, I do the normal things, the same as anyone else.

“I just go home and watch TV.

“I just go and see friends and family to find out what they’re up to and what they’re doing.

“Listen, I got taken out of context the other day when I told someone that you never know whether or not your next album will be your last.

“I don’t want this to end.

“I want to be doing it at the top level for as long as I’m able to. But every time I release a record I feel very grateful. When I was 25 I was working in a call centre and I remind myself of that because you can get lost in the industry sometimes. I used to tell people how to save money on their energy bills. That’s how I started and I never forget that.”

In a different era, Murs would like to take time out.

He struggles to find genuine women to date – most of the girls he encounters are more interested in his fame than him. Dating is different to the way things were before he was famous and he’s wary of hooking up with someone who’s not really keen. If he had one wish, it would probably be to go travelling. In 2008, he travelled to Australia, backpacking alone along the east coast for three months. It was upon his return that he decided, having tried it out unsuccessfully twice in the past to audition for The X Factor again. And that’s when his life changed.

“Yes, I’d like to go travelling again. I’d like to go away and travel.

“I’d like to get over to Thailand and have a little travel on my own or with friends. Sometimes I don’t get a chance to see stuff because I’m travelling the world and things are moving so quickly. It would be nice to take time out sometimes.”