Olly Murs has said he once dated a woman from Chelsea who refused to tell her friends she was seeing him because he was “a little bit rough around the edges”.
The singer and The Voice UK star, who comes from Essex, has a home in the affluent area of south-west London for work purposes, and that his love life took a bit of a knock while dating a local.
Murs told The Jonathan Ross Show: “I did date a Chelsea girl once and she wouldn’t tell any of her friends that she was dating me.
“She said ‘I couldn’t possibly tell my friends that I’m dating you, Olly’, and I was like ‘But why? I really like you, this is going well…’
“And she went ‘No, Olly, I have to tell them you’re my Essex builder because you’re a little bit rough around the edges, Olly, I can’t be telling people that I’m dating you.’ No, she didn’t (last long).”
Murs said he does enjoy spending time in Chelsea because he is largely unrecognisable there, although he still calls Essex his home.
He said: “No-one really knows me in Chelsea. I can just walk around and no-one knows me.”
The 34-year-old, who rose to fame as a contestant on The X Factor in 2009, said he is currently “single and having fun”, and that it is nice there are “no rumours in the paper” about him at the moment.
“I only have to be standing with a female and there’s a rumour I’m dating a mysterious blonde or brunette.”
Murs, who was recently confirmed to be returning to talent show The Voice UK for a second series as a coach alongside Sir Tom Jones, Jennifer Hudson and Will.i.am, said it is “the best show I’ve ever done”.
The Jonathan Ross Show airs on Saturday at 10.05pm on ITV.