Olly Murs has spoken candidly about his long-running feud with his twin brother Ben, who cut contact and changed his surname after a dispute over Olly missing his wedding in 2009. The 39-year-old singer chose to appear on The X Factor semi-finals instead of attending Ben's wedding, where he was due to be best man.
Ben accused Olly of prioritising fame over family, telling the Sunday People in 2009 that their family was 'torn apart because of X Factor'. He also criticised their parents for being swayed by 'fame and greed', and adopted his wife's surname Hart to distance himself.
Olly, who recently became a father to daughter Madison with wife Amelia Tank, has previously indicated that problems existed long before his X Factor stint. He told the Sunday Times Magazine: 'His wedding was his excuse for not having me in his life anymore... I don't think he ever liked us as a family.'
During an emotional appearance on The Voice, Olly confessed: 'I feel like the next time I am going to see him is going to be at the worst place to see someone. It will be at someone's (funeral) that we lose in the family. I don't want that to be the case.'
The brothers' mother Vicky revealed the stress left her unable to work and believing she had multiple sclerosis, saying: 'My heart is broken. Ben's broken my heart, and his dad's, but I will not hear anything against him.'
