Olly Murs lands new TV role after sudden axe from ITV's The Voice

09 October 2023 , 13:14

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Olly Murs lands new TV role after sudden axe from ITV's The Voice

Olly Murs is set to replace singer Rita Ora as a panelist on The Masked Singer UK after he was axed as a judge on The Voice.

The 39 year old singer, who recently tied the knot with his wife Amelia, had been a judge on the ITV singing show for five years when bosses made the decision to end his contract. Now, Olly, who shot to fame on X Factor in 2009, will join Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross and comedian Mo Gilligan on the next series of The Masked Singer. Panelists are tasked with revealing the true identity of artists who are dressed in costume.

Olly Murs is set to join The Masked Singer as he replaces Rita Ora (ITV)

Olly will be filling in for Rita, 32, as she is not able to fulfill filming committments due to diary clashes. One of her clashes is that she has been lined up to replace singer Nicole Scherzinger on The Masked Singer US, as she is set to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber's west end production of Sunset Boulevard.

Speaking of her absence, Rita said: "I'm gutted to be missing some episodes on the new season but keeping my seat warm are some great guest panellists who I'm told are also super competitive and will keep the others on their toes, especially Jonathan! Bring it on."

A a source told The Sun: "Rita is a massive part of The Masked Singer family alongside Jonathan Ross, Mo Gilligan and Davina McCall and she will be missed. The show is a huge part of Rita's life but her hectic schedule means she is going to miss a couple of shows in the upcoming series." They added that filming would begin over the next few weeks and that Rita would try to be there when she could. Bosses are set to line up a number of celebs to cover her during the time she takes off.

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Another source told the publication: "The booking will be heartening to Olly. His exit from The Voice came as a shock, so knowing ITV still rate him and want him on the channel will be such a boost. It’s a sign they see him as part of the family and will be considered for future projects. Of course, Olly’s a pro when it comes to music, as well as having tons of experience as a TV judge. Plus, he is loved by audiences already. It all makes perfect sense."

Last month, Olly spoke about his shock exit from The Voice. He said: "I got the call to say I won’t be back on the show, and it’s a bit of a shock, to be honest. I didn’t expect that. They’ll find someone great, I’m sure. But am I going to miss it? Yeah. Did I want to leave? No. Will I still watch the show? Of course, but it’ll be sore thinking that could have been me."

Olly had been a mentor to hopefuls on The Voice alongside Will.i.am, Tom Jones and Oscar winning singer Jennifer Hudson. Despite being dumped, Olly will still have to attend the launch of the new series. On the back of his comments, ITV told The Mirror: "The Voice UK returns to ITV1 and ITVX for a brand new series later this year featuring coaches will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones, Anne-Marie and Olly Murs. Details of the 2024 series will be confirmed in due course."

Lucretia Munro