Olly Murs returned to the stage at BBC Radio 2's In The Park festival in Hylands Park days after he and his wife, Amelia, welcomed their second child, telling the crowd he would be going "straight home" when the show ended.
The 41-year-old singer addressed the audience at the start of his set, saying: "I'm here at Hylands Park with all these beautiful people, I love you, and when I finish I'll be straight home I promise!" The couple announced earlier in the week that they had welcomed a baby boy named Albert.
Olly and Amelia, 32, shared a photograph on social media showing the family leaving hospital with a car seat, captioning the post "Walking out as four. Welcome to the world, our little Albert." The birth comes a little over a year after the arrival of their daughter, Madison, who was born April 17 of last year. The pair announced Amelia's second pregnancy in April with a black-and-white video of the family; Madison wore a denim jacket embroidered "BIG SIS." The couple married in July 2023.
During his performance, Murs dedicated the song "Dear Darling" to the memory of Caroline Flack, a friend who took her own life in February 2020. He said he was dedicating the track to "someone that I wish was here today, and [could] be in this moment," and invited the audience to join him in singing for anyone they were missing. Murs has paid public tribute to Flack on multiple occasions since her death.
Murs is among a lineup of acts appearing at the second day of Radio 2's In The Park festival, which features Def Leppard, Louise Redknapp, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Anastacia.
The singer's appearance at the Chelmsford event followed public discussion about balancing work and family life. Murs has previously spoken about leaving home shortly after the birth of his daughter to fulfil tour commitments with Take That, saying at the time that he felt guilty about being away. He told listeners he had been "juggling nappies and late nights" and described being moved months later when he realised he had not yet had time to get to know his daughter as a baby.
Amelia has also spoken candidly about the challenges of parenthood, telling publications that motherhood "can be quite lonely" and describing a difficult recovery after an unplanned Caesarean section for Madison. She said the recovery had been "brutal" and that she wished there had been more honesty about the physical limitations she experienced, especially given her background in fitness.
Murs has indicated he intends to be more present for his growing family this time, after reflecting on the emotional impact of earlier work commitments that required him to return to touring soon after becoming a father. He has said in interviews and on radio that he values openness about the hardships of parenting and does not want to give the impression that family life is "all happy and Instagrammy."
The Radio 2 In The Park festival continues to draw a mix of legacy and contemporary acts, and Murs's brief on-stage family note underscored the way performers balance public lives with private milestones. Organisers and fellow artists did not immediately comment on Murs's return to the stage following the birth.
As Murs resumes performances, the couple's public posts and onstage remarks trace a timeline from their marriage in 2023 through the birth of Madison last year and the arrival of Albert this month, amid an ongoing conversation about work-life balance in the entertainment industry.