Olly Murs turned down an ‘X Factor’ judging role.
The ‘Dear Darlin” hitmaker has admitted he snubbed an offer to appear on Simon Cowell’s talent show because he didn’t want to take on a project that could "distract" from his own music career.
He told The Sun newspaper: "It was true – it was massively tough, but it didn’t feel right at the moment. To go the whole circle with ‘The X Factor’ would have been amazing.
"I think I’d be really good for the contestants, too. But I didn’t want to distract from where I was musically.
"It was an appealing offer to sit next to [Cheryl Fernandez-Versini] – I could have stopped her from marrying [Jean-Bernard]."
The singer has experience on the show before – having previously hosted ‘The Xtra Factor’ in 2011, as well as being a runner-up in 2009 – and he admitted while it was stressful enough, he isn’t ruling out a future appearance as a judge.
He added: "When I was presenting ‘The Xtra Factor’ I was burnt out.
"I can only imagine what it would be like being a judge on ‘X Factor’ and having a career at the same time … We’ll see what happens.
"I’ve always said I’d love to do it. It would depend on Simon and where the show goes. Having Simon back is amazing. He’s the main cog in this machine."
Olly Murs snubbed X Factor judging role
