Olly Murs hopes performing ‘Talking to Yourself’ on tour will encourage other people to open up about mental health.
The 35-year-old singer wants to help other people open up about their feelings and so decided to include the song in his live show.
Speaking to the 3500-strong at the Hull Bonus Arena, he said: "This song is about mental health. More and more people have been coming out about it recently and it’s important to do that. I might come across as a cheeky chappy but I’ve had my ups and downs over the years.
"You can’t do this by yourself, if you’re worried or panicked or have anxiety, speak up as it really is okay not to be okay. I went to a therapist two years ago to talk about how I was feeling, as I suffered from anxiety and depression, and if someone told me then that I would be stood here in a packed arena talking to you all about my mental health, I wouldn’t believe you. But here I am sharing what I went through and I want to get the message out there so more people will talk about mental health and get the help they need."
Olly had previously revealed he sought therapy to combat anxiety and panic attacks.
Speaking about the anxiety attack he got before doing a live TV performance once, he recalled: "My heart was pounding and I couldn’t breathe. I’m standing behind the mic and I’m talking trying to calm myself down, thinking: ‘What’s going on? I’ve never ever been like this’. It was genuine panic. I was looking at my mum and dad in the audience and trying to focus, despite the fact I’d just forgotten my lyrics. It was just a routine performance but I didn’t know what was going on."
Olly Murs encouraging fans to open up about mental health
