Olly Murs has opened up about the feud with his brother and said that he would boycott Twitter if he could – because it is used as a tool by bullies.
(Anthony Devlin/PA Wire)
The Wrapped Up singer, 30, said that he feared the impact that social media was having on teenagers.
He told Radio Times magazine he was 'scared' for his young cousins and his nephew 'growing up'.
“At school I knew there was a kid in the class who didn’t like me, but I didn’t know if there was 100 kids who didn’t like me. But what happens now is you go on Twitter and you can see everyone who hates you,” he said.
“That’s going to make you feel so down, and think, ‘I don’t want to go to school tomorrow.’ If I wasn’t doing this job I wouldn’t be on Twitter.”
Olly Murs with X Factor finalists Stacey Solomon, Danyl Johnson and winner Joe McElderry (Fiona Hanson/PA Wire)
Olly also spoke out about the row with his twin brother – the pair have not seen each other since the singer decided to miss his sibling’s wedding to attend rehearsals for the 2009 X Factor semi-final.
He told the magazine: “My brother knew how much I wanted to change my life. He knew this was my big dream. But all he could think about was himself. All he could think was ‘This is my wedding, why aren’t you coming?’”
He added: “His wedding was his excuse for not having me in his life any more. He got into a relationship with his now wife, and I don’t think she ever liked us as a family.
“For 25 years of my life, I always came first in his life and he always came first in mine. I loved my brother to bits. Anything he needed or he wanted I’d do for him.
Olly Murs (Yui Mok/PA Wire)
“But at that point in my life I was like, as much as I love him, I have to do this for myself, I have to change my life. I never expected him to react the way he did.”
He said that his brother has not spoken to his parents either.
“His reaction was to block us all out of his life. He’s living a new life with his new family. He doesn’t want anything to do with us. He doesn’t want to know us,” he said.
Olly added: “I would love my mum to have her son back. She gave birth to both of us and she now only has one son. She’d be over the moon if my brother rang her and had a conversation with her and went for a coffee. It would change her life.”
