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Pop star Olly Murs opens up about the reaction to his new physique after some said they preferred his ‘huggable dad bod’

When new dad Olly Murs proudly showed off the results of a 12 week health kick, the last thing he expected was a vicious bodyshaming backlash. Cruelly, he was told women preferred his “huggable dad bod” to his new honed physique, and he was told his muscles made him look “aged and too lean”.

But after three months of “beast mode” weight training and boxing sessions to get him fighting fit for his current tour, Olly says, defiantly: “I’m in the best shape of my life in my 40s.”

The singer explains: “I didn’t get my body out there for people to judge it – I was just doing it for my own tour, and for my own laughs with my fans, and for looking good. I wanted to feel good. I wanted to represent myself at 40 on the biggest tour of my life, celebrating 15 years and being the healthiest and the fittest I could be.”

Olly’s wife of two years Amelia agrees. The former bodybuilder, who is mum to his one-year-old daughter Madison, and is expecting their second child, supported her husband, who she describes as being in a “great place mentally and physically”.

Becoming a father incentivised him to get in shape – not just to lose his ‘dad bod’, and he looked to his idol David Beckham for inspiration. He says: “Being fit in my 40s was always a big thing. But also, being fit with my daughter and making sure that I’m the best I possibly can be.

“Part of me was like: ‘I don’t want to have a dad bod in my 40s.’ And David Beckham’s always been someone I’ve always looked at and thought that as a dad, he’s always looked super cool, super fit. You all have to have people in life that inspire you. And he was definitely someone that inspired me.”

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The backlash came as a shock to him, and he admits: “I get that it all can be a bit tongue-in-cheek at times, but I just thought it went a little bit too far. I was a bit surprised by it all.”

Wife Amelia leapt fiercely to his defence, hitting out at the obvious “bodyshaming”, and pointing out that the criticisms essentially said: “How dare you get so fit for your tour, so that you can give your fans the best show, be full of energy and a true showman.”

Speaking now, Olly says he is touched by her solidarity: “My wife’s amazing. She gets it because she had it for years – she is in the fitness industry herself, so she understands that body shaming. Every time she put a photo up on social media of her body, people would hammer her.”

During his 12 week plan, former Team GB boxer Harvey Horn coached him in boxing, while he also underwent an intensive weight-lifting programme with personal trainer Rob Sully.

Olly’s image overhaul comes after battling multiple knee injuries that have stopped him working out in the past, including a 2019 operation to reconstruct his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) which left him bedbound and unable to exercise, and he put on two stone, reaching 14 stone 3lbs.

Olly has had to juggle tour plans around his family time, and admits he felt “guilty and awful” that he had to return to the stage with Take That just 48 hours after Madi was born.He said on Father’s Day: “Nothing compares to seeing her little face light up when I come home from work.”

But a brief trip home to visit an aquarium with Madi in May sparked chaos, as Olly picked up a respiratory infection and lost his voice. Days later, he was forced to abandon a gig in Glasgow after 30 minutes on stage to avoid causing permanent damage to his vocal cords.

He groans: “I blame it on Madi, a little bit – my little bubba.

“Because my dad warned me when I became a parent, he said: ‘Be careful, kids give you everything.’

“So I went home literally for one day – it was the only day on tour I went home! And Madi came in my arms, she was spluttering everywhere.

“So I think that’s what was the cause of it. You know, these things happen. Maybe it was a bit of COVID, who knows, but it was an infection in my voice.”

Last week, he led the crowd at BST Hyde Park in a laddy rendition of Sweet Caroline while he took part in the PDC Darts championships, playing in a duo with pro player Luke Humphries which he said was “nerve-wracking but a bit of fun”.

Olly and Luke were beaten by former footballer Dion Dublin and pro Nathan Aspinall, and the singer after his match loss: “I came, I threw, I quit… darts is for the pros! I’ll stick to singing.”

The limited edition Rabanne Fame The Couture Edition perfume has been slashed from £144 to £72 for one week only, with shoppers saying it smells ‘sophisticated and sensual’

There’s nothing better than finding a new perfume that ends up being your go-to scent, and we think we might just have found the perfect fragrance that encapsulates summer. Rabanne’s Fame The Couture Edition Eau de Parfum was inspired by Parisian nightlife, evoking fast-paced, sophisticated and sensual energy, and embodies everything we love about the summer season.

The latest addition to Rabanne’s Fame range of perfumes, The Couture Edition is a limited edition launch, serving up seductive notes that are sweet, floral and heady. It also comes in a unique faux fur-covered bottle with gold accents, giving it a luxurious, extravagant look to match its high end scent.

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The Rabanne Fame The Couture Edition perfume lands in the floral amber fragrance family, with notes of smoked incense, vanilla and iris. All of the ingredients are also ethically sourced, making it responsibly formulated.

Although the perfume is usually priced at £144 for an 80ml bottle, now is the perfect time to get your hands on it for less. For a short time, LookFantastic has slashed the price of the limited edition perfume by 50%, bringing it down to just £72.

Other beauty retailers have also discounted it the fragrance for a limited time, with Boots taking it down to £86.40 and saving you £57.60, whilst The Perfume Shop has dropped the price to £125, saving you £19. You can however make some serious savings on other perfumes at both retailers right now, so it’s a great time to snap up some old favourites too.

Boots is currently running a 20% off selected fragrances offer which includes brands like Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and YSL. Meanwhile The Perfume Shop’s summer sale has discounted fragrance favourites like Lancome, Chloe and Jean Paul Gaultier.

However if you want to get your hands on the Rabanne Fame The Couture Edition before it sells out (or goes back up in price) then LookFantastic’s offer is a must-shop. There’s currently only one review of the perfume on the site, saying: “I received and sampled and love it that much I brought the full size.”

However at Boots one shopper praised: “Not only do I love how great this scent smells, the bottle is so cute that I had to have it as a collector item. The scent is sweeter, richer and has more depth than the regular Fame. Think more fall, evening and seductive. Great purchase that you won’t regret!”

And another agreed: “This is really high quality perfume. It lasts all day and a little goes a long way. The vanilla and floral notes really come through, making it perfect for everyday or special occasions.”

Others were less impressed, saying: “This smelled okay. I probably would not purchase it for a high price point but I might wear it out to dinner on occasion. It smells nice, with a slight vanilla scent that wears off rather quickly.”

Another said: “This perfume was overall just okay. Over the course of a few hours I started to feel like just a powdery hand soap as the vanilla scent fades. It does last long and it smells good but not something I would choose to wear.”

However perfumes are such a personal thing, it’s no surprise that some love it whilst others are less taken with the scent. Another happy shopper wrote: “Omg this perfume smells amazing! Not a strong or overpowering it’s a good floral sweet scent. I can wear this everyday. It’s priced very well. And the packaging looks great. I got a small sample but bottle looks so cute! I’d definitely recommend such a sweet sexy scent.”

You can pick up the Rabanne Fame The Couture Edition perfume at LookFantastic with 50% off now.

Prince Harry has received an unexpected boost of support from an unlikely royal who says “everyone is bullying him” and that he’s “just traumatised” in a rare interview

An unexpected royal has admitted she “feels sorry” for Prince Harry in a bombshell interview. The Duke of Sussex is currently embroiled in a bitter rift with his father, King Charles and brother Prince William after levelling a series of accusations against them in his Netflix show and memoir, Spare.

However, hopes of a reconciliation between Harry and his dad, the King, have been sparked after senior aides for father and son were spotted meeting at a private members’ club in London. But discussing Harry’s situation on a podcast was Princess Delphine of Belgium, who claimed she ‘understands’ the Duke’s plight and said that “everyone is bullying him”.

The princess herself has also experienced family turmoil as she is the illegitimate daughter of Belgium’s former monarch, King Albert II. A DNA test proved her paternity, and she later won a landmark ruling to be called a princess and styled as “Her Royal Highness”.

And speaking on the It’s Reigning Men podcast, she said: “I do follow a little bit of Harry because Lady Diana was just part of my life when I was in England… Then she had these children and everything, and then this death was just horrible…

“I feel very sorry for Harry because I think that was traumatic for him. I think Harry suffered so much, and I think he was traumatised and it’s coming out now.”

Referencing his recent security battle, she added: “This thing about security. I think it’s to do with what happened to his mother.

“I understand the guy. He’s just traumatised. And I understand, so he’s doing these things, and everybody’s bullying him, but not thinking about his trauma. And I just find it terrible because he’s just been kind of left.”

The European royals’ comments about Harry come as he has retraced the steps of his mother, Princess Diana, during a trip to Angola. Harry visited an Angolan minefield 28 years after his mother’s famous visit in the same country.

Harry, as a patron of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust, spoke to families in a remote village near Africa’s largest minefield yesterday.

He gave children in Cuito Cuanavale advice on avoiding detonating mines, telling them in Portuguese: “Stop, go back and tell your elders.” The duke was highlighting the threat of the munitions in Angola, the same nation Diana, Princess of Wales, visited in 1997 to urge the world to ban the weapons.

On Tuesday, he met Angola’s President Joao Lourenco and welcomed the leader’s intention to continue support for the removal of landmines left from the civil war that ended in 2002.

Months before she died in a car crash, Diana, wearing a protective visor and vest, walked through a minefield being cleared by the Halo Trust.

She strode through a cleared path in a Huambo minefield, and the images of her in body armour and a mask gave the anti-landmine campaign global recognition.

Harry, who also echoed Diana in a 2019 visit to an Angolan minefield, said: “Children should never have to live in fear of playing outside or walking to school. Here in Angola, over three decades later, the remnants of war still threaten lives every day.”

Elevate your outdoor space this summer with these solar-powered lights that are designed to appear like fireflies hidden amongst leaves – plus they’re now under £20

Fancy adding some outdoor lighting to your patio, decking, balcony or garden but without the traditional (and bonding) LEDs? Look no further than these decorative and solar-powered hanging fairy lights that are currently a steal on Amazon as they’re reduced to £19.71.

The KagoLing Solar Lights Outdoor Garden, which boasts a near-perfect 5-star rating, are an LED Strip Hanging Plant that features 66 high-quality light beads interwoven with a leaf design to form a warm, soft light that adds ambience to a variety of scenes.

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These bamboo leaf LED lights combine rattan and simulated bamboo leaves to create a whimsical and more natural design that can be discreetly added to any outdoor space. They feature a delicate and natural rattan texture paired with the cascading distribution of bionic bamboo leaves, which presents a sense of romantic atmosphere. At night, warm white lights shine through the branches and leaves, creating a dreamy ambience.

Equipped with solar panels, these solar garden lights charge for 6-8 hours in the sun during the day and illuminate for at least 10-12 hours at night, ensuring all of your evening and nighttime outdoor activities enjoy the same magical lighting.

Made of high-quality corrosion-resistant materials, these lights are able to seamlessly withstand rain, fog, snow and other kinds of weather, making them a safe and reliable choice for gardens in the UK’s ever-changing climate. What’s more, even on rainy days or other bad weather conditions, they can work normally, and keep you company with a warm glow.

Currently boasting an impressive 4.8 out of 5-star rating, shoppers can’t stop sharing their love of these outdoor lighting gems. One satisfied customer raves: “I recently purchased these solar lights for my garden. Charges very fast and lasts for the whole night, which is good. These lights look beautiful when hung up and are very vibrant. Its installation is very simple since you just have to hang it up and turn on the button so that the built-in solar panel starts charging. Great product makes my garden greener, happy to recommend.”

Another thrilled buyer beams: “The hanging willow leaf design with the little fairy lights is so pretty, it adds such a cozy, magical vibe to my garden. I love that they’re solar powered and totally hassle-free, no wires or plugs to worry about. Even though the plants are fake, they look super nice and realistic from a distance. Perfect for sprucing up the patio.”

And a third chimes in: “These hanging plant solar lights are unique and beautiful at the same time. So I got this to decor our garden for this summer. It is well made and works great. Easy to install and has good battery life. Once charged it lasts throughout the night. It has withstood several rains so far. But have to wait and see for its longevity. It is worth every penny spent.”