Royal wedding mania will feel a million miles away for Olly Murs when his first solo UK tour comes to Kent. Chris Price reports.

As the nation gets tipsy on Pimm’s and G&T to toast the royal wedding, Olly Murs will be keeping himself in tip-top shape. The 26-year-old Essex boy will be heading across the Thames to play at the Margate Winter Gardens on the day that Prince William and Kate Middleton tie the knot – the second gig of his first UK tour.

The former-X Factor contestant admits he will still be nervous at that point, so there will be no time to celebrate the nation’s big day.

And even if a late invite to perform at the reception of the big event came through his letter box, he would still stick with his loyal fans.

“I would have to turn the royal family down,” he said with tongue firmly in cheek. “I could not let Kent down. I would have to be there at Margate.

“I would have to say 'I’m sorry Kate. You shouldn’t have married William you should have married me. I don’t think I can be there for the night.’

“She is very attractive isn’t she? But as she knows, when you make a commitment with someone you have to go through with it. I would have to say I have another gig to do and I cannot let my Kent fans down.”

It is fair to say Olly is not your average pop star. Joining the elite group of second place X Factor contestants who outdid the show’s winner (in his case Joe McElderry) Olly’s chart success has not stopped him branching into other roles.

He recently had a week-long stint as Chris Moyles’ sidekick on his Radio 1 breakfast show, while regular partner Comedy Dave Vitty was rehearsing for the Dancing On Ice tour.

Having kept himself in shape as a semi-pofessional footballer for Witham Town, a career in modelling would not seem too far out of the question either, although Olly insists his naked shoot for Heat magazine was a one-off. He only did the shoot to keep a promise he made if his first single Please Don’t Let Me Go went to No1.

“I’m never ever doing it again,” he said laughing.

“I’m making a statement right now. You are never going to see me naked ever again. I’m getting a bad name for myself.”

Keeping tight-lipped about what fans can expect on the tour, Olly is not afraid to say he is looking forward to being greeted with screaming girls in Margate. A few nights out in Canterbury and Maidstone in the past are not the only reasons he knows what to expect from Kent’s ladies either.

“I’ve met a Kent girl before. It was a girl I liked who I met on Deal Or No Deal before I was famous. We had a bit of a romance, kind of, but she is one of my closest friends now. I love Kent girls.”

He added: “I cannot give away too much about the show. I like to let people use their imagination about what I’ll be doing.

“The one thing I will say is it will be a live event with a live band and it will go on for as long as I want it to go on.

“If you think of the way Michael Buble and Robbie Williams perform, that is how I will try to do my set.”

Olly Murs was speaking to Andy Walker on kmfm Drivetime. Andy’s show is on kmfm every weekday from 3pm to 7pm.

Olly Murs will perform at Margate’s Winter Gardens on Friday, April 29.