EXCLUSIVE: Singer Olly Murs and his wife Amelia are expecting their second baby and have opened up becoming parents and their struggle after Amelia’s first difficult birth
With an energetic 16-month-old and another baby on the way, Olly and Amelia Murs are the perfect fit as the new faces of The Parent Hood, M&S ’s club for mums and dads. One of the fastest growing baby clubs in the UK, it is part of the high street chain’s loyalty scheme, Sparks, and encourages young parents to meet up in M&S cafés to swap experiences over a cuppa and free slice of cake. It’s a hectic time for Essex-based Olly, 41, and Amelia, 32. The pair, who married two years ago, have their hands full with toddler Madison, who appears with them in the Parent Hood campaign. Outside of daddy duties, singer Olly has just finished his latest tour and he is still presenting his Heart FM weekend radio show alongside fellow M&S ambassador Mark Wright. With fitness enthusiast Amelia due to give birth imminently, OK ! caught up with the couple to discuss all the highs and lows of parenting…
Hi guys. Congrats on your role as The Parent Hood ambassadors. It seems a great match… Amelia: Yeah, I feel like everything has aligned at the right time. We’re so proud to be part of this as a family. Olly: The fact we could do the photo shoot with Madi and the bump was really special. M&S is an amazing brand and part of British culture, and hopefully we can inspire more parents to go to the clubs. It began with you going to the club, didn’t it Amelia? Yes, I’ve been a member almost since it formed. It can be quite lonely as a mum, but this gives you a sense of community, and a reason to go out. There’s so much parents don’t know, but you can learn about everything from weaning recipes to what kind of nursing bra to buy. Olly: It’s lovely that mums can go and just have a chat. You know, “Am I doing it right?”, “This happened today”, “Oh, my god, I did the same thing.” It gives you a bit of reassurance that everyone’s going through the same thing. Are you both keen to be honest about the challenges of parenting? Amelia: I’ve tried to be a bit more open recently, especially while Olly’s been away. Olly: There’s no point being all happy and Instagrammy and, “It’s all amazing.” I’m very honest. Being parents is unbelievable, but at the same time it’s extremely hard. Being pregnant, Amelia hasn’t been able to go the gym much, which is her hobby. You don’t want to lose who you are, so it’s about finding a balance. What advice have you given your mate Mark Wright about his and Michelle Keegan’s baby girl Palma? Olly: People said to me, “Olly, enjoy the first four months. They’re the best time.” And I was like, “What?” When Madison came it didn’t feel like that. I told Wrighty that and he took it on board. I’ve been saying, “Enjoy your trip to Majorca, because, trust me, when Palma is crawling or walking in a few months, that’s a whole other level.” I also warned him about the weaning stage. You think they’re choking and your wife’s like, “It’s fine – she’s just got to learn how to use her mouth.” What’s it called? The gag reflex. I’m like, “Babe, I can’t. I’m off to sit in the other room.”
Do you think Palma and Madison will grow up as friends? Olly: I hope so, being around the same age. And with us being parents at the same time, it’s going to be special. We haven’t had time to make it work because our schedules are so mad, but we will when things calm down. Wrighty and I have already spoken about going on holiday and just being together, which will be fun. We’ve got such a good friendship, and I really want Michelle and Amelia to meet properly. I’m sure they’ll have loads in common. How’s Madison doing? Olly: A few weeks ago, she was the best I’ve ever seen her. For two weeks, she ate everything Amelia gave her. But for the last three or four days, it’s been, “Nope, don’t like that.” It’s the same food as last week! What’s going on? She’s babbling away now. It sounds like she’s speaking French or German. Which one of you is she most like? Amelia: She’s very like Olly in that she loves an audience and is very extrovert. But she’s also quite independent and if we’re trying to feed her she’s like, “I’m doing that myself” – with spaghetti going everywhere. Olly: Me and Amelia can both be very stubborn. She’s definitely got that part of us. Who’s the best nappy-changer? Olly: We have two different styles. Amelia’s very precise and it’s a real experience. Madi’s got her toys and she’s all calm. Me, I’m like an F1 pit-stopper, I just get it done quickly. Do you think you’ll be a strict dad when Madison is older? Yeah, because that’s how my parents were with me. I think discipline and respect are important. I don’t want her to have any self-entitlement or to feel like she deserves anything more than anyone else. I want to her to be grounded. Are you managing to squeeze in some date nights ahead of Baby No.2? Olly: We were meant to go to Wimbledon, but it was 36 degrees, so we didn’t think it was a good idea. Amelia: We’re dropping Madi off to Olly’s mum later so we can do some clearing out. Does that count? With another baby due, there must be lots of different emotions… Amelia: It changes week by week as I get closer to having the baby. We can’t wait to meet who’s in there and see Madi with a sibling. But I get a bit overwhelmed when I think of having two under two. Olly: We know we can do it and it’s going to be fine. The most important thing is that the baby is healthy.
Did you have an unplanned C-section last time? Amelia: We were planning a natural birth, but Madi was in a precarious position. She was transverse [sideways] so we didn’t have an option. The recovery was brutal and I wish people had been more honest about that. Maybe it’s because I’m active, but I didn’t realise how much I wouldn’t be able to do afterwards. You’ve chosen not to find out the sex, but do you have a hunch? Amelia: It’s hard to tell, because I was convinced Madi was a boy. But I do think this one is a boy. Olly: Obviously, that’d be cool, but I’m swaying more to thinking it’s a girl. I’d love that, I genuinely would. Have you planned this birth yet? Olly: We’re reaching the point where we have to make decisions. But this feels like a different pregnancy. Amelia: We know that this baby’s not transverse, which is good. Olly: We’re very excited and announcing this thing with M&S has made it much more real. Two or three more weeks and we’re gonna be right back at it!
M&S ambassadors Olly & Amelia Murs become the face of The Parent Hood, M&S’s first Baby Club. For more info and to sign up, visit marksandspencer.com/mysparks
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