Olly Murs reveals devastating family heartbreak moment that 'changed everything'
Singer Olly Murs has opened up about his family history after learning why his great-grandmother Veronika walked away from her family during World War Two in a devastating turn of events
Olly Murs has shared a poignant insight into his family history, revealing why his great-grandmother made the heart-wrenching decision to leave her family during World War Two.
The father-of-one recently embarked on a journey to Latvia to delve deeper into his lineage for BBC One's popular genealogy programme, Who Do You Think You Are?
During his voyage of discovery, Olly discovered that his great-grandmother Veronika was a trapeze artist in a travelling circus and is believed to have had a romantic liaison with Eduard Murs Sr, Olly's great-grandfather.
Eddie, Olly's grandfather, was born in 1932 before Veronika took the devastating decision to hand him over to his father and his wife Katrine.
In 1944, they sought refuge in a camp in Germany before making Essex their home in 1948, while Veronika remained in Latvia, never to see her son again, reports OK!
Speaking to TV Times last year, Olly revealed: "My grandad's relationship with his mum wasn't great. Dad told me that Eddie felt she'd abandoned him.
"But her decision to say goodbye to her son changed everything for our family. Without her bravery, my grandad would never have had the life he did in the UK and the wonderful family he created."
The star, who hails from Essex, learnt that Veronika attempted to reconnect with her son through letters in the 1960s and 1970s. However, Eddie chose not to respond, a choice he later reportedly regretted.
Veronika passed away in 1988 and was buried in an unmarked grave by the state. "She cared about Eddie. And it saddens me that she had a son, grandchildren and great-grandchildren at the time of her death, but there was no family around her," he said.
Olly, who is celebrating his 41st birthday today (Wednesday, May 14), recently shared the joyous news that he and his wife Amelia Tank are expecting their second child. The former X-Factor finalist already has a daughter named Madison with Tank, who was born in April last year.
Revealing the news on Instagram on Good Friday, Olly announced: "We're so egg-cited to share this, another baby Murs on the way."
The post included a video of the couple strolling together, with Murs hoisting Madison, who was donning a top emblazoned with 'big sis' on the back, onto his shoulders while Tank held pregnancy scan photos.
Last month, the Troublemaker singer confessed on his Heart radio show with reality TV star Mark Wright that he "broke down in tears" after leaving his newborn baby to go on tour with Take That shortly after her birth.
Olly admitted: "It was really hard for me because I actually had to leave.
"So, two days after the baby was born, I had to leave and go on tour with Take That, and I didn't really process it at the time.
"And then about a few months later, me and Amelia were chatting, and I just sort of broke down in tears, because I was just like, I never got a chance to actually get to know this little baby."