Singer Olly Murs was overcome with emotion after successfully completing his gruelling five-day Soccer Aid challenge, which has so far raised an impressive £832,003 for charity.
The 42-year-old artist crossed the finish line at the London Stadium in Stratford on Friday, marking the end of his Into The Unknown endeavour.
This demanding feat saw Murs run, cycle, and row a total of 249 miles between Manchester and London, with the added twist of not knowing his daily route until hours before setting off.
After breaking down in tears, Murs spoke to ITV’s This Morning, expressing profound gratitude to the public whose support, he said, kept him going.
“I am in bits,” he confessed, adding, “That run from central London to here was so painful, but I just kept thinking, I gotta get to the end.”
He acknowledged the overwhelming generosity, stating the donations had “surpassed my expectations how amazing this has been.”
Reflecting on the opportunity, he added: “To be given the opportunity from Soccer Aid, who have been an amazing part of my life, so to be able to do this and to raise that sort of money, I’m just really proud of myself and proud of the fact that Soccer Aid, still to this day, is such a huge charity that does so much with Unicef to help kids around the world, it’s amazing.”
His immediate plans involved seeing his children for “a big hug” before heading home for pizza.
Murs reiterated his heartfelt thanks: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for donating and doing this. You really don’t know how much that’s going to change kids’ lives and families, not just here, but across the world. So thank you.”
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The challenge was not without its difficulties; the third and longest day was plagued by torrential rain and an unexpected reroute due to a fire.
Murs is now set to compete in the main Soccer Aid charity match on May 31, joining a team that includes actor Tom Hiddleston, former England player Wayne Rooney, and Adolescence star Owen Cooper.
This latest fundraising effort follows his recent trip to Romania with Unicef, where he visited the Pipera Primo Hub in northern Bucharest, a project supporting Ukrainian children displaced by conflict, as well as Romanian children.
Fans can relive his journey in a one-off documentary, chronicling his challenge, which will air on ITV1, ITVX, STV, and STV Player on May 29 at 9pm.
Murs is widely recognised for his chart-topping hits such as ‘Heart Skips A Beat’, ‘Dance With Me Tonight’, and ‘Troublemaker’.