Olly Murs reduces viewers to tears with ‘saddest’ Who Do You Think You Are ‘ever’

Who Do You Think You Are viewers were left in ‘floods of tears’ after watching Olly Murs discover his great-grandmother’s ‘heartbreaking’ wartime story.

The 40-year-old singer found fame after placing second in the sixth season of The X Factor in 2009 and has since gone on to top the UK charts with hits such as Heart Skips A Beat and Troublemaker.

On Thursday night the father-of-one delved into his family history on BBC series Who Do You Think You Are, which offers celebrities the chance to uncover their roots and the wild stories that led them to where they are today.

During the episode, Olly tapped into his Latvian roots and travelled out there to discover more about his paternal great-grandparents who were circus performers from Riga.

In particular, he was keen to learn more about the fate of his great-grandmother Veronika Jankovska. Earlier in the episode he recalled that his grandfather last saw her when he was only 12 years old.

After arriving at the Salamonska Circus building he found out that his great-grandfather Eduards had an affair with Veronika despite his marriage to his wife, Katrine.

Life took a tragic turn when World War Two broke out and a 22-year-old Veronika was forced to leave her child, Eduards Jr, who eventually fled with his father’s family who, at some point, ended up in Essex.

Veronika was left behind in Latvia and imprisoned in a labour camp for eight years where she continued to look for her son but never saw him again. She died in 1988 and was buried in an unmarked grave among a ‘beautiful’ grove of trees that Olly visited.

‘World War II had a real impact on my family. I think Veronika made a very bold decision that day, leaving her son and knowing that she might never see him again,’ the music artist said during the episode.

‘I wish my grandad could have understood his mum’s decisions.’

He added: ‘I’m happy that I’m able to give my dad some answers on her life. Bless my great-grandmother, she had such sad moments in her life. I hope that she’s at peace now.’

The heartwrenching story of estrangement, set against the backdrop of war, visibly moved not only Olly but viewers at home as well.

‘Probably the best episode of WDYTYA of this series. The story of the Murs family was interesting and incredibly touching,’ @lorrainewhale wrote on X.

‘This is one of the saddest I’ve seen. Poor Veronika,’ @teds302 added.

‘How sad was Olly Murs’ Who Do You Think You Are. Actually made me cry too. Bless his poor Great Grandma and Grandad,’ @championfan wrote.

The Voice judge became a father for the first time in April 2024 and shares his baby daughter Madison with his wife Amelia.

‘‘Our mini murs has arrived. Madison we love you so much already x,’ Olly wrote on Instagram as he announced the birth.

Since she was born Olly has had to leave the house to perform shows and opened up about the parenting guilt he feels.

‘It’s been the most craziest time,’ he said as he opened for Take That at London’s O2 arena earlier this year.

He continued: ‘Because obviously, on one hand I’ve got this beautiful baby girl, my wife is at home looking after her with the nappies, and the sleepless nights.

‘And I’m on tour with Take That. I feel guilty!’

‘But this week I’ve been home. I’ve done the nappies, I’ve done the late nights and I can’t wait to stay on tour. I’m joking! Honestly, she is truly awesome. I never thought I’d be a dad, so I can’t quite believe it.’

Elsewhere, in a recent interview, Olly opened up about his struggle with being estranged from his twin brother Ben, who he last spoke to in 2009 after he had to attend his wedding over the phone due to X Factor rehearsals.

‘When you’ve been in the womb with someone, you struggle with loneliness. I had to deal with it when my twin and I went on our separate lives. I was desperate to be around people, could not sit in a room alone,’ he told The Saturday Times.