Olly Murs discovers devastating family secret about his grandfather's parentage as he looks into his Baltic heritage on Who Do You Think You Are?

Olly Murs discovers devastating family secret about his grandfather's parentage as he looks into his Baltic heritage on Who Do You Think You Are? Have YOU got a story? Email [email protected] By Hannah Mcdonald Published: 00:01 BST, 9 September 2024 | Updated: 00:08 BST, 9 September 2024 e-mail View comments Olly Murs discovered a devastating family secret about his grandfather's parentage when he appeared on an upcoming episode of Who Do You Think You Are ? The singer, 40, features on the new series of the BBC show in a bid to look back at his Latvian ancestry. The show is known for its incredible reveals, however Olly's family history was far more complicated than he could have imagined.

He was told that his grandfather Eddie was born through an affair and taken to England after the Soviet Union took over Latvia . They settled just a few miles from Olly's native Essex. But in a heartbreaking discovery, Olly found out his great-grandmother was left behind in Latvia, before being imprisoned in a Soviet work camp.



After decades of searching for her son, she sadly died in 1988. Olly Murs discovered a devastating family secret about his grandfather's parentage when he appeared on an upcoming episode of Who Do You Think You Are Olly was told that his grandfather Eddie was born through an affair and taken to England after the Soviet Union took over Latvia . They settled just a few miles from Olly's native Essex In the episode, Olly goes to visit her grave before breaking the sad news to his father Peter - who was left in tears.

'One of the biggest things my dad asked of me was that he wanted to know where she was buried, so that was a really special moment for me, to give him some answers,' Olly said while choking up. 'It was quite emotional to see dad cry and get upset - I've never seen my dad cry, actually. 'I think seeing him emotional felt like I'd done something really special for him and the family, to find some peace for him - to feel connected to Latvia.

' Speaking to The Sun , Olly admitted the programme helped him and his father connect in a new way. He said: 'Dad and I have never connected like this before - we love our football, we love our music, but he's a bit of a geezer, like me. 'Through learning about this, we definitely connected on a different level, and I'd never had that feeling between us before.

'I was able to unlock some doors that my dad had been refused before and wasn't able to unlock.' The singer, 40, features on the new series of the BBC show in a bid to look back at his Latvian ancestry Speaking to The Sun, Olly admitted the programme helped him and his father connect in a new way Olly 'struggled with loneliness' after becoming estranged from his twin brother Ben (pictured in November 2022) Earlier this year, Olly opened up about his family life as he revealed his estrangement from his twin brother Ben. Olly missed his brother's wedding in 2009 to take part in the semi-final of The X Factor and the pair have not spoken since.

He has now admitted that in the years that followed their sudden separation that he struggled to cope on his own. He told The Times : '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.' The Troublemaker singer missed his brother's wedding in 2009 to take part in the semi-final of The X Factor and the pair have not spoken since The Essex star rose to fame as a finalist on the 2009 edition of the ITV competition series (pictured with Stacey Solomon and eventual winner Joe McElderry) He added: 'When I was single for three years, I had to learn to like my own company. That’s when I met Amelia.

' Olly did not give any indication of whether he and his brother will ever be on speaking terms again but did share that his life goal is now to be the best husband and father he can be. He added: 'My aim in life is to be a great husband and father — that’s where my future lies. I’d love my career to continue as it is, but when you get married and become a dad, you just want to be the best for them.

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