For more than a decade, the public image of Olly Murs has been one of success, warmth and family values — a pop star who rose from The X Factor to become one of Britain’s most recognisable entertainers.

Olly Murs

Ben andwith his wife

‘My parents wanted this bright, shiny Olly with the money who can give them the VIP lifestyle.’

Olly Murs, left, and his twin brother, Ben, right with his wife, were once joined at the hip

But behind the sold-out tours and TV smiles lies a deeply painful family fracture that few ever truly understood.

Ben and Olly were born in Witham in 1984, little brothers for sister Fay, 18 months older

Now, Olly’s twin brother Ben Hart has spoken out, laying bare the truth behind a 15-year estrangement that has left him cut off not only from his famous sibling, but also from his parents and sister.

“My parents wanted this bright, shiny Olly with the money who can give them the VIP lifestyle,” Ben says.

Once Inseparable, Now Strangers

Seemingly to promote Olly’s new UK tour, the twins’ mother Vicky-Lynn (left) gave an interview which included devastating personal details of Ben’s childhood

Born just minutes apart in Witham, Essex, Olly and Ben were once inseparable. As children, they shared everything — football, music, jokes, dreams.

Olly, pictured here with his mother, has had 12 million record sales, four No 1 albums and four chart-topping singles

That bond, Ben says, began to unravel in 2009 — the year Olly’s life changed forever after reaching the X Factor final.

Olly Murs with fellow X-Factor presented Caroline Flack

The same year, Ben married his long-term partner Amy in a church ceremony he hoped would unite the family. Instead, it became the breaking point.

According to Ben, Olly chose to attend an X Factor rehearsal rather than his twin brother’s wedding. Worse still, Ben claims his parents threatened not to attend unless Olly was made best man — a condition he refused.

“That was the moment everything changed,” Ben recalls.

The Silence That Followed

What followed was not a temporary fall-out, but complete silence.

Ben says contact slowly disappeared. Messages went unanswered. Phone calls stopped. When close relatives passed away, he claims he was not even informed about funerals.

Meanwhile, Olly’s career soared — chart-topping albums, millions of records sold, major ITV presenting roles, and a multi-million-pound fortune.

Ben, by contrast, chose a quieter life.

Working as an engineer, he built a family of his own — and eventually took his wife’s surname, becoming Ben Hart, in an effort to distance himself from a name that now carried only pain.

“If someone calls me by my old name, I don’t even respond,” he says.

‘I Don’t Want the Superstar — I Want My Brother’

Despite the bitterness, Ben insists this was never about jealousy or money.

“I don’t care about the superstar Olly Murs,” he says.
“I don’t want his money or his lifestyle. I just want my brother.”

Ben says he tried repeatedly to mend the relationship, especially during key moments — including when his wife was pregnant with their second child.

One reply, he says, ended all hope.

“Delete my number and move on with your life.”

The Hidden Cost of Fame

Today, Ben says he cannot even watch shows like The X Factor.

“I don’t see entertainment anymore,” he admits.
“I see families being torn apart behind the scenes.”

While Olly continues to enjoy success and public admiration, Ben believes the price of fame was paid quietly — by those left behind.

Still Hoping, Even Now

Despite 15 years of silence, Ben says one door remains open.

Not to fame.
Not to money.
Not to celebrity.

Just to his brother.

“I don’t know if it will ever happen,” he says.
“But I still hope.”

Some family rifts heal with time.
Others become the silent tragedies no one applauds.