February 24th, 2010 by Peter Bevan

X Factor star Olly Murs has been given a contract by his mentor Simon Cowell. The 25-year-old – who lost out in the final of last year’s show to winner Joe McElderry – has signed a joint deal with Cowell’s record label Syco Music and Epic Records. Sonny Takhar, managing director of Simon’s label, told BBC Newsbeat: ‘We are thrilled to be involved with Olly. As an artist he ticks every box.’ It is unclear exactly when his debut album will be released but reports suggest it is likely to hit shelves before the year is out.

Olly Murs and the other X Factor contestants – including Joe McElderry, Stacey Solomon and ‘Jedward’ – are currently performing across the UK as part of the X Factor Live tour. The X Factor Live tour is in high demand but we can reveal that tickets are still available for these unmissable shows. The tour includes visits to a number of top UK venues including the Birmingham LG Arena, Wembley Arena, Belfast Odyssey Arena and the MEN Arena. The X-Factor live tour draws to a close at the Glasgow SECC on April 4.

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