IT’S been a busy couple of months for Olly Murs. The X Factor runner-up has helped open a new supermarket in Colchester and turned on the Christmas lights in Chelmsford.

Oh, and not to forget his debut album has gone platinum and he has virtually sold out every date on his first UK tour.

In fact, his popularity is so huge at the moment, that after he initially released details of a 20-date UK tour, which runs from April to June next year, he quickly had to expand that to 33. These include an extra four dates at the Cliffs Pavilion in Westcliff.

Olly is naturally chuffed about how things are going.

He says: “Oh mate, it’s been brilliant, what a year. At the moment I’ve got loads going on.

“I’ve been working really hard. I’ve always said ‘if you work hard for it, you will reap the benefits’ and that’s exactly what I’m doing. Next year’s tour has just gone mad.”

This time last year, Olly was just coming down after picking up the runners-up spot to last year’s X Factor winner Joe McElderry.

Preparing for the X Factor tour there was no guarantee of a record deal or any other work once the tour was finished, but things looked decidedly rosey after he was signed to Simon Cowell’s Syco Music and Epic Records, who are owned by Sony Music. Olly, 26, from Witham, released his debut single, Please Don’t Let Me Go, at the end of August, beating Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream to the number one spot.

The second single Thinking of Me charted at number four last month, while a week later Olly’s self-titled debut album made it to number two in the UK album charts.

Steady sales have continued since then, with the album reaching platinum – more than 300,000 sales – and becoming the biggest debut UK album of the year.

Olly adds: “It’s incredible. I never expected it really. Certainly not this time last year when I finished the X Factor. I was just getting ready for the tour and just dealing with that and all the press stuff that comes with it.

“I think even if you win the show, you don’t know what’s going to happen, but I was lucky enough to get a good record deal.”

So is there any advice he can give his fellow Essex boy-done-good Matt Cardle, who won this year’s X Factor?

“Matt and I spoke all the time while he was on the show and I voted for him every week,” Olly says. “It’s a great achievement, but he’s a great lad and deserves every bit of his success.

“There’s going to be two Essex lads in the charts, which is brilliant. You have to be yourself on these kind of shows and I think it just goes to prove what talented and nice guys us Essex boys are.”

You would hope, having worked his socks off for most of 2010, there would be some time for a well deserved rest and recuperation for Olly this Christmas, but while a trip back to his Witham home is on the cards, he’s jetting off soon after.

He explains: “I’ve just finished filming the video for the new single, which will be out in the new year. After Christmas at home, which I’m really looking forward to, I’m off to Dubai for the new year.

“I’m doing a couple of gigs over there, so it is work, but I’m hoping it will be a lot of fun as well.”

For further details about Olly’s forthcoming single and tour dates, go to www.olly murs.com